Clara Barton leads one of the American…

September 1881 CE

Clara Barton leads one of the American Red Cross’s first major relief efforts, a response to the Great Fire of 1881 (Thumb Fire) which has killed two hundred and eighty-two people and left over five trhoiusand people homeless.

The summer of 1881 has been extremely hot, and Michigan’s Thumb area had had virtually no rain during July and August.

There were forest fires beginning in mid-August, and on August 31, a fire had started in northern Lapeer County and destroyed several buildings in Sandusky and Deckerville in nearby Sanilac County.

On Monday, September 5, the town of Bad Axe, in Huron County, bursts into flames.

Winds spread the fire to Huron City and Grindstone City.

The fire continues to spread through Tuesday and Wednesday, September 6 and 7, consuming most of Huron, Tuscola, Sanilac and Lapeer counties.

Locations
Bad Axe Huron Michigan United States View →

People
Clara Barton View →

Groups
New York State (U.S.A.) View → United States of America (US, USA) (Washington DC) View → Red Cross, International Committee of the (ICRC) View →

Topics
Party System, Third (United States) View → Depression, Long View → America's “Gilded Age;” 1876 through 1887 View → Thumb Fire View →

Subjects
Environment View → Government View → Catastrophe View → Medicine View →

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