In commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of Lake County this year, Lake County News is publishing a series of historical stories about the county, its people and places. With Monday, April 18, being the 105th anniversary of the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906, this week's story looks at the impact of that quake on Lake County.
The date April 18, 1906, is marked by one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. History.
Many, although born at a different time, recognize the significance of this date. It is the day that San Francisco experienced a devastating earthquake.
At 5:12 a.m., many San Franciscans were still asleep, and others were on the road commuting to their places of employment when the city was shaken violently for about 45 to 60 seconds.
The earthquake shifted the ground at about four to five feet per second. The rupture traveled approximately 5,900 miles per hour and left its imprint on 375,000 square miles.
The earthquake traveled to Northern California areas such as Lake County, Santa Rosa, San Jose and Santa Cruz. It went as far inland as Nevada.
The US Geological Survey and Berkeley Seismological Laboratory have estimated that the quake's magnitude ranged between 7.7 and 7.9 and did $400 million in damage in 1906 dollars.
The aftermath of the earthquake left 225,000 people homeless and about 3,000 dead.
What wasn’t utterly demolished by the earthquake was quickly obliterated by raging fires. Fires burnt about 28,000 buildings and 500 blocks – or one quarter of San Francisco.
Some fires were as hot as 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit and were more catastrophic than the earthquake itself.
The water supply in San Francisco was completely cut off. Citizens began receiving their food from soup lines and many sought shelter at Golden Gate Park or at the beach.
It took approximately three minutes for the aftershock of the quake to reach Lake County.
Although the effects of the quake weren’t as catastrophic as in other areas it still impacted many.
While Upper Lake for the most part was spared from the quake, other Lake County towns were not.
In Lakeport, the quake shook down the brick walls of the two-story Masonic Hall and both the Lakeview and Giselman Hotels were damaged. Many school chimneys toppled and residences were knocked down.
Some Lower Lake and Middletown residents had chimneys knocked down and household items destroyed. The bell tower and roof at the Lower Lake Schoolhouse were badly damaged as well.
The Lower Lake bell tower played an important part in the functioning of the town and even then had historical significance. The bell was not only used to signify the beginning and end of school, but also was used to alert townspeople of fires and other emergencies.
After the quake knocked the bell tower down, the bell itself became overlooked and it is speculated that it was melted down and the metal reused during World War II. The loss of both the bell and bell tower was felt by all Lower Lake residents.
The county economy suffered as well, but Lake County was still among the many counties that responded to the request for aid by those in San Francisco.
For more information about the Lake County Sesquicentennial, visit www.lc150.org, join the celebration at https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Lake-County-Sesquicentennial/171845856177015 and follow it on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCo150 .
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