Rediscovered Film Takes a Trip Through San Francisco in Ruins Following 1906 Earthquake

On April 18, 1906, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit San Francisco, killing 3,000 people and destroying 80 percent of the buildings in the city. While videos and images of the catastrophic event are limited, one man’s discovery at a flea market revealed incredible video footage of Northern California’s biggest city in ruins.

Jason Wright was able to recover video footage from the weeks following the earthquake and it not only shows the city in the midst of the industrial revolution, but also illustrates the massive recovery efforts of one of the deadliest earthquakes in American history. The video shows horse-drawn carriages, the earliest makes of cars and the famous trolley cars of San Francisco, all amidst the rubble of the city.

The above video shows how the earthquake leveled the city and caused widespread chaos in the midst of disaster. While areas of the Bay Area remain much more equipped to handle such and earthquake, it’s a lesson of the power of Mother Nature and to always be prepared for the worst.

Active NorCal

Telling the Stories of Northern California

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