Fire that destroyed most of Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
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')
The Great Fire of 1805 occurred on June 11, 1805, in the city of Detroit, in the Michigan Territory of the United States.[1] The fire destroyed almost everything in the city.[2]
The motto of the city, Speramus meliora; resurget cineribus ('We hope for better things; it will rise from the ashes'), was written after this fire.[3]