Catherine O’Leary

Catherine O'Leary was an Irish immigrant and the owner of the barn where the Great Chicago Fire is believed to have started on the night of October 8, 1871. According to popular lore, a cow she was milking kicked over a lantern, igniting a fire that rapidly spread through the wooden structures of Chicago, leading to widespread devastation, loss of life, and homelessness. Despite her association with the tragedy, many historians argue that the fire's origins were more complex and that she was unjustly blamed for the disaster.