The Peshtigo Firestorm of 1871-- Part 1 To Create An Air Attack

From the "Firestorm At Peshtigo" book by Denise Gess and William Lutz.

I finished reading this book about a huge fire at Peshtigo, Wisconsin, on October 8, 1871, that killed between 1,500 and 2,500 people.  Peshtigo is near Green Bay.  It is largely unknown, though, although ranked as one of the biggest United States natural disasters (see Cooter's History Log for today) because it took place the same day as the Great Chicago Fire, which killed considerably fewer people.

The Peshtigo Firestorm came up again as World War II loomed.  In 1941, the U.S. military began gathering as much information about Peshtigo as they could to "determine how to create the most devastating incendiary attacks on enemy cities possible."

--GreGen