We didn’t start the fire, but we won’t forget it

Pittsburghers love recalling anniversaries, so we can’t let April pass without remembering the Great Fire of Pittsburgh in 1845.

As you read this, we’re past the April 10 anniversary, but the blaze that allegedly started with a washerwoman’s fire remains pivotal in Pittsburgh history. Predictably, the record is limited to written accounts, but there are paintings and Nathaniel Currier created a fascinating lithograph.

Thankfully, unlike Chicago’s famous conflagration in 1871 — and despite great financial losses — it was largely bloodless. Actually, the fire was credited with igniting an economic boom.

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– Paul Furiga, WordWrite