San Francisco, CA
Santa Rosa: The 1906 earthquake almost lost to history
Santa Rosa prepares for next big earthquake
The Great 1906 earthquake devastated the Bay Area, destroying much of San Francisco and killing more than 3,000 people. The city marked the quakes 120th anniversary this weekend, but whats not as widely recognized is the damage to surrounding comunities like Santa Rosa.
SANTA ROSA, Calif. – While the Great 1906 Earthquake was a centerpiece of news around the world when its massive damage and fire destroyed much of San Francisco and took 3,000 lives, another far smaller, far less famous town, suffered massive damage almost forgotten by history.
Nearly forgotten
On this day 120 years ago, stunned people were digging for survivors two nights after the quake. Like a demon in the night, the Great 1906 Earthquake also came to Santa Rosa also bent on mass death and destruction.
Eric Stanley is the history curator and deputy director of the Museum of Sonoma County in Santa Rosa that supplied these pictures. “Santa Rosa, in particular, was devastated by the 1906 earthquake,” he said.
Survivors were shaken awake as whole buildings collapsed around them or on them. “A good portion, a really significant portion, of downtown Santa Rosa was completely destroyed,” said Stanley.
Many never woke up; crushed to death in their sleep. There were over a hundred people killed in the 1906 earthquake in Santa Rosa that only had 7,000 people in it at the time,” said the curator.
Active fault line
Sixty-three years later, in 1969, a time of budding, but far better science-based building codes, a double shaker nonetheless did significant damage and killed one person. “Even understanding all those things, you kind of at the earlier stage of that in the sixties,” said Stanley.
Today, four of Santa Rosa’s School buildings lie near or on the Rodgers Creek Earthquake Fault, capable of up to a 7.3 magnitude rupture. One is already closed with another due to close at the end of the school year for budgetary reasons.
That leaves two elementary schools, Hidden Valley, alongside the fault and Proctor, on the fault. The school board says both are seismically sound and safe to continue operating. “The two that are remaining open are both the ones that have the potential and the ability to grow because the entire site is not impacted by the fault line,” said Nick Caston, Santa Rosa City School Board president.
Staying prepared
In other words, things can and will eventually be moved around.
“What we’re gonna end up having to do is redesign the campus over the next several decades to have our fields and our parking in the front, which are totally acceptable to be over a fault line and actually move our academic builds and our student-serving buildings to the back,” said Caston.
Ultimately, the pictures and relics museums hold from natural disasters are given to those who come, a lesson and a warning. “Real people went through these experiences and we really do have to be aware of that and do our very best to prepare for those kinds of things,” said Stanley.
The 1933 Field Act requires earthquake-safe construction of schools, with evolving seismic codes as we learn more.
Animal rights activists could soon get their way if officials in San Francisco decide to ban pet stores from selling live animals.
Dozens and dozens of animal rights activists this week called on the SF Animal Commission to vote on a Retail Animal Sales Ban that would prohibit stores in the city from selling any live pets.
During the commission meeting on Thursday, city leaders heard from proponents who said the ban would stop the “breeding mills” and “wild catching” of animals, like reptiles.
The proponents also claim that the ban would stop the neglect of animals, “invasive species,” and would solve the problem of overcrowded shelters and rescues.
Animal and human rights activist Kitty Jones told the commission that there’s a ton of support for the ban locally, noting more than 60 organizations have signed on to a letter calling for it.
Activists pointed out that there are 29 pet stores in the city that only offer services such as grooming, boarding, supplies and adoptions.
Only nine of the city’s pet stores still sell animals, according to officials.
Those included several Petco’s, the Animal Connection, Pet Central SF, the Animal company and Ocean Aquarium.
Pet shop owners in the city are not happy about the ban, and are willing to fight.
“This is our livelihood,” one worker at Pet Central SF told the San Francisco Chronicle. “This is a business, this is what we rely on.”
The longtime owner of the Animal Company, Rick French, said it would just be another terrible policy from the city that makes it harder for business owners to operate.
“Yet another footstep in San Francisco making it too difficult to run a business.”
“They’re just overreaching. It’s overboard,” he added. “I think there is going to be a lot of pushback on it. We are certainly going to organize and fight this as hard as we can.”
Julia Baran, the owner of the Animal Connection, said that banning the sale of live animals isn’t going to stop people from wanting to get them.
“It won’t stop people from getting the animal that they want,” Baran said. “They might just go to Craigslist or go online and get it shipped from across the country.”
The Post reached out to several pet stores in San Francisco for further comment.
The commission ended up agreeing to send a recommendation to SF Mayor Daniel Lurie and the Board of Supervisor to approve the ban.
Existing state laws already prohibit the retail sale of cats, dogs, rabbits, ferrets, gerbils, hedgehogs, and sugarglides (a little nocturnal furry animal), officials noted.
The only animals sold in California stores these days are amphibians, fish, birds, guinea pigs, hamsters, and reptiles.
In another post on on Facebook, Jones noted that the city of Albany, in the East Bay area of Alameda county, had recently “unanimously voted in support of a retail animal sales ban.”
“The city will draft an ordinance and vote on that in a few weeks.”
Last year, West Hollywood became the first city in LA county to ban pet stores, per the Los Angeles Times. The ban became official May 1, 2026. The report noted that animals at shelters and rescues can still be sold.
This year’s annual Bay to Breakers — the event that’s as much as roving costume party as a 12 kilometer run — is being held on Sunday, May 17. While participants prepare their outfits for the event, San Franciscans prepare for the road closures that accompany the event. Transit officials recommend runners and spectators alike use subways and mass transit, especially on the day of the race.
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