Hiram E. Leonard Diary, October 4 - 10, 1871

“4th Wednesday  fine cool & verry dry weather  I did my choars choared round the office all day closed up at 8 ½ & went to bed at 9 nearly sick.

“5th Thursday  fine cool & extremely dry the ground is the driest that I have every known since I have lived in the State which is over 35 years they come several miles from each way here to water their cattle & many draw water from the springs to _______ I did my choars choared round all day closed up at 8 ½ & went to [bed] at 9 tiard & about sick [in margin] the dryest time that I have known for near 36 years that I have lived here.

“6th Friday  A fine cool pleasant day & extremely dry  I did my choars choared round the office fixed my corn crib & closed up at 8 ½ & went to bed at 9 nearly sick Smith & Warner thrashed.

“7th Saturday  A fine cool dry day  I did my choars choared round the office some & fixed corn crib closed up at 8 ½ & went to bed at 9 nearly sick [in margin] 4 loads of corn put in to my crib this fall & 1 load was in before the last load of the 4 was put in today  A fire in Chicago on the west side which burned several acres before they put it out.

“8th Sunday  A most beautiful pleasant day and quite warm, extremely dry and dusty considerable wind  I did my choars choared round some churned etc went to the farm & went to bed at about 9 tiard & nearly sick  A fire broak out in Chicago tonight about 9 oclock which burned all night and tomorrow until it burned all on the south side of Chicago but Fuller Finch & Fullers store from Harrison Street to & South Branch to the Lake & Chicago River and crossed the river & burned all north of the river to Lincoln Park except one or 2 buildings during Monday destroying from 2 to 3 hundred million of property it was tremendous windy.

“9th Monday  A tremendous windy blustering day and verry dry  I did my choars was round the office all day a choaring round the office closed up at 8 ½ & went to bed at 9 tiard & nearly sick [in margin] the fire burned in Chicago all day & burned up all the best of the town east & north side of the river, report is that there burned from 2 to 3 hundred million of the best property.

“10th Tuesday  fine cool windy dry weather  I did my choars choared round the office all day closed up at 8 ½ & went to bed at 9 tiard & nearly sick fire a smoldering & burning yet in Chicago [in margin] H Lapham child born.”