1849, June 5th, Woman Sets Fire to the Watch House, Chicago.

A deranged woman who had been wandering about the streets, followed by a troop of thoughtless boys and heartless fellows, was confirmed Monday night in the Watch House [1]. As she said, she set fire to it in order to get out. It is a pity, indeed, if there is no more appropriate place in the city for a poor lunatic than a Watch House.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

---

[1] A Watch House in 1840s Chicago was a small, wooden building that housed the city's night watchmen. The watchmen patrolled the streets at night to prevent crime and fires. They would also respond to any emergencies that arose.