Damn the Old Tinderbox!: Milwaukee's Palace of the West and the Fire That Defined An Era

By: Matthew J. Prigge

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Synopsis: In the dead of an unassuming January night in 1883, Milwaukee’s Newhall House hotel was set on fire. Two hours later, the building—once among the tallest in the nation—lay in ruins and more than seventy people were dead. It was a tragedy that brought global notice to Milwaukee, with daring escapes, unlikely rescues, and heart-wrenching tales of victims burned to death or killed as they leapt from the burning building. From the great horror emerged an even greater string of mysteries: Who had set the fire, and who was to blame for the staggering loss of life? The Newhall’s hard-luck barkeeper? A gentleman arsonist? What about the many other unexplained fires at the hotel? Had the Newhall’s management neglected fire safety to boost profits? Would the true number of victims ever be known?