Daniel Sullivan
Encyclopedia
Daniel "Pegleg" Sullivan was a Chicagoan who is often credited with being the first to sound the alarm when a fire broke out in Catherine O'Leary
's barn on October 8, 1871, the beginning of the Great Chicago Fire
. More recent evidence suggests that Sullivan may have been responsible for the fire.
In his testimony before the Fire Department inquiry on November 25, 1871, Sullivan claimed he saw the fire coming through the side of the barn and ran across the street to free the animals from the barn, which included a cow owned by Sullivan's mother.
A study of the layout of DeKoven Street
, where the fire began, indicates that Sullivan would not have had a clear view of the fire from where he claimed to have been standing.
In October 1997, the Chicago City Council
recommended that Sullivan be recorded as the person who started the fire, by accident.
Sullivan is the subject of the song "The Legend of Pegleg Sullivan" by Chicago pop punk
band Allister
.
Catherine O'Leary
Catherine O'Leary was an Irish immigrant living in Chicago, Illinois in the 1870s. She was married to Patrick O'Leary...
's barn on October 8, 1871, the beginning of the Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S...
. More recent evidence suggests that Sullivan may have been responsible for the fire.
In his testimony before the Fire Department inquiry on November 25, 1871, Sullivan claimed he saw the fire coming through the side of the barn and ran across the street to free the animals from the barn, which included a cow owned by Sullivan's mother.
A study of the layout of DeKoven Street
DeKoven Street (Chicago)
DeKoven Street is a street in Chicago, Illinois named for John DeKoven, one of the founders of the Northern Trust Company.The Great Chicago Fire started at 137 DeKoven Street, now numbered 558 West DeKoven, in a barn belonging to Patrick and Catherine O'Leary...
, where the fire began, indicates that Sullivan would not have had a clear view of the fire from where he claimed to have been standing.
In October 1997, the Chicago City Council
Chicago City Council
The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 aldermen elected from 50 wards to serve four-year terms...
recommended that Sullivan be recorded as the person who started the fire, by accident.
Sullivan is the subject of the song "The Legend of Pegleg Sullivan" by Chicago pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
band Allister
Allister
Allister is an American pop punk band from Chicago, Illinois. The four-piece formed in 1996 and were one of the first bands to sign to Drive-Thru Records...
.