Conflagration in the Cobblestone District: The Birge Factory Fire of 1880

By John Grandits - January 28, 2015

When a fire erupted in the M.H. Birge & Sons Wallpaper Company factory in December 1880, the workers – many of whom were children – had little time to escape. John H. Grandits looks at the Birge fire as an example of the dangers of child labor.

The full content is available in the Winter 2015 Issue.

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Conflagration in the Cobblestone District: The Birge Factory Fire of 1880