Did You Know Portland Burned Down On A 4th Of July?

Did you know that the city of Portland pretty much burned to the ground on July 4th, 1866? It's known as the "Great Fire," and according to Wikipedia:

Five years before the Great Chicago Fire, this was the greatest fire yet seen in an American city. It started in a boat house on Commercial Street, likely caused by a firecracker or a cigar ash. The fire spread to a lumber yard and on to a sugar house, then spread across the city, eventually burning out on Munjoy Hill in the city's east end. Two people died in the fire. Ten thousand people were made homeless and 1,800 buildings were burned to the ground.

We hope you have a fun and SAFE 4th of July!