The Calgary Fire of 1886, also known as the Great Calgary Fire of 1886, was a

conflagration A conflagration is a large fire. Conflagrations often damage human life, animal life, health, and/or property. A conflagration can begin accidentally, be naturally caused (wildfire), or intentionally created (arson). A very large fire can produc ...

that burned in the Canadian city of

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...

on Sunday November 7, 1886. The fire began at the rear wall of the local flour and feed store, and spread through the community's wooden structures leading to the destruction of 18 buildings. The fire resulted in changes in local construction practices to stop the likelihood and rapid spread of future fires including an increased reliance on

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

for new structures, which resulted in the town's early nickname "Sandstone City".

Background

The Town of Calgary was officially incorporated exactly two years earlier on November 7, 1884 under Northwest Territories Ordinance. The municipal government was in disorder following the events of the

January 1886 Calgary municipal election The January 1886 Calgary municipal election was held on January 4, 1886 to elect a Mayor and four Councillors to sit on the second Calgary Town Council from January 18, 1886 (or April 3, 1886) to October 21, 1886. The second Council was termina ...

which saw incumbent

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

George Murdoch George Murdoch (April 29, 1850 – February 2, 1910) was a Canadian politician, Alberta pioneer, saddle-maker, and the first mayor of Calgary, Alberta. Early life George Murdoch was born in Paisley, Scotland, on April 29, 1850, and at the age o ...

decisively win the election which was overturned by

Stipendiary Magistrate Stipendiary magistrates were magistrates that were paid for their work (they received a stipend). They existed in the judiciaries of the United Kingdom and those of several former British territories, where they sat in the lowest-level criminal ...

Jeremiah Travis Jeremiah Travis (January 21, 1830 – April 27, 1911) was a Canadian politician and attorney. He was a member of the 1st Council of the Northwest Territories in the 1880s, serving as stipendiary magistrate. He was an attorney and judge. Trav ...

for elector list fraud and appointed James Reilly as mayor and replaced two other members of council. Neither faction was capable of governing the town, which led to the newly ordered chemical engine for the recently organized

Calgary Fire Department The Calgary Fire Department (CFD) provides fire services for the city of Calgary, Alberta. The department was created on 25 August 1885 as the Calgary Hook, Ladder and Bucket Corps. As of February 2022, the department has 42 stations. The depar ...

(Calgary Hook, Ladder and Bucket Corps) to be held in the Canadian Pacific Railway's storage yard due to lack of payment. Local government would be restored a few days before the fire in the November 3, 1886 municipal election which saw

George Clift King George Clift King (April 23, 1848 – July 18, 1935) was the second mayor of the town of Calgary, Alberta. Early life King was born in Chelmsford, England in 1848. At the age of 26, he left England for Canada, arriving in Toronto, Ontari ...

elected mayor.

Fire and aftermath

In the early morning of November 7, 1886, flames were reported at the rear wall of the Parish and Son flour and feed store. The Calgary Hook, Ladder and Bucket Corps was sent to battle the fire, and broke into the Canadian Pacific Railway's freight shed to retrieve the impounded chemical engine. The Corps determined it was necessary to form a

firebreak A firebreak or double track (also called a fire line, fuel break, fireroad and firetrail in Australia) is a gap in vegetation or other combustible material that acts as a barrier to slow or stop the progress of a bushfire or wildfire. A firebre ...

to prevent further damage, and former mayor George Murdoch agreed and participated in the demolition of his harness shop. An attempt was made to use gunpowder to blow up Murdoch's store, however the Calgary Weekly Herald noted that this "failed owing to the force of the charge not being sufficiently concentrated". The fire was stopped then extinguished after the break was created. This would be the second time George Murdoch would lose a business to fire, the first occurring in 1871 during

Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 10 ...

. Ultimately, fourteen buildings were destroyed or razed in attempts to control the blaze, including four stores, three warehouses, three hotels, a tinsmith shop and a saloon. Losses were estimated at $103,200; however no one was killed or injured. Authorities suggested arson may have been involved, but no arrests were made. To reduce the potential for future fires, city officials drafted a

bylaw A by-law (bye-law, by(e)law, by(e) law), or as it is most commonly known in the United States bylaws, is a set of rules or law established by an organization or community so as to regulate itself, as allowed or provided for by some higher authorit ...

requiring all large downtown buildings were to be built with sandstone, which was readily available nearby in the form of Paskapoo

. Following the fire several quarries were opened around the city by prominent local businessmen including Thomas Edworthy,

Wesley Fletcher Orr Wesley Fletcher Orr (March 3, 1831 – February 16, 1898) was a Canadian businessman, journalist, and politician. He was the eighth mayor of the city of Calgary, District of Alberta, Alberta. Orr was born in Lachute, Lower Canada on March 3, 1 ...

, J. G. McCallum, and William Oliver. Buildings built with sandstone following the fire included the Knox Presbyterian Church (1887), Imperial Bank Building (1887),

Calgary City Hall Calgary City Hall (often called Old City Hall or Historic City Hall), is the seat of government for Calgary City Council, located in the city's downtown core of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The historic building completed in 1911 serves as the offic ...

(1911), and Calgary Courthouse No. 2 (1914).

List of buildings destroyed

*Athletic Hotel *Mountain View Hotel *Mortinier's Bake Shop *Sherman House *Misenv Manufacturing Co. *Dunn & Linestone Warehouse *I. G. Baker & Co. *Union Hotel *Hunter Store and Dwelling *Ellis Store and Building *S. Parish & Co. *J. Hodway Building *George Murdoch's harness shop - Not consumed by fire.

References

{{Calgary History of Calgary 1886 fires in North America 1886 in Alberta 1886 disasters in Canada 1886 in the Northwest Territories Urban fires in Canada Disasters in Alberta Disasters in the Northwest Territories 1880s in Calgary November 1886 events

Background

Fire and aftermath

List of buildings destroyed

See also

References