Old Kinderhook School

Historical marker location:

515 Perry St, Kinderhook, Illinois

( Marker is on Grand Street just east of Perry Street, on the left when traveling east.)

Marker installed: 1993

1889 - 1969.

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.