Halliday House, before the fire

Contributor

Skinkle, Harry, Mrs.

Date

• ca. 1846-ca. 1871

Summary

• Of all the tragedies in the history of Kenosha, one of the greatest was the Halliday House fire of January 31, 1871, in which seven persons, four of them children, lost their lives. The fire was the first in this locality in which loss of life occurred. The destruction of the Halliday House marked the passing of the first brick building in Kenosha, once the most palatial hotel in the entire state. It was originally the Durkee House, erected by Charles Durkee on the site where the Bode Furniture store later stood, the northeast corner of Sixth Avenue and 55th Street. It had been in use for a little more than 22 years when it was swept by the disastrous fire. See number 320 for this building after the fire.