Not being originally from Chicago (we have lived here for 12 years) I will admit I did not know much about its history. Now I am not really into history, like my daughter who love it so much she took history as an elective in high school, but I did find the museum interesting.
I found the information about the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 interesting. They had several artifacts that I really connected with. They say that this fire burned so hot that it melted glass and even melted together iron washers (see photo). The temperature to melt iron is 2800 degrees.
Some basic facts I learned about the fire:
The fire started 10/8/1871 at 9:00 pm in a barn
2000 acres were burned
The fire burned for 36 hours
300 people died
100,000 homes were lost
$200 million in damages
There are several sites to find out more information about this fire as well as information on the Chicago History Museum website.
We also check out the Chic Clothing exhibit which had some amazing dresses from the 1800's to 2004. Here are a few examples of the dresses they had on display.
Paul Poiret Evening Gown, 1913
Charles James Ball Gown, 1954
Halston Evening Gown, 1976
These are a couple of things I found interesting at the Chicago History Museum. There is so much more to see, if you are ever in the area its worth checking out.
I would love to visit Chicago. That Halston Evening Gown is to die for! Great post.
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