Lotta’s Fountain and the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

1906 San Francisco earthquake

Today marks the 107th anniversary of the Great 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Every year on this day, residents of San Francisco gather around Lotta’s fountain (located at the intersection of Market, Geary and Kearny) to commemorate that moment of silence, right before dawn, when the earth started shaking and the fires were set off throughout the city and destroyed most of it. Even though enough time has passed that you can no longer see the physical burns and scars caused by the earthquake and fires, today we at SevenPonds have given in to nostalgia, and feel compelled to reflect on the tragic event that once devastated our beautiful city.

Approximately 3,000 people were killed, and about half of the city left homeless.

The 1906 San Francisco earthquake is considered one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history. It’s also the world’s first major natural disaster to be recorded by photography. The earthquake lasted about 40 to 60 seconds; it broke open the ground surface along the San Andreas Fault for about 290 miles, impacting the areas from southern Oregon to Los Angeles. However, most of the destruction in San Francisco was actually caused by the ensuing fires, which were ignited by broken gas lines and burned ruthlessly for three days and three nights.

Unfortunately, water mains were also broken, which made it nearly impossible to fight the fires, and about 500 city blocks were burned to the ground over the course of three days. Approximately 3,000 people were killed, and about half of the city left homeless. For as long as two years after the incident, many of those who survived still had to live in tents and waited in long lines for food.

Lotta’s Fountain

After the earthquake, one of the few remaining structures at the time became the meeting point for survivors to come and reunite with their loved ones, Lotta’s fountain. The fountain was donated to the city in 1875 by Lotta Crabtree, one of richest and most beloved American entertainers of her time. Born in New York, Lotta and her mother followed her father to San Francisco in 1852 during the Gold Rush. She grew up to become a successful singer and performer, and she was deeply in love with the city that had nurtured her talent. She was known as “Miss Lotta, the San Francisco favorite.”

Thousands of city dwellers have passed by Lotta’s fountain on their way to work every day, largely unaware of its role in shaping their city. It wasn’t until 1999 that Lotta’s fountain received a massive make-over, restoring it from a run-down state to its original 1875 glory. Today, Lotta’s Fountain stands as a twenty-four foot cast-iron bronze sculpture, embellished with lions’ heads and other beautiful adornments in remembrance.