150th Anniversary of Peshtigo Fire
The Forest History Association of Wisconsin, in partnership with the City of Peshtigo, the Peshtigo Historical Society and the Marinette County Genealogy Group is hosting a Forest History Conference commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Peshtigo Fire.
Conferees will assemble at the Embers 1971 Restaurant in Peshtigo on Oct 7th for dinner followed by a Dinner Theatre offering titled; “Stories from The Ashes...Chronicles From The Coals--Depicted Recollection”. The Conference will feature speakers following the typical disaster planning construct of “Mitigate/Prepare/Respond/Recover”. Oct 9th will feature tours of the Peshtigo Fire Museum and Harmony Hardwoods, a Marinette County Park a portion of which remained un-burned forest at the time of the fire.
LECTURES
Before and After the Fires: Increase Lapham on Deforestation, Climate, and the Fires will be presented by Martha Bergland and Paul G. Hayes, co-authors of the book Studying Wisconsin: The Life of Increase Lapham, early chronicler of plants, rocks, rivers, mounds, and all things Wisconsin.
A Stricken People; The Victims of the Peshtigo Fire, presented by Karen Vincent Humiston, will look at the fire through the perspective of a few of the families and individuals involved.
Father Pernin’s Personal Account of the Peshtigo Fire - “revisited” is based on Father Pernin’s book, The Great Peshtigo Fire: An Eyewitness Account. That book has provided historians with the most realistic and unembellished facts based on what he witnessed that night as he struggled for his own survival.
Baily Kopesel, executive director of the Door County Historical Society will take the podium with her talk, The Night of Hell. On the evening of October 8, 1871, at the same time Chicago and Peshtigo were burning, a fire tore through southern Door County and completely devastated the small but thriving village of Williamsonville. This fire, which spawned a “fire tornado”, originated near New Franken in Brown County, and burned through Brown, Kewaunee and into Door County.
Menominee Connections: Perspectives on the Peshtigo Fire of 1871 and Indigenous Forestry will be delivered by Gary Besaw. He will tell of the Tribe’s association with settlers in the 1871 period, and especially work done by them in preparation for what was about to occur on October 8th, and their contribution to the recovery immediately afterward, for which they have recently been recognized.
Ruins to Recovery: The Birth of the County Forest. The fire that devastated the area in 1871 transformed the landscape and had lasting effects. The foresightedness to realize the importance of growing trees lead to the creation of the County Forest as we know it today.
Registration is limited. Register by Sept 22nd.
Registration Cost: $10 + add ons
September 1, 15, 29 @ 7:00pm (CT)
