By Tom Weber, KWMU
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kwmu/local-kwmu-512229.mp3
St. Louis – The City of St. Louis was almost completely destroyed 157 years ago.
The Great Fire of 1849 destroyed 400 buildings, about half of the city at that time.
It was a major property loss, but only two people lost their lives.
A permanent display at the Missouri History Museum remembers the fire, and an event Wednesday will help mark the anniversary.
But the museum's Barnes Bradshaw told KWMU's Tom Weber that the fire wasn't only disaster to hit St. Louis that year.