By Barron E. Wong

From October 8 to October 10 in 1871, one of the most abominable fires in American history roared through Chicago, Illinois. This blaze claimed over 300 lives and 3 square miles of the Windy City. The ramifications of this fire still echo today in the annals of American history–but many may not know the Grand Locks’ involvement in this storied conflagration. Let’s take a look back at this day in history at the “Great Chicago Fire.”

The city of Chicago was established in 1833 in the Golden Age of American Fraternalism. The Freemasons feign claim to the first fraternal lodge in Chicago (1841) and the Guardians of the Orb shortly thereafter in 1843. In actuality, the Order of the Grand Lock precluded all of these would-be pioneers by establishing Lodge #291 in the Lord’s year, 1835. Naysayers would dispute this fact due to Lodge 291 lacking a roof of any capacity throughout its short history–but time shall side with the Grand Lock and all truths shall be revealed in the end of days.

The founder of Lodge 291 was one Barron O. Deardorff and what he lacked in roofed structures, he made up for with entrepreneurism. Deardorff pioneered an early version of coal-tar creosote–an inexpensive industrial sealant that not only revolutionized shipwrighting, but was also extremely flammable and incredibly bad for the human respiratory system. A dispute with the roofers guild over his invention led to a moratorium on roofs for any Deardorff-owned structure. And so it was that Deardorff, lacking any warehouse to store his product, turned to burying his stores of creosote in secreted caches across the city.

To this day, historians dispute the actual origin of the blaze. Many attribute “Mrs. O’Leary’s cow” kicking over an oil lamp in a barn. Others believe it was from a comet breaking up over the midwest or darker, more elaborate conspiracies. Grand Locks know that the real truth is actually the first one–the one about the cow kicking the lamp. But did you know that Mrs. O’Leary and her cow were both members of the Order of the Grand Lock? It’s true!

Unfortunately, the long dry Illinois summer and the naturally occurring sulfides in the clay-rich Chicago soils reacting to the buried creosote stockpiles thus creating a highly flammable gas throughout the city set the stage for a perfect fire and within hours, Lodge 291 and many other buildings were rendered to ash.

As well as human life, the fire destroyed many notable cultural landmarks. In 1870, great American poet (and Grand Lock poet laureate) Walt Whitman sent his latest revision of Leaves of Grass to his editor and friend, Chicago Grand Lock Tumbler, B. Jameson. This revision, the only existing manuscript of the fabled “4.5th” edition of Leaves of Grass, perished along with B. Jameson in his 8th story tenement. Though the extent of these revisions shall never be fully known, a scrap of a new Whitman poem is said to have survived, reprinted below:

Critics are quick to dispute the authenticity of this surviving fragment but we believe W. Whitman’s inimitable joie de vivre bellows through this most hallowed verse. Additionally–the fact that the poet clearly states his name in the 4th line makes it quite obvious.

Though the Great Fire will never be forgotten, the fine people of Chicago bounced back from the tragedy to construct a fabled city worthy of praise–a jewel of the midwest. And luckily for the Grand Locks, the rebuilt Lodge 291 enjoys one of the finest and steadfast roofs on this side of the 48th parallel.

From Volume 871 Issue 36 – Subscribe here, members, to be the first to get the next newsletter!