Philadelphia Timeline, 1866

1866

• January 2. Great fire, 607 Chestnut Street. Loss $150,000.
• January 7. Coldest night known; thermometer 18 degrees below zero. Delaware and Schuylkill frozen over.
• Centenary services of the Methodist Episcopal Church, held at St. George's Church, Fourth below New Street.
• January 20. Fenian mass meeting at Sansom Street Hall.
• January 30. Fire, Delaware Avenue below Vine Street. Loss, $100,000.
• February 22. Firemen's procession on the return of Hibernian steam fire engine after four years' service at Fortress Monroe.
• February 26. Great fire extending from George H. Robert's' hardware store, 235-237 North Third Street, James, Kent and Santee, wholesale dry goods house, 237 and 239, Smith & Shoemakers', wholesale drug house, and others. Loss, $800,000. One man killed and nine injured by falling wall.
• April 11. Christopher Deering and family murdered by Antoine Probst, on a farm in the southern section of the city. Probst hung on June 8th.
• May 13. Chestnut and Walnut Street Railway commenced west of new Chestnut Street Bridge.
• June 9. Great fire at Dearie's Mill, Twenty-Fifth and Callowhill Street. Loss $200,000.
• June 23. Chestnut Street Bridge Formally opened by the Mayor.
• July 4. Grand Parade. Representatives from over one hundred veteran regiments, and the orphan children of soldiers and sailors killed during the rebellion. State flags carried by the color-guards restored to the State. Ceremonies in Independence Square. Presentation made by the Mayor General George G. Meade and flags received by Governor Andrew G. Curtin.
• July 5. Fire, Baker & McFadden's planing-mill, Hillsdale Street below Race (east of Fourth Street). Loss, $100,000.
• July 7. Fire, Fitler, Weaver & Co.'s rope factory, Germantown Avenue and Tenth Street (fronting this factory was the toll-gate, Germantown Pike). Loss, &130,000.
• July 12. Great fire, Tacony Print Works, Frankford, belonging to A. S. Lippincott. Loss, $1,000,000.
• July 26. Boiler explosion. Yewdalls Mills, Hestonville. Three persons killed.
• July 27. Fire, Biddle & Co.'s hardware store, 509 Commerce Street. Loss, $150,000.
• August 4. Moyamensing Hall, Christian Street above 9th, set on fire and totally destroyed. The deed was committed by persons opposed to the use of the hall as a cholera hospital, cholera prevailing at this time.
• November 3. City iceboat launched.
• December 14. North Broad Street opened from Nicetown Lane to Fisher's Lane.
• December 23. Fire. Gustav Bergner's malt-house, 31st and Thompson Streets; loss, $1000,000.