Virtual Lecture: The Great Chicago Fire

On Sunday, October 17th from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m., the Wilmette Historical Museum will host a virtual lecture via Zoom with historian Carl Smith discussing the Great Chicago Fire in honor of the 150th anniversary of the historic disaster. His talk is based on his recent book Chicago’s Great Fire: The Destruction and Resurrection of an Iconic Amrican City which the Chicago Tribune describes as “the best book ever written about the fire, a work of deep scholarship…that reads with the forceful narrative of a fine novel. It puts the fire and its aftermath in historical, political, and social context.” Carl Smith is the Franklin Bliss Snyder Professor of English and American Studies and Professor of History, Emeritus at Northwestern University.

The program is free to the public thanks to the generous support of museum members and donors. Advance registration by October 14th is required and can be made on the museum website. For more information, visit www.wilmettehistory.org or call (847) 853-7666.