S. 4th St. and E. Broadway

Historical marker location:

16 4th Street, East St. Louis, Illinois

( Marker is at the intersection of East Broadway (Illinois Route 15) and Barack Obama Avenue, on the right when traveling south on East Broadway.)

Marker installed: 2017

Remembering the 1917 East St. Louis Race Riot.

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.