- Oct 1 General Dutch Werkliedenverbond (ANWV), forms in Utrecht
Event of Interest
Oct 2 US Mormon leader Brigham Young arrested for bigamy

Brigham Young
- Oct 6 Fisk Jubilee Singers begin 1st national tour
- Oct 7 16-hour fire injures 30 of Chicago's 185 firefighters
- Oct 8 Forest fire destroys Peshtigo, Wisconsin, killing between 1,200 and 2,500 people, making it the deadliest wildfire in recorded history
- Oct 8 Great Fire of Chicago kills 200 people and destroys over 4 square miles (10 square km) of buildings and the original Emancipation Proclamation
Great Chicago Fire
Oct 10 The Great Chicago Fire is finally extinguished after 3 days, leaving approximately 300 dead, 100,000 homeless, and costing $222m in damage
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Event of Interest
Oct 17 US President Ulysses S. Grant suspends habeas corpus in parts of South Carolina during prosecutions against Ku Klux Klan

Ulysses S. Grant
Event of Interest
Oct 27 Democratic leader of Tammany Hall NY, Boss Tweed is arrested after the NY Times exposes his corruption

Boss Tweed