Historical Marker
The Schmitt-Nobbe Building
Historical marker location:
110 South Church Street, Waterloo, Illinois
( Marker is on South Church Street just south of West Mill Street, on the left when traveling south.)
Marker installed: 2016
110 South Church. Waterloo, Monroe Co. Ill., Laid Out in 1818.
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.