Stop by the original Chicago Water Tower and view photos of the fire that destroyed the majority of Chicago in the 1871. The images show the ruble with a few frames of buildings still standing in the burnt out city. Although the photographer of the ruins is not known, it is believed the photos in this exhibit were taken by someone from outside the city, as any photographer in Chicago would have had their equipment and developing studio destroyed. The Great Chicago Fire destroyed about 100,000 homes and wiped out the city four miles long and 3/4 of a mile wide. Three hundred people were killed from the fire. A ghost has been reported by many people in the water tower. It is believed to be the ghost of the man who stayed behind to man the water pumps as the city burned to the ground. As the fire approached him, he took his life by hanging himself in the rafters in order to avoid being burned alive. After the fire, the yellow limestone water tower gave the city a symbol of hope standing tall amongst the blackened burned out ash of the city. The Chicago Water Tower is located at 806 N. Michigan Avenue and is a symbol to the city’s recovery from the fire. Throughout the year, there are many contemporary photography shows exhibited in the Chicago Water Tower.