"In the fall of 1871, Chicagoans knew they were due for the "big one" -- a massive, uncontrollable fire that would decimate the city. It had been bone-dry for months, and a recent string of blazes had nearly outstripped the fire department's already scant resources. Then, on October 8, a minor fire broke out in the barn of Irishwoman Kate Leary. A series of unfortunate mishaps and misunderstandings along with insufficient preparation and a high southwesterly...

Focuses on Progressive education reform in Chicago between 1880 and 1920 --child labor and compulsory education laws, juvenile courts, kindergartens, plalyagrounds, child-centered pedagogy, vocational education and guidance, IQ testing, junior high schools, and school governance. Examines the social and intellectual origins of Progressive educational reform: its guiding principles, its relationship to Progressive reform generally, the response of...