Nestled in the shadow of the hulking Union Stockyard gate on Exchange Ave., west of Halsted St., sits another reminder of the Stockyards’ storied past - the Chicago Stockyards Fire Memorial.

On December 22, 1910, a fire in the Nelson Morris & Co. meatpacking business on 44th St. and Loomis St. started in the basement of one of the packing houses and quickly spread. The building’s naturally greasy conditions, coupled with frozen fire hydrants hampered efforts to extinguish the blaze. Twenty-one firefighters were overpowered and perished in the blaze when the building exploded, causing one of the warehouse’s six-story tall walls to collapse suddenly, raining down tons of debris on top of the firefighters.

Prior to the 9/11 attacks, the Stockyards fire sadly yielded one of the highest numbers of firefighter fatalities in American history.

However, a group of dedicated firefighters would not let their fallen brothers’ memory fade. The Chicago Stockyards Fire Memorial was constructed in 2004 because the group fundraised and lobbied for eight years to have the memorial developed. They worked with local artist and sculptor Tom Scarff to see the memorial to fruition. Inspired by the heroic and tragic events of that day, he crafted the work of art in two hours.

The memorial depicts three figures: A firefighter with a bugle pointing toward the falling wall, one fireman with an axe held high to protect himself, and a third figure armed with a hose directing it toward the fire, unaware of the collapsing wall above him.

The memorial honors more than the 1910 Stockyard fire victims; it serves to honor all of Chicago’s fallen firefighters. The names of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice are etched on the base of the memorial.

For a thorough retelling of the tragic events of the fire, watch this segment from WTTW.

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