Production begins on "Peshtigo" documentary with historian/writer Jerry Apps

Director Kelly Rundle talks with Dr. Jerry Apps prior to his on-camera interview for "Peshtigo".

Emmy® Award-winning filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films began production on their new historical documentary “Peshtigo: American Firestorm” in Madison, Wisconsin when they met with writer/historian Dr. Jerry Apps for his on-camera interview for the project.

Apps is the author of "When the White Pine Was King: A History of Lumberjacks, Log Drives, and Sawdust Cities in Wisconsin". He has written numerous books about Wisconsin history. He is featured in Fourth Wall Films' Emmy-nominated "Country School: One Room - One Nation", and the award-winning "The Barn Raisers" which streams worldwide via Shelter on AppleTv+, Roku and more.

Producer Tammy Rundle and Dr. Jerry Apps.

During the summer of 2023, the Rundles visited Peshtigo in northeast Wisconsin to meet with members of the Peshtigo Historical Society, visit their museum, and conduct preliminary research regarding the October 8, 1871 Peshtigo Fire—the most devastating wildfire in American history. Upon returning home they began developing the film project and received a $10,000 Wisconsin Humanities grant award via their fiscal sponsor, The Peshtigo Historical Society, for production on the new documentary “Peshtigo: American Firestorm” (working title).

Fourth Wall Films' Kelly & Tammy Rundle pose with writer/historian Jerry Apps and his daughter/writer
Susan Apps-Bodilly after the interview.

“It is wonderful to work with Jerry Apps again,” producer/writer Tammy Rundle said. “When we first began developing the documentary project, we had read "When the White Pine was King" and knew Jerry should be a key interview. He is an exceptional historian and storyteller.”

Fourth Wall Films is a media production and distribution company formed in Los Angeles and now based in the Illinois/Iowa Quad Cities. Filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle recently received their fifth Mid-America Emmy Award for their newest historical documentary film “Resurrecting Forest Grove”. Their historical, environmental, and museum films have received a total of 14 Emmy nominations since 2011.

Would you like to be a part of "Peshtigo: American Wildfire"?

We are in fundraising mode on the "Peshtigo: American Firestorm" documentary film project, working to raise matching funds to complete the work partially-funded by the Wisconsin Humanities grant. We are deeply grateful for contributions of any size! Your kind support of $50+ will be acknowledged in the end credits of the film. Write to us at FourthWallFilms (at symbol) AOL (dot) com for more details.

You can make a tax-deductible contribution for $100 or more via our Fiscal Sponsor, the Peshtigo Historical Society. Visit their website here: https://peshtigofiremuseum.com/

Thank you so much for helping us preserve and tell this important, but little known, Midwestern history story!

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Welcome!

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  Typepad, our "Peshtigo: American Firestorm" website/blog host of more than 20 years is suddenly going out of business. Due to folks like us backing up two decades of blog posts, their system has collapsed prior to its September 30, 2025 termination.  Check back again as we renovate this new website and blog, and add more exciting content. If you are interested in making a donation to the documentary project and adding your name to the PESHTIGO: AMERICAN FIRESTORM's credits, send us an email and we will pass along the instructions. Thank you for your patience! We appreciate your interest and support! Kelly & Tammy Rundle Fourth Wall Films fourthwallfilms@aol.com If you are interested in our other award-winning documentaries, you can email us directly for links to purchase our DVDs/Blu-rays. Our films are always available to stream here:  https://vimeo.com/fourthwallfilms/vod_pages
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