It was an unsuspecting evening like any other back in 1872 when the Great Boston Fire was sparked. Imagine living your life per usual, walking through Downtown Crossing along Summer Street when suddenly black smoke fills the atmosphere and embers erupt, only to stop 12 hours later when there’s nothing left to burn within 65 acres. The Great Boston Fire is a scorch mark on the city’s past, but in a unique era of American industrial upswing where labor safety laws fell second to profits, it helped shape Boston’s forward looking views to keep the workforce free from harm.

To be clear, the direct cause of the fire was never determined which perhaps adds to its appeal in Bostonian lore. But that’s no slight on the direct affect it had on the business and homes that were burned to the ground. 776 businesses were ignited and anywhere from 20-30 people are thought to have perished. Entire city blocks compiled the 65 acre radius. Damage was estimated at $73 million, one-tenth of the entire supposed value of the whole city, according to a tabloid of the time.

A number of underlying factors contributed to the sparks at the warehouse basements occupying 83-87 Summer Street. Fire hydrants weren’t standardized, alarm boxes were locked, water pipes had low pressure, and flammable wood roofs were common throughout.

Thousands were left homeless and jobless but it prompted city officials to rebuild and to do so in a manner up to contemporary codes. 141 years later, such an event makes people humbly realize what firefighters and other civil servants endure to keep us safe.

The Boston Public Library has an online gallery full of powerful facts, photographs, renderings, and drawings of the aftermath available for viewing here. Be sure to also check out the timeline of events and history of Boston Fire Department on the City of Boston website here.