Great Fire of 1805
Flag of Detroit, depicting the fire (center left) and displaying the motto Speramus meliora; resurget cineribus ('We hope for better things; it will rise from the ashes') | |
| Date | June 11, 1805 |
|---|---|
| Location | Detroit, Michigan Territory, United States |
| Type | Fire |
The Great Fire of 1805 occurred on June 11, 1805, in Detroit, which was then part of the Michigan Territory of the United States. The fire destroyed the remaining vestiges of the old Fort Porchartrain and a vast number of buildings in its vicinity. Fort Lernoult and a warehouse on the river were the only structures in Detroit that survived the conflagration.
The motto of the city of Detroit, Speramus meliora; resurget cineribus ('We hope for better things; it will rise from the ashes'), was written by Father Gabriel Richard after the fire.