Mahlon D. Ogden Residence marker - Great Chicago Fire of 1871,Chicago, IL
Posted by: 
adgorn
N 41° 53.988 W 087° 37.824
16T E 447709 N 4638843
Marker to commemorate the location of a home that survived the Chicago Fire of 1871, now the site of the Newberry Library.
Waymark Code: WM8DQ7
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 03/18/2010
Views: 6
The site of the Newberry Library (see waymark ("http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM8DMH_Newberry_Library_Chicago_IL)" target="_blank">visit link) was previously the site of the home of Mahlon Ogden, brother of Chicago's first mayor, whose house luckily survived the Chicago fire. Here's more on that from DesignSlinger ("http://designslinger.com/2009/07/09/ogden-the-story-of-a-school--a-house-and-a-trust.aspx" target="_blank">visit link)
"William B. Ogden was Chicago's 1st mayor, the founder of the city's 1st railroad, the 1st president of the newly organized Union Pacific Railroad, and one of the largest property owners in the city. His brother Mahlon, also a real estate mogul, as well as a probate judge, owned a house that once stood directly across the street from the current Ogden School site. Although he was a mover and shaker in his time, Mahlon's true fame and notoriety comes from a fluke of wind direction during the big Chicago fire in 1871. The M.D. Ogden mansion stood prominently on a full city block. As the fire destroyed everything around this 3-story mansard-roofed residence, a sudden shift in the wind saved the house from destruction and the home became famous as the only surviving residence within the path of the inferno. The house eventually became the headquarters of the Union Club, and by 1893, the site was occupied by the brand new Newberry Library building."
Type of Structure: Private Building
Fire Date: 10/10/1871
Structure status: Plaque
Cause of Fire:
Mrs. O'Leary's cow kicked over a lantern a few miles southwest from here.
"One dark night when the people were all sleeping
Miss O'Leary put a lantern in her shed
And then the cow kicked it over
And Miss O'Leary said
They'll be a hot time in the old town tonight!"
Documentation of the fire: [Web Link]
Other: Not listed
Construction Date: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Give a narrative of your experience. Did you learn anything after reading about the fire in the waymark? Photos are always welcome too. Please no virtual visits.