52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 9 - Gone Too Soon
- kathleenachapman
- Feb 27, 2023
- 2 min read
Both my 2nd great grandmother, Miriam Cohen, and her sister Yetta Witkofsky, perished in the worst US theater fire in 1903 Chicago.
The sisters were born in the Suwalki region of Poland. They came to the US at different times, Miriam in 1876 and Yetta in 1894. Both eventually settled in Chicago, Illinois. In the 1900 census, Miriam and husband Jacob Cohen had 8 living children and Yetta and husband Morris Witkofsky had 3 children. Living with Miriam and Jacob are her brother Louis and a cousin, Goldie Witkofsky. I don't know if Goldie Witkofsky was related to Morris, but it seems like a possibility.
Chicago in the early 1900s was a bustling growing city. In 1870 it was the nation's 2nd largest city with a population of 299,000 and had grown to nearly 1.7 million in 1900.
Chicago was a transportation hub, situated on the Great Lakes and the center of major railroad lines. Businesses, factories, and warehouses sprang up and attracted immigration from around the world for economic opportunities, but especially from Eastern and Central Europe.
The Marshall Field flagship store location, now a US National Landmark, was started in 1901 and completed in 1906. Chicago was a key location in the development of the skyscraper.
Chicago also became a cultural leader, with the founding of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1891 and hosting the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893. The Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs baseball teams were started in 1900 and 1903 respectively.
The Iroquois Theater was newly built and opened November 23, 1903, with a capacity of 1602. It was advertised as "absolutely fireproof". On December 30, a matinee performance of the popular musical Mr. Blue Beard, starring Eddie Foy, was showing. The show was sold out and hundreds had purchased standing room only tickets.
At about 3:15 pm, sparks from a malfunctioning arc light ignited a fabric curtain. At first, everyone remained calm as the stagehands tried to lower the asbestos fire curtain, but it snagged and the fire spread. Panic ensued and the patrons attempted to flee the theater. In the end, 602 people, mostly women and children, perished.
When I was in Chicago in July 2005 for a training class, I visited Waldheim Cemetery and took photos of Miriam and Yetta's memorial stone.
An inscription in English on the other side of the stone reads:
"In memory of two sisters
Our beloved mothers
Miriam Cohen
Aged 51 yrs.
Yetta Witkofsky
Aged 32 yrs.
In life inseparable
As now in after death
Victims of the Iroquois Theatre Fire
Dec. 30, 1903"
I also attended a showing of "Wicked" starring Ana Gasteyer at the Oriental Theater (now the Nederlander) which was built on the site of the Iroquois Theater. When I was in the theater, I felt like I was surrounded by ghosts.
To the left is the theater front on W. Randolph Street, below is the historical marker in front of the theater.
Here's an interesting CBS News article and video on the Iroquois Theater Fire. They include quotes from actress Ana Gasteyer, who played Elphaba in "Wicked" in 2005 and 2006 at the rebuilt theater now on the same site. Many consider the site haunted.
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