The Ravages of a Prairie Fire

J. Wesley Smith Tells of Wind and Fire Here in 1867.

["Ottawa Republic," March 17, 1904]

Editor Republic; Yes, it was windy yesterday, as a ride of 15 miles in the country proved to my entire satisfaction, but it was not equal to the big blow of October and November, 1867. No rain had fallen for over ten weeks and everything was as dry as a powder house. For six "solid" weeks from about the middle of October the wind out of a clear sky was simply terrific. On Nov. 2^nd fire started near the old Ohio City town site, sweeping everything to the river as far east as Rantoul and west to the old California crossing. If it was disagreeable before the fire it was doubly so after. Ashes and dust sifted through every crevice and crack dishes and eatables, furniture and clothing were black with the ashes of the burnt grass. Whew! But it was immense for a tenderfoot.

An incident of the fire will be recalled by the old residents of Harrison township and this city. Rev. F. Greaves and family lived on a farm joining me on the west. We had dug a well in a ravine just south of our house and Greave's wife and her mother had come after water. He saw the fire coming and started on the run after them. He had half of a mile to cover and it was a race for life. We had cut our winter's hay near the well and he knew that the only chance for them was to get on to the mowed ground.

They also had seen the fire and had taken refuge in the ravine in which the well was dug. The grass there was shoulder high. He reached them just ahead of the fire and got them on the mowed space and directed them to put their woolen skirts over their heads and hands. They got off without a scar. He was badly burned and confined to his home for weeks. Son after he was able to be about the First Baptist church of this city called him for pastor. Like a good many people he had wheels in his head but they worked all right in that emergency.

In the same fire Mr. Andrew Curtis then living within one mile of me was very badly burned trying to save his father's horses. J. Wesley Smith.