If you want to discover the history of the Peshtigo Fire of 1871, then pay attention...

It’s likely true that most people picking up this book have never even heard of a place called Peshtigo. This is hardly surprising. This little town on the shores of Lake Michigan is hardly a remarkable place in the modern day. Its residents number less than 4,000, and there’s nothing particularly special about it at first glance.

But one does have to look twice at its motto. “A city rebuilt from the ashes.” Peshtigo may be just another small Wisconsin town today, but 150 years ago, it really was nothing but ashes. This town was one of the hardest hit in the deadliest wildfire event in American history - and no, I’m not talking about the Great Chicago Fire, even though it also occurred on the very same night.

The Great Peshtigo Fire of 1871 claimed four times as many lives as the fire in Chicago, yet this cruel twist of fate has left it almost unheard of, while the (untrue) tale of Catherine O’Leary’s cow continues to echo through the centuries with unabated vigor. 

The story of the Great Peshtigo Fire has not been told nearly often enough, yet it is a story that will captivate every listener. Parts of it seem to border on science fiction: trees exploding in the heat of the fire, a tornado made of flames sweeping through an entire town in a single hour, birds caught up and burned in mid-air. Yet, all of it is true, and so are the stories of the people who witnessed the fire first-hand and survived it. 

So if you want to learn more about the Peshtigo Fire of 1871, scroll up and click the "add to cart" button!