The Great Marshfield Fire of 1887

This week in Wisconsin history, a fatal spark from the Central Wisconsin Railway traincar firebox nearly burned down the booming Marshfield town on June 27, 1887. The day’s windy conditions and a few small but important mistakes in quelling the fire caused it to expand exponentially. Large lumber piles by the mills caught fire, causing over $3 million in damage, but luckily, no lives were lost on the tragic day for the town. Despite the immense damage, the rebuilding process started happening almost as soon as the fire had started, showing the resilience of the sprawling community.