May 18, 1849

The Great St. Louis Riverfront Fire rages. The fire broke out the previous evening and was getting stronger, jumping from building to building along the Mississippi riverfront. The fire was finally brought under control more than 11 hours after it started, destroying 418 buildings and changing the face of the city forever.

Based upon content from the book Missouri 365: This Day in Missouri History by John W. Brown, broadcaster and Missouri historian. Get your copy at Reedy Press.

St. Louis Burns by Travis S. is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0