La Belle Fontaine

Historical marker location:

709 South Church Street, Waterloo, Illinois

( Memorial can be reached from South Church Street south of Debra Lane, on the right when traveling south.)

Marker installed: 1985

(Beautiful Spring).

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 was one of the most devastating fires in U.S. history. The fire destroyed much of the city, including over 17,000 buildings and left more than 100,000 people homeless. The fire started in a barn owned by Patrick and Catherine O'Leary, but the cause of the fire is still debated to this day.