San Francisco Earthquake Snapshots, 1906
P0346

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Scope and Content:

Photograph Collection P0346 consists of 25 black and white prints of the San Francisco earthquake and fire, taken between April 18 and April 20, 1906 by John Lorin Taylor. Included in the collection are snapshots of buildings (including the Emporium, James Flood, Examiner, Call, Merchant's Exchange, Hibernia Bank, City Hall, and the Central Bank) consumed in the disaster. Also included are poignant scenes of people wandering through the ruined streets, views from a ferry boat of the city burning, and looting.

Biographical Note:

In all likelihood these images were taken by John Lorin Taylor (a grandson of LDS Church President John Taylor). Taylor was born in 1882 or 1883 in Ogden, Utah, to Richard and Sarah Farr Taylor. He may have been serving as a Mormon missionary in San Francisco at the time of the earthquake, or possibly just travelling through the area. He married Genevieve Douglas in Salt Lake City, Utah, on the 9th of December, 1908. Taylor was a prominent businessman in the grain industry, serving as the president of the Inland Grain Company of Ogden for several years and helping to create the Ogden grain exchange. Around 1925, Taylor moved to Los Angeles, California, with his wife and five children to pursue work in the brokerage business. He died there on November 24, 1933, of perionitis, at the age of 51.

Provenance:

These photographs were donated to Special Collections by Melvin Cannon, of Logan, Utah, in August of 2003. Melvin Cannon served as a chemistry professor at Utah State University for 31 years, spending 13 of those years as head of the Chemistry Department. This collection probably came to him through his mother Letticia Taylor Cannon who was the sister of John Lorin Taylor. The photographs are in good condition.

Historical Note:

On the morning of April 18, 1906, the people of San Francisco awoke just after 5:00 am to one of the worst natural disasters in American history. Estimated to be about an 8.5 on the Richter Scale, the San Francisco earthquake devastated the city and eventually contributed to an estimated 3,000 deaths. The earthquake created a rift in the ground along the San Andreas fault for nearly 270 miles along the California coast, causing the west side of the fault to slide northwards. Tremors from the earthquake's epicenter, just off the coast of San Francisco, were felt from Oregon to Southern California and as far inland as Nevada. Several buildings such as the Palace Hotel, reputed to be earthquake and fire proof, were destroyed in the aftermaths of the quake by raging fires that burned for several days. Women, unaware of the damage done to their chimneys by the quake, started breakfast in the morning. The ruined chimneys caused the massive "ham and egg" fires that swept through residential neighborhoods. Gas and water mains were ruptured leaving no defense against the engulfing flames. More people were killed by the massive fires than from the actual earthquake. An estimated 225,000 people (out of 400,000 living in San Francisco) were left homeless by the devastation. The massive exodus to the ferry became a problem as people scrambled to get out of the burning city. Others took up residence outside of the Ferry Building or in parks and public squares. Looting became such a problem that Mayor E. E. Schmitz issued an order for police officers to shoot any looters or others breaking the law. All told the earthquake and fire caused an estimated $350,000,000 to $500,000,000 in damages.

Researcher Note:

The description listed next to each image is transcribed directly from the information written on the back of each photograph. Note that the date on the back of the photographs incorrectly date the earthquake as March. Register completed by Liz Woolcott, September 2003.

Inventory:

Box 1.

1:01. image "Market looking west, Emporium and other building ruined. 3/20,'06."

1:02. image "Result of shock, right track sunk 4 feet on new line between Oat. & Ala. 3/18, '06."

1:03. image "Showing Frisco in distance and smoke, crowd on ferry boat. 3/18, '06."

1:04. image "Looking at the Hall from Market showing people in camp in sqaure. 3/18, '06."

1:05. image "Crowd being driven back by soldiers on Market St. 3/18, '06"

1:06. image "Pine St. looking south from Kearny. 3/20, '06."

1:07. image "Quarter mile from ferry showing entire waterfront on fire and the only remaining building of any size in town, the Ferry Building. 3/18, '06."

1:08. image "Looking towards G.G. (Golden Gate) Park on Larkin St. opposite the Hall. 3/20, '06."

1:09. image "New Key Boat results of shock. 3/20, '06."

1:10. image "Skeleton of Examiner, Call Market and 3 (rd) St. 3/20, '06."

1:11. image "Looking north on Kearny St. from Pine. 3/20, '06."

1:12. image "Looking up Market St. from Ferry. fire view (?). 3/20, '06"

1:13. image "Refugees camped in front of the Ferry Buiding. 3/20, '06."

1:14. image "Result of earthquake. City Hall dome, which cost the city $32,000,000. 3/20, '06."

1:15. image "Market and Elis looking east. Fireman at work, man taking boxes of cigars away. 3/18, '06."

1:16. image "O'Farrell and Larkin St. More ruins. 3/20, '06."

1:17. image "Crowd watching fire of Grand Rapids Furniture Co. 3/18, '06."

1:18. image "Showing John Taylor, no. 2, on extreme left and Church. 3/19, '06."

1:19. image "Looters at work, the remains of the Merchant's Exchange when I left #1.25 no. showing virlfrt (?). 3/20, '06. "

1:20. image "Frisco's strongest Bank, Hibernia Bank. Gutted by fire. 3/20, '06."

1:21. image "Looking toward Ferry. City Hall in the way showing ruin. 3/20, '06."

1:22. image "Result of shock. Central Bank, Oakland. 3/19, '06."

1:23. image "Looking south Kearny and Pine toward Call, on Kearny. 3/20, '06."

1:24. image "Destruction on all sides. Van Ness Ave. and Sutter Sts. 3/20, '06."

1:25. image "During fire. Emporium and James Flood buildings doomed. Market St. looking east. 3/18, '06."

For more information: 435/797-2663; Photograph Librarian.
Special Collections & Archives, Merrill Library, Utah State University Libraries, Logan, Utah 84322-3000