Description: HISTORY:The Great Chicago Fire of October 9 and 10, 1871 destroyed over 2,000 acres (nearly 3½ square miles) of the city. With close to 18,000 buildings burned, including 1,500 “substantial business structures,” 100,000 people were left homeless and thousands jobless. Insurance losses totaled between $90 and $100 million. Many firms’ losses exceeded their available assets. About 200 fire insurance companies did business in Chicago at the time. The fire bankrupted 68 of them. At least one-half of the property in the burnt district was covered by insurance, but as a result of the insurance company failures, Chicago policyholders recovered only about 40 percent of what they were owed. The E&L Fire Insurance company was likely one of the 68 bankrupted since no records can be found of the company after the fire. I asked Dr. Mark Teabau who directs the Public History Program School of Historical, Philosophical, & Religious Studies at Arizona state about this set. Here are his thoughts: "It would not be out of the ordinary for an insurance company (or any commercial interest) to give policy holders, agents, or directors gifts (or place their mark on consumer products) as that was not an uncommon occurrence from the 18th through 20th century. It is also likely (perhaps more likely) that such an item were given as a gift to a company director, an insurance broker (as insurance was commonly sold by agents in the 19th century, as it is today), or for some special customer (paying high premiums.) That seems (to me and I admit to not being an expert in 19th century consumer items) a rather substantial gift for the costs usually paid for fire insurance on a home." For the last 50 years this set has been in my parents cellar. It probably came down through several generations from Ohio. My grandfather, who was a chemist, may have used it to prepare compounds for his own personal research which included seeding rain clouds. This set is unusual in at least three ways. There were not very may of these (I have only ever seen one other). Both elements are here and in good shape (usually the original mortor is missing). The mark was double struck, making it potentially a one-of-a-kind.
Price: 25 USD
Location: Horseheads, New York
End Time: 2025-02-09T16:20:53.000Z
Shipping Cost: N/A USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
Restocking Fee: No
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Type of Advertising: Engraving
Color: Bronze
Date of Creation: 1860s
Modified Item: No
