Carnage:
On Sunday, October 8, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire roared to life. Before it was brought under control two days later it had destroyed approximately 2,000 acres of the Chicago business district and lakefront harbor. Property valued at close to $200,000,000 had been completely destroyed, 100,000 people were left homeless and 300 people had lost their lives.
Elsewhere:
On that very same day many lesser known fires occured farther to the North and East. These fires included the Peshtigo Fire, centered in Peshtigo Wisconsin, the Great Michigan Fire, near Holland and Manistee and the Port Huron Fire, located on the thumb of Michigan. Windsor, Ontario was to meet a similar fate just four days later.
Origins:
Many theories have been voiced on the origins of the fires but none have ever been proven. It is known that drought had plagued the Midwest into early October, making conditions rife for fire. One theory proposed that a meteorite shower had struck parts of the Midwest causing various fires to ignite. Another theory proposed that lightning strikes were the cause. Whatever the ignition source, increased and shifting wind directions hampered fire fighters and they soon lost control of the fires. Within hours of the original ignition, many Wisconsin and Michigan towns had been reduced to nothing but charcoal and ash.
Area of Devastation:
Before it was over the Peshtigo Fire alone had caused more deaths and destroyed more property, than any single fire in United States history. Possibly as many as 2,500 people died and 1.2 million acres were left barren. The town of Peshtigo itself was completely destroyed, thus lending its name to the historic fire. The Peshtigo Fire produced 8 times the number of deaths and burned 500,000 times the area as the Chicago Fire did, but yet it remains virtually unknown to most people outside of Wisconsin.
Peshtigo is located just to the west of the Bay of Green Bay. The fire in this area extended from just north of the city of Green bay into Upper Michigan approximately 40 miles and was almost 30 miles wide at its' widest point. It is believed that wind-blown sparks, from this portion of the fire, jumped the Bay and ignited the western side of the Door County Peninsula. The fire on that side of the Bay ranged from just north of Green Bay to the southern edges of Sturgeon Bay. At its' widest point this area of fire was almost 25 miles wide. The 1,875 square miles of forest which burned was an area equivalent to that twice the size of the state of Rhode Island. A total of twelve communities, including the town of Williamsonville, were completely destroyed before the fires could be contained.
The Walloons:
The devastated area on the Door peninsula, was populated almost exclusively by people of Belgian origin. Walloons, (French speaking) specifically. This area is the largest rural settlement of Walloon people in the United States. The Walloon settlement covered an area approximately 20 miles wide by 50 miles long and included the towns of Dyckesville, Union, La Rivere Rouge (Red River), Rosiere, Thiry Daems, Namur, Lincoln, Brussels and many others. After the fires, approximately 5,000 people in Door County alone, were left homeless.
The First Imigrants:
As the Walloon immigrants populated the untamed areas of Door County in the 1850's, roads were scarce. Building materials had to be taken from what was at hand and that would be the Limestone found directly beneath their feet.
Limestone Basics:
Limestone formed when the earth's climate stabilized and large glacial formations went through a process of melt off and retreat. As a result of this melt off, a substantial rise in water levels occurred worldwide. A shallow, warm salt-water sea developed and covered the central portion of North America. This warming gave to ideal conditions for marine life to thrive and develop. Brachiopods, trilobites, crinoids, conodonts, corals, stromatoporoids and many other creatures inhabited this vast inland sea as time went on. This sea bottom, composed of Maquoketa Shale, was then covered with the skeletal remains (Calcium Carbonate) of these ancient marine creatures and sediment from erosion of the virtually lifeless landmasses. This sediment, under pressure, heat and time, transformed into Limestone. Over time, calcium particles within the Limestone, were replaced with Magnesium, forming yet another even harder sedimentary strata called Dolomite (Dolomitic Limestone). Pure Limestone is white or almost white because of the Calcium content. These deposits are now the rock foundation of the Door Peninsula.
Wood Construction:
As time progressed, conditions improved. Roads made travel and trade easier. Industry, such as the creation of nearby saw mills, changed building construction techniques from the very labor intensive and time consuming Limestone rock quarrying, to the cheaper, faster and easier lumber construction. With the abundance of timber, lumber soon became the preferred building construction material used throughout Wisconsin.
It was this very success that would, in the end, add to the tragedy. Trees were harvested with little or no regard as to fire prevention. Limbs and bark trimmed from cut trees carpeted forest floors. Sawdust from sawmills was discarded willy nilly and forgotten about. Fires, while a constant threat, were always contained and seen as a minor concern. That is until October 8, 1871. (return to top of page)
Post Apocalypse:
By 1871 most homes within the Walloon settlement were being built of wood. After the fires, with the loss of most nearby timber, replacement building materials would have to be found and used. Some returned to using the labor intensive Limestone. Others found a nearby, easily obtained, cost efficient building material, again......right at their feet. And that material was Clay.
Clay Basics:
The term "Clay" is roughly used to describe any type of earth/shale which is used in the manufacture of brick, earthenware, stoneware, pottery or terra cotta. Clays can have very complex chemical/mineral compositions and are typically formed by the gradual chemical weathering of rock. Clay deposits are generally associated with very low energy depositional environments such as large lakes and marine basins. Clays generally contain Quartz, Feldspar, Limonite, Hematite, Magnetite, Calcite, Mica, Gypsum and a miriad of others minerals.
Quartz is the prevelent mineral found in most clays. It is the second most abundant mineral in the earth's continental crust, consisting mainly of silicon and oxygen. Quartz is found in most igneous type rock, and after erosion and sedimentation, adds to the formation of Clay. Many clays contain as much as 80% Quartz.
Feldspar, also originating from igneous rock, can be composed of Calcium, Silica, Alumina and varying amounts of Potash (Potassium), Lime or Soda (Sodium). With a melting point of around 2100 degrees, Feldspar is used as a Flux. Fluxes play a key role by reducing the overall melting point, which allows for a more efficient kiln firing and bonding of the Clay. The two most common Feldspars used in the Clay industry are Potash Feldspar (Orthoclase) and Soda Feldspar (Albite).
Hematite, Limonite and Magnetite are various forms of Iron which can also be found in Clay. Very small percentages of any of these Iron minerals can cause the kiln fired Clay product (e.g. pottery, brick, stoneware) to turn reddish or brown in color. To create lighter colored finished products, the Clay used must not contain any of these minerals.
Rebuilding the Walloon Settlement:
After the fires, several brickworks emerged and began production within the Walloon settlement. Houses, built with the newly manufactured bricks, were square, sturdy, modestly sized, with bull's-eye windows and white trim. These homes are all reminiscent of homes built in the Belgian homeland tradition. With their strong Belgian work ethic, determination and resilience, most of the destroyed communities had been rebuilt by 1874. 261 homes, barns, summer kitchens and roadside chapels, built between 1871 and 1930, still exist and can be seen while driving the roads in and around the settlement today.
Williamsonville:
The October fire completely erased the village of Williamsonville along with its 77 inhabitants. 60 of these citizens sought refuge in an open field, were surrounded by fire and subsequently burned to death. Seven of the townsfolk sought refuge within a nearby well. The last man to reach the well, found the surrounding wood framework already afire. After removing the burning sections, he entered the well and pulled a wet blanket over himself and the other occupants. Five of the seven people hiding within the well survived. Survivors later spoke of people and buildings bursting into flames without being touched by fire. The fire was so intense that it created a phenomenon called a firestorm. A firestorm creates its own atmospheric circulation, sucking in air, creating a vortex (or so-called tornado) of fire. The well site has since been turned into a memorial park for the people of Williamsonville who lost their lives that day. Called Tornado Park, the coordinates are listed below but do not have to be visited to complete this EarthCache.
More Information on the Walloons, the fire, brickworks and much more can be found on the information panels in the parking lot to the left of the Belgian Heritage Center. To the right the Heritage Center is a small cemetery that must be seen to be believed. The info panels contain pictures of how the cemetery originally looked.
This is a drive-by EarthCache. There is no need to even leave your automobile. There are 3 sites you must visit to get the answers needed. Total mileage is about 1 mile.
The coordinates posted put you in the middle of the road with the Belgian Heritage Center, Informational Markers and the cemetery to the North. To the South of the coordinates posted is a building which is Site #1. Answer these questions about Site #1.
A. Of the 3 construction materials listed above, which one was used at this location?
B. What causes this material to be the color that it is?
C. What was this buildings main purpose?
Site #2 is 1/2 mile away going North on county road DK (see waypoint coordinates). Use the building to the North side of the road to answer the questions below. An Informational Marker is located on the front of this building. Answer these questions about Site #2.
D. Of the 3 construction materials listed above, which was used at this location?
E. What causes this material to be the color that it is?
F. What was this buildings main purpose?
Site #3 is 1/2 mile away going South on county road DK (see waypoint coordinates). Use the smallest of the buildings located to the West of the coordinates to answer these questions.
G. Of the 3 construction materials listed above, which was used at this location?
H. What causes this material to be the color that it is? (trick question)
I. What was this buildings main purpose?
Email your answers to the questions, to me, using the link in my profile only. If your answers are not received by me, your log will be deleted. Photos are accepted and appreciated as long as the answers are not pictured. You do not have to wait for confirmation from me before logging this cache as completed. Most of all……learn……and enjoy the view.
Site #1 N44 44.050 W87 40.000 building to the South side of county road DK
Site #2 N44 44.040 W87 39.385 building and marker to the North side of county road DK
Site #3 N44 43.733 W87 40.267 smallest building to the West side of county road DK
Bonus Site #4 N44 44.052 W87 40.306 William Struck General Store to the South side and Fairview School to the North side of county road N
Bonus Site #5 N44 45.923 W87 32.448 Tornado Park and Well Site
Bonus Site #6 Waniger Schoolhouse N 44° 46.199 W 087° 31.483 - 1882 - 1 room - built by German settlers