The Cloquet-Moose Lake forest fire of October 12-13, 1918, one of the most destructive forest fires in Minnesota's recorded history, nearly reached this location. Like other major fires, it burned on cutover land, where stumps and waste remained after the great pine forests of northeastern Minnesota were harvested for lumber. Made up of five or six major fires and several smaller ones, it began during a severe drought in the fall of 1918 and burned 390 square miles. Official reports listed 453 people killed. Large portions of Cloquet, then known as "the white pine Reverse capitol of the world," burned complete, and approximately 8,000 inhabitants evacuated ahead of the flames. The fire reached the east side of Duluth and burned homes in several neighborhoods before stopping. Massive public and private relief efforts helped survivors recover, but court efforts to secure compensation for damages failed. In 1935, after a long struggle, federal legislation was approved to pay parts of the victims' claims. The disaster remained a lasting reference point for those who lived through it, who spoke of events as either "before the fire" or "after the fire."