Thumb Fire 1881
Date:
5 Sep 1881
Location: Michigan, United States
Surnames/tags: disasters fires michigan
Location: Michigan, United States
Surnames/tags: disasters fires michigan
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The Thumb Fire, also known as the Great Thumb Fire, the Huron Fire and the Great Forest Fire of 1881 was a large and sudden forest fire that burned over a million acres and took over 100 lives in Lapeer, Sanilac, Tuscola, and Huron counties on Monday, September 5th, 1881.
The fire was caused in part by the practice of those times to leave branches and brush where they lay after the felling of trees and setting them on fire to clear them. The Summer of 1881 was also abnormally hot and dry with no rain as far back as April. On the day of the blaze, hurricane force winds from a midatlantic cyclone swept through the area, turning the sky black with smoke and fanning the fires that erupted into a flash blaze that caught many unawares.[1]
"At sunrise, Monday, September 5, the air was clear at Sand Beach. By 1 p.m. the sky was copper colored. At 2 p.m. it was so dark that lanterns were necessary out of doors to find one's way around. Darkness continued all afternoon. Many thought the end of the world was at hand. Terror heightened by the approach of flames, the stories of destruction to the west, and the arrival of charred remains and refugees. This continued until Wednesday morning, when at 8 a.m. the wind changed north and brought relief along the shore." -- Reverend Z. Grenell Jr. of the First Baptist Church of Sand Beach (now Harbor Beach).[2]
"Across the lake in Canada, they too thought the world was ending. By 2 p.m. lamps were lit, children sent home from school and the chickens had gone to roost. It was known as "The Dark Day." The air was hot and stifling, with a greenish-yellow tinge. Ashes fell like snow and the creeks ran yellow, like beer." -- "The Heavens Rain Fire" by Doug Moreland, posted in the Detroit Free Press in September of 1981.[3]
The day after the blaze became known as Yellow Tuesday in Boston, Massachusetts on account of the ominous twilight that occurred at noon.[4]
Many bodies were found untouched by the flames, killed by suffocation, smoke inhalation and the heat. Some survivors died later of burns and inflammation of the lungs.[5]
Relief and support poured in from the rest of the United States following the devastation of the fire. The American Red Cross, which had been founded earlier that year in May 12th, provided money, clothes, and household items. This relief operation was it's first since it's founding and was a massive endeavor, sending aid to more than 14,000 displaced people.[6]
Contents |
Tally of Lives Lost
The following tables tally the lives lost in the fire according to these sources:
- B - Sgt. William O. Bailey's Report in 1882 which number the losses at 125 and only report deaths in Huron and Sanilac Counties.
- S - "Michigan on Fire" by Betty Sodders included deaths reported by various newspapers.
- O - other news articles and stories
- D - the official death records.
Huron County
| Place | B | S | O | D | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris Township | 45 | [7] | 28 | [8] | 20 | [9] | ||
| Parisville | 22 | [10] | 22 | [11] | 1 | [12] | ||
| Rubicon Township | 15 | [10] | 20 | [13] | 12 | [14] | 9 | [15] |
| Bingham Township | 17 | [10] | 17 | [16] | ||||
| Bloomfield Township | 8 | [10] | 12 | [17] | 11 | [18] | ||
| Sand Beach Township | 3 | [10] | 3 | [13] | 3 | [19] | ||
| Lincoln Township | 1 | [10] | 1 | [20] | 2 | [21] | ||
| Verona Mills, Bad Axe | 2 | [13] | ||||||
| Gore Township | 1 | [10] | 1 | [22] | 1 | [23] | ||
| Huron Township | 1 | [10] | 2 | [24] | 1 | [25] | ||
| Meade Township | 1 | [10] | 1 | [26] | ||||
| Sheridan Township | 1 | [27] | ||||||
| Sigel Township | 1 | [10] | 1 | [28] | ||||
| Total | 70 | 86 | 62 | 62 | ||||
Sanilac County
| Place | B | S | O | D | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deckerville | 16 | [29] | ||||||
| Moore Township | 10 | [30] | 9 | [31] | ||||
| Marion Township | 4 | [30] | 13 | [32] | 1 | [33] | ||
| Forester Village | 9 | [34] | 4 | [35] | ||||
| Delaware Township | 8 | [10] | 6 | [36] | 8 | [37] | 8 | [38] |
| Wheatland Township | 7 | [30] | 6 | [39] | ||||
| Argyle Township | 7 | [30] | 7 | [40] | ||||
| Richmondville | 7 | [41] | ||||||
| Ridge, Sanilac Twp. | 7 | [42] | ||||||
| Tyre, Austin Twp. | 5 | [10] | 1 | [29] | 4 | [43] | ||
| Sandusky | 5 | [34] | ||||||
| Watertown Township | 5 | [30] | 5 | [44] | 5 | [45] | ||
| Minden Township | 4 | [10] | 5 | [46] | ||||
| Port Sanilac | 3 | [47] | ||||||
| Lamotte Township | 2 | [30] | 1 | [48] | ||||
| Flynn Township | 2 | [30] | 2 | [49] | ||||
| Forester Township | 1 | [30] | ||||||
| Evergreen Township | 1 | [50] | ||||||
| Total | 55 | 45 | 33 | 53 | ||||
Tuscola County
Ten lives were reportedly lost in Tuscola county according to an eyewitness report from the area.
A farmer, name unknown, has been burned to death in Arbela Township, and in the Cass City region nine miles square was burned over. Nine lives are known to be lost and there is great destitution.[51]
Lapeer County
See Category: Thumb Fire, Michigan, 1881
Detroit Evening News, Sept. 6, 1881
LAPEER --- Mrs. Richard Elliot of Five Lakes, in this county, was burned to death in the woods last night while fleeing from her house to that of a neighbor, she having been driven out by the forest fires which raged around her house.[52]
Sources
- ↑ Walt Rummel, "The Great Fire of 1881: How the Thumb survived"
- ↑ Sodders, pg. 81
- ↑ Sodders, pg. 86
- ↑ "Yellow Day, 1881" (Online: Celebrate Boston)
- ↑ Sodders pg. 87
- ↑ "American Red Cross Founder Clara Barton Biography" (Online: Red Cross) PDF, pg. 5 Founding and Leading the American Red Cross.
- ↑ "The Heavens Rained Fire" (Detroit, MI: Detroit Free Press, 27 Sep 1981)
- ↑ mihuron, "The Death Roll." Frank Loche’s wife and 5 children, John Spperkowski’s wife and 5 children, Frank Mazura’s 5 year old child, Julius Danielski and child, John Werberski and wife, Simon Rouble and daughter.
- ↑ "Record of Deaths, Huron County, 1868-1888" (Bad Axe, MI: Huron County Courthouse) vol. 1, page 77 and 78, records no. 194-213 for the Loch family, Sperkowski family, Mathew Nelewski, Finley and Josephina McPherson, Mary Nierazircked [sp], Victoria Mazur, and 215 for Anna Wrobell
- ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 10.12 Bailey, pg. 13
- ↑ "1881 Fire Still... Memory" (Detroit, MI: Detroit News, 22 Sep 1981)"
- ↑ Find a Grave Memorial 198427939 for Marcy Ann Herrick Gusa, Saint Marys Cemetery, Parisville.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Sodders p. 122
- ↑ mihuron, "The Death Roll." Old Mr. and Mrs. Gratz, T. Stenike, Robert Wade Jr., wife and three children, a young lady aged 17 and three little boys, children of Jas. Cochrane and John Maduigan.
- ↑ "Record of Deaths, Huron County, 1868-1888" (Bad Axe, MI: Huron County Courthouse) vol. 1, page 79, records no. 222-225 for the Cochran family; records no. 232-238 for the Wade family and Christian & Charlotta Gange.
- ↑ "Record of Deaths, Huron County, 1868-1888" (Bad Axe, MI: Huron County Courthouse) vol. 1, page 69-72, records no. 31-42 for the Freiburger and Day families and 75 for Thomas H. Payne, 81-83 for Lucy Baines, and Lucy and Harriet Bates, and 86 for George McRory.
- ↑ mihuron, "The Death Roll", Mrs. Robert Clark and her son, John Riley smothered in a well, John Lehman and his son, aged 15, 3 children of August Moss, Mrs. Hazen, Mrs. Silbey, John Layman and son Albert.
- ↑ "Record of Deaths, Huron County, 1868-1888" (Bad Axe, MI: Huron County Courthouse) vol. 1, page 73, records no. 107-109 for the Moss family, records no. 111-114 for Leon L Coon, Robert and Mary Clark, and Almira Hazen, and records no. 119-122 for John Ripley, Albert Johnson, Christan Layman, and Martha Sibley
- ↑ mihuron, "The Death Roll", James A. Maule his wife and son.
- ↑ mihuron, "The Death Roll." An 8 year old son of Wm. Thompson.
- ↑ "Record of Deaths, Huron County, 1868-1888" (Bad Axe, MI: Huron County Courthouse) vol. 1, page 70, record no. 57 for Dugal McPhail (6, misrecorded as 8) son of Dugall and Sarah Ann McPhail and page 74, record no. 188 for another Dugal McPhail (9) grandson of James and Rachel Tompson
- ↑ mihuron, "The Death Roll." Old Mr. Gaffee, drowned in a well.
- ↑ "Record of Deaths, Huron County, 1868-1888" (Bad Axe, MI: Huron County Courthouse) vol. 1, page 75, record no. 145 for Augusta Pochet
- ↑ mihuron, "The Death Roll." Old Mrs. Michicek and a child of Lewis Coon.
- ↑ "Record of Deaths, Huron County, 1868-1888" (Bad Axe, MI: Huron County Courthouse) vol. 1, page 76, record no. 145 for Marthy Sibley
- ↑ mihuron, "The Death Roll." Miss Minnie Lee, aged 18
- ↑ "Record of Deaths, Huron County, 1868-1888" (Bad Axe, MI: Huron County Courthouse) vol. 1, page 68, record no. 12. Thomas Burkill
- ↑ mihuron, "The Death Roll." John Schoornac
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 Sodders, pg. 120
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 30.3 30.4 30.5 30.6 30.7 Bailey, pg. 14
- ↑ "Michigan Deaths" (Lansing, MI, Secretary of State) pg. 124 and 127 & 128, from Sanilac County Records, pg. 4, record no. 71 for William Ronald and record no. 74 for Ira Humphrey; pg. 7, record no. 153 for Rachel Pratt; and pg. 8, records no. 155-157 for Eliza and James Denison and Netty Temple and records no. 160-162 for the Strong family.
- ↑ ptruckin on Rootsweb
- ↑ "Michigan Deaths" (Lansing, MI: Secretary of State) pg. 132, from Sanilac County death records, pg. 12, record no. 253 for John Mahon.
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 Sodders, pg. 113
- ↑ "Michigan Deaths" (Lansing, MI, Secretary of State) pg. 127, from Sanilac County Records, pg. 7, records no. 149-152 for Anna Starkey and the Thomton family.
- ↑ Sodders, pg. 121
- ↑ Tim Taugher, "MI Great Thumb Fire, Sept. 1881" pg 2. The bodies of seven persons of the Redmond family and Henry Cole found near Charleston.
- ↑ "Michigan Deaths" (Lansing, MI: Secretary of State) pg. 130 and 131, from Sanilac County Records, pg. 10, records no. 210-217 for the Richmond family.and pg. 11, record no. 222 for Henry Cole
- ↑ "Michigan Deaths" (Lansing, MI, Secretary of State) pg. 121 & 122, from Sanilac County Records, pg. 1, records no. 18-22 for Alma S Palmer and the Earheart family; and pg. 2, record no. 23 for Clara Mary Howard.
- ↑ "Michigan Deaths" (Lansing, MI, Secretary of State) pg. 122, from Sanilac County Records, pg. 2, record 32 for George Kroetsch and records no. 34-39 for the Weitzel family.
- ↑ "The Flaming Forest" (Caro, MI: Tuscola County Advertiser) See Blanchard
- ↑ Sodders, p. 120
- ↑ "Michigan Deaths" (Lansing, MI: Secretary of State) pg. 129, from Sanilac County Records, pg. 9, records no. 191-194 for the Welsh family
- ↑ Tim Taugher, "MI Great Thumb Fire, Sept 1881" pg. 2, Dennison family believed to be burned in Watertown Township.
- ↑ "Michigan Deaths" (Lansing, MI, Secretary of State) pg. 122, from Sanilac County Records, pg. 2, records no. 26-31 for the Diebert family.
- ↑ "Michigan Deaths" (Lansing, MI, Secretary of State) pg. 134 from Sanilac County Records, pg. 14, records no. 290-294 for Mary Bizmack and the Wisenburger family.
- ↑ Sodders, pg. 119
- ↑ "Michigan Deaths" (Lansing, MI, Secretary of State) pg. 122, from Sanilac County Records, pg. 2, record 44 for Elias W. Hall
- ↑ "Michigan Deaths" (Lansing, MI, Secretary of State) 128, from Sanilac County Records, pg. 8, records no. 168 & 169 for James and Hannah Leach.
- ↑ "Michigan Deaths" (Lansing, MI, Secretary of State) pg. 121, from Sanilac County Records, pg. 1, record no. 6 for the newborn son of W R and Moniah Wilcox, suffocated.
- ↑ Sodders, Betty, "Michigan on Fire" (ThunderBay Press) pg. 123, "The Hurricane Rush and Roar of Flame" excerpt from The Flaming Forest
- ↑ Betty Sodders, "Michigan on Fire" (Thunder Bay Press, 1997) pg. 116
See Also:
- Thumb Fire on Wikipedia.
- Tim Taugher, MI "Great Thumb Fire," Sept 1881 (Online: GenDisasters) News articles in the New York Times from September 7th to 13th.
- Michael Hardy, "1881 Michigan Fire Forever Changed The Thumb" (Online: Thumbwind, 11 Sep 2015)
- Thumbwind Staff, "Local Accounts of the Great Michigan Fire of 1881" (Online: Thumbwind, 12 Sep 2020) Includes a map of the region burnt by the fire and illustrations from the October 1, 1881 edition of Harper's Weekly.
- "Fire of 1881 in Huron County" (Online: MIGenWeb) Stories extracted from the Huron County Centennial History.
- William O Bailey, "Report on The Michigan Forest Fores of 1881" (Washington, DC: Secretary of War, 1882) Includes maps of the area affected, the path of the forest fire, and a tally in each area of the property destroyed and lives lost.
- Betty Sodders, "Michigan on Fire" (Thunder Bay Press, 20 June 1887) pg. 120-123
- Lorna Jarrett Blanchard, "1881 -- Sep 1-6, Wildfire, "The Thumb Fire," Lower Penninsula, Michigan, 220 to 330" (Online: US Deadly Events) Breakdown of deaths by locality from Betty Sodder's book. Note; There is some errors regarding what Townships belong to which Counties in the tally.
- ptruckin, "The Great Fire of 1881" (Online: Rootsweb) Includes information from a 1981 article from the Tuscola County Advertiser in Caro, Michigan.
- mihuron "Fire of 1881" (Online: Rootsweb) List of victims including property and lives lost as listed in the Huron Times, 15 Sep 1881.
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