Tragedies and Calamities, Stop One
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The first stop on this walking tour is St. Patrick’s Church, at 389 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose, CA 95113.
Post-Quake Proclamation
At 5:12 on the morning of April 18, 1906. a powerful earthquake struck San Francisco. The temblor was so
strong that it was felt as far north as southern Oregon, and south beyond Los Angeles. The citizens of San
Jose had to contend with fire, destruction, and looting on the day of the quake. By afternoon, San Jose
Mayor George Worswick had this flyer printed and posted all over town, hoping to retore some order to the
chaos. Image courtesy of the California Room, San Jose Public Library.
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Tragedies and Calamities, Stop One
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Saint Patrick’s Church, 1906
This is Saint Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church,
which stood on the northwest corner of Santa
Clara and Ninth Streets - devastated by the
Great Quake of 1906. Image courtesy of the
California Room, San Jose Public Library.
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Saint Patrick’s Church, 1906
Although reduced to rubble in a matter of
seconds, its undaunted parishioners set
about rebuilding on the same site. The new
church served its parish for the next sixty
years. Image courtesy of the California Room,
San Jose Public Library.
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Saint Patrick’s Church rebuilt
Less than a year following the quake, this new
structure was completed. They used bricks from
the devastated building for the foundation. It
served the parish until 1967, when a more modern
structure replaced it. Image courtesy of Edith C.
Smith Collection, Souriseau Academy, San Jose
State University.
Directions to Stop Two
From St. Patrick’s Church, walk up Santa Clara
Street toward San Jose City Hall. Turn left on
South 7th Street and follow it until you run into
the San Jose State University campus.
Tragedies and Calamities, Stop Two
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San Jose High, c. 1898
In 1898 this spacious school was built, the first in San Jose for high school students only. Designed by local
architect Jacob Lenzen and built at a cost of $100,000, it was a local showplace proudly displayed to visitors.
Unfortunately, this lovely building was completely destroyed after only eight years, when the Great Quake of
1906 struck. Please view the other images to get an idea of the damage. The last image shows the rebuilt
high school. Image courtesy of Sourisseau Academy, San Jose State University.
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Tragedies and Calamities, Stop Two
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San Jose High: Earthquake
The new high school had been in place less than
eight years when the 1906 quake struck. The roof
and walls collapsed, leaving the building in ruins.
Image courtesy of the California Room, San Jose
Public Library.
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San Jose High: Earthquake
If the quake had hit later in the day when school
was in session, the loss of life could have been
catastrophic. Image courtesy of the California
Room, San Jose Public Library.
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San Jose High: After the Quake
Six months after the quake, a $175,000 bond
measure was passed to build a new high school
on the same site. The new five-building campus
was dedicated in September 1908 with a student
enrollment of 786. Image courtesy of Souriseau
Academy, San Jose State University.
Directions to Stop Three
The next stop on the tour is at the corner of
South Second and San Fernando Streets, so
from here walk east on San Fernando Street
to the entrance to Safeway at Second Street.
Then look diagonally across the street to the
2-story gray building.
Tragedies and Calamities, Stop Three
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The Louise Building
Of all the areas in San Jose, the west side of South Second Street between San Fernando and Santa Clara
was the most devastated by the 1906 quake because a fire erupted there as well. This image is the lovely
Louise Building about 1894, which stood on the northwest corner of San Fernando and South Second
Streets. Souvenir of San Jose, and vicinity. Compiled from recent negatives by Crockwell & Williams. San
Francisco: Crockwell & Williams, 1894.
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Tragedies and Calamities, Stop Three
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South Second and San Fernando Streets, 1906
This is the same corner on the morning of the quake.
The damage from the temblor was significant, but it was
the subsequent fire that did the greatest damage. Image
courtesy of Sourisseau Academy, San Jose State
University.
South Second Street looking South
This southward view shows that South Second Street
looked like a war zone following the quake and fire. The
five-story Dougherty Building in the middle of the block
had no insurance, and was a $100,000 loss - a sizeable
sum in 1906. Image courtesy of the California Room, San
Jose Public Library.
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South Second Street looking South
Here we see fire hoses snaking down the street, as men
work to at least keep the fire from spreading. The
devastated Dougherty Building included offices that held
not only historic weather records for San Jose, but 24,000
glass negatives - the life’s work of artist and photographer
Andrew P. Hill. Image courtesy of the California Room,
San Jose Public Library.
South Second Street at San Fernando, after the fire
The total cost of the damage in San Jose from the 1906
quake and subsequent fire was millions of dollars, and
much of it was due to the destruction on this block alone.
Less than 15 years earlier, South Second between Santa
Clara and San Fernando also suffered great loss in the
fire of 18892. How unlucky can one block be? Image
courtesy of the California Room, San Jose Public Library.
Directions to Stop Four
From here, return to San Fernando Street and
walk west one block to South 1st Street. Turn
right, walk half way down the block to the
corner of Post Street and advance to the next
stop on th tour.
Tragedies and Calamities, Stop Four
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Phelan Building, c. 1894
This is the Phelan building about 1894. James Duval Phelan was born in San Francisco in 1861, and
eventually became both Mayor of SF and then a U.S. Senator. From his wealthy father he inherited
several buildings in SF and San Jose, before building his dream home in Saratoga – Villa Montalvo –
which he donated to Santa Clara County after his death in 1930. Be sure to check the other images on
this stop for an idea of the damage the Great Quake caused. Souvenir of San Jose, and vicinity. Compiled
from recent negatives by Crockwell & Williams. San Francisco: Crockwell & Williams, 1894.
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Tragedies and Calamities, Stop Four
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Phelan Building, 1906
When the Great Quake hit, the Phelan Building
was completely destroyed. It had held offices,
apartments and T.W. Hobson\'s Clothiers. The
men standing atop the rubble are trying to clear
away debris, as several people who lived in the
building were trapped below. One man died in
the collapse. Image courtesy of the California
Room, San Jose Public Library.
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Phelan Building Devastation
Here is another dramatic view of the devastated
Phelan Building, which completely blocked the
intersection of Post (at that time El Dorado) and
First Streets. Mr. Phelan donated the enormous
sum of a million dollars to the Red Cross
following the quake. Image courtesy of the
California Room, San Jose Public Library.
Directions to Stop Five
Continue up Post Street to the corner of Post
and Market Streets for the next stop on your
tour of San Jose's "Tragedies and Calamities."
Tragedies and Calamities, Stop Five
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Auzerais & Pomeroy, c. 1874
The fancy building with the arched windows was just a couple of years old when this photo was taken
in 1876. Edward Auzerais and A.E. Pomeroy owned this large mercantile store, selling groceries, hardware,
crockery, and agricultural implements. Image courtesy of Sourisseau Academy, San Jose State University.
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Tragedies and Calamities, Stop Five
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Home Union Store
And here it is just after the quake in 1906, at
this time owned by William Ginty. The quake
peeled away the facade and dramatically
exposed much of the upper floor. Fortunately
neither of the original owners was still around
to witness the destruction. Edward Auzerais
had returned to France and passed away in 1896,
and Pomeroy was gone, too.
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Home Union Store
A few more words on Edward Auzerais, who,
along with his brother John, was a significant
figure in downtown San Jose business history.
The Auzerais brothers, natives of France,
arrived here in the early 1850s and built several
successful businesses, including the sumptuous
Auzerais House, which hosted presidents and
dignitaries for decades.
Directions to Stop Six
Return once again to San Fernando Street, and
continue west. Carefully cross busy Almaden
Blvd and stop at the corner, then advance to the
next stop and see a very different picture of this
corner in 1911.
Tragedies and Calamities, Stop Six
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1911 Flood - Almaden Boulevard and San Fernando Street
This neighborhood group found an amusing way of marking the occasion of the flood of March 7th,1911,
near the intersection of what was then Vine and San Fernando Streets. Elsewhere, the flood had washed
out the Alum Rock Park rail line, swept away bridges and inundated hundreds of acres of agricultural
land across the valley. McKay Photograph, Edith C. Smith Collection, Sourisseau Academy, San Jose
State University.
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Tragedies and Calamities, Stop Six
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1911 Flood - Almaden Avenue
In January 1911, San Jose had 12.38 inches of
rainfall – matching our average seasonal total.
The still saturated ground could not absorb the
additional 2.62 inches that fell on March 7th,
causing the Guadalupe River to flood. Here we
see two men finding an inventive way of
navigating the flooded street. Image courtesy
of the California Room, San Jose Public Library.
Directions to Stop Seven
From here, set your sights toward the Hotel de
Anza at the north end of Almaden Blvd and
turn left up Santa Clara Street. Walk under the
highway to San Jose’s Guadalupe River Park.
Advance to the next stop for another image of
the terrible flood of 1911.
Tragedies and Calamities, Stop Seven
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1911 Flood, River St.
This is the Guadalupe River on March 7th, 1911. The domed Church of the Holy Family stood next to the
river at the southwest corner of S. River Street and W. San Fernando Street. The valley had a total of five
inches of rain in as many days, which the shallow Guadalupe River could not contain. McKay Photograph,
Edith C. Smith Collection, Sourisseau Academy, San Jose State University.
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Directions to Stop Eight
Now head back east up Santa Clara Street,
past the Hotel De Anza again. Continue to 1st
and Santa Clara Streets, and stop by the old
Firato Ravioli sign. Advance to the next stop
for photos of the Unique Theatre following the
1906 quake.
Tragedies and Calamities, Stop Eight
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Unique Theatre, 1906
In 1903, 20-year old Sid Grauman opened the Unique Theatre with the idea of combining vaudeville acts
with the new moving picture shows. Image courtesy of the California Room, San Jose Public Library.
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Tragedies and Calamities, Stop Eight
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Unique Theatre, 1906
When the earthquake wrecked his leased theater,
Grauman moved to Southern California and
opened a string of movie theatres, including the
famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Image
courtesy of Sourisseau Academy, San Jose
State University.
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Unique Theatre, 1906
In addition to Grauman, a couple of other men
who had their start at the Unique Theatre would
go on to achieve worldwide fame. Roscoe "Fatty"
Arbuckle was the ticket taker and mop boy, and
Al Jolson appeared on stage for $75 per week.
Image courtesy of the California Room, San Jose
Public Library.
Directions to Stop Nine
The next stop is sort of hard to get to, since
the building was behind the courthouse in
what is now a parking lot. Walk up North 1st
Street toward St. James Park; just past the
post office building you can peek back into the
parking lot to see where the next stop is.
Tragedies and Calamities, Stop Nine
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Tiburcio Vasquez portrait
This is Tiburcio Vasquez (1835-1875), a California bandit who denied any participation in the robberies and
a murder of which he was accused. To this day he is considered a controversial figure, as he claimed to be
a defender of Mexican-American rights. This was one of the last photos taken of him before he was executed
by hanging at the Santa Clara County jail. McKay Photograph, Edith C. Smith Collection, Sourisseau
Academy, San Jose State University.
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Tragedies and Calamities, Stop Nine
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Tiburcio Vasquez invitation
This is the invitation to the execution of
Tiburcio Vasquez, who was finally captured
and eventually brought to trial here in San
Jose after years of being wanted throughout
the state of California. Many appeared at the
jail unaware that they needed an invitation to
be admitted to the hanging. McKay Photograph,
Edith C. Smith Collection, Sourisseau Academy,
San Jose State University.
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County Jail, c. 1875
This is the Santa Clara County Jail about the
time of Vasquez hanging.The execution took
place in the courtyard of the building. Even
after his conviction, many visited him in his
cell, especially women. He signed autographs
and posed for pictures, selling the photographs
to pay for his legal defense. Image courtesy of
Sourisseau Academy, San Jose State University.
Tragedies and Calamities, Stop Ten
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Santa Clara County Courthouse
This is the Santa Clara County Courthouse not long after the county jail (visible behind it) was built in
1871. This large and ornate structure was built in 1868 with the veiled hope of luring the state legislature
back to San Jose. No such luck. Note the stately dome which once graced the building, as well as the
young trees planted in St. James Park. Image courtesy of Sourisseau Academy, San Jose State University.
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Tragedies and Calamities, Stop Ten
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County Courthouse, c. 1900
The county government quickly outgrew the space, and
by 1892 it was necessary to build the adjoining Hall of
Records building. This southward view was taken around
1900.
County Courthouse, 1931 fire
On the afternoon of May 18, 1931, fire broke out in the
attic space where the janitorial supplies were kept at
the courthouse. Lacking proper ladders and water
towers, the San Jose Fire Department was unable to
fight the flames as they traveled downward, eventually
spreading throughout the entire building. Image courtesy
of Sourisseau Academy, San Jose State University.
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County Courthouse, 1931 fire
Firemen scurried as the top cornice broke loose and
came down. There were about 5000 people watching
the fire from across the street in St. James Park. Many
were put to work passing stacks of documents from the
adjoining Hall of Records, which sustained considerable
water damage. The Hotel St. James was saved, only to
burn down 6 months later. Image courtesy of Sourisseau
Academy, San Jose State University.
County Courthouse, rebuilt
In spite of extensive interior damage, the walls remained
intact, so Depression-era and cash-strapped San Jose
rebuilt the interior instead of starting from scratch. A
third story was added, but the costly dome was never
rebuilt. Irreplaceable records dating back to 1854 were
lost. The San Jose Fire Department purchased new fire
apparatus to ensure such a loss would never happen
again. McKay Photograph, Edith C. Smith Collection,
Sourisseau Academy, San Jose State University.
Tragedies and Calamities, Stop Eleven
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Brooke Hart, Bellarmine Grad
This is Alex Hart's son, Brooke, at the time that he graduated from Bellarmine Preparatory School in 1930.
Brooke was a bright, handsome, and well-liked young man. He also graduated from Santa Clara University
and was being groomed for management at Hart's in the fall of 1933. Unfortunately, he met a tragic end at
the age of 22, when he was kidnapped and murdered. McKay Photograph, Edith C. Smith Collection,
Sourisseau Academy, San Jose State University.
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Tragedies and Calamities, Stop Eleven
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Hart’s Department Store
Leopold Hart opened the "Corner Cash Store" here on
the southeast corner of Market and Santa Clara Streets
in 1866. It eventually grew into a department store, passed
down to his son, Alex Hart, and then his son Alex Hart Jr.,
before moving to the suburbs in 1968 and eventually
closing. Here is the store during a Christmas rush in the
1920s. McKay Photograph, Edith C. Smith Collection,
Sourisseau Academy, San Jose State University.
Santa Clara County Jail
Thomas Thurmond and John Holmes, who had kidnapped
Brooke Hart as he left work on November 9, 1933, tried
for several days to extort ransom from Alex Hart for the
return of his son - whom they had already murdered.
Thurmond was found within the week, implicated Holmes,
and both were brought to the Santa Clara County Jail.
Image courtesy of Edith C. Smith Collection, Sourisseau
Academy, San Jose State University.
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Crowd storms the jail
It was 17 days before authorities made the gruesome
discovery of Brooke Hart's badly decomposed body in
shallow water near the San Mateo - Hayward Bridge.
Outrage quickly spread in San Jose upon hearing this,
and a large crowd gathered to storm the jail that night.
Image courtesy of Sourisseau Academy, San Jose State
University.
Lynching Tree, St. James Park
Finally breaking in and overpowering the sheriff and
staff, men seized Thurmon and Holmes and dragged
them to St.James Park. An enormous crowd of thousands
cheered while they were stripped and strung up in two
trees near the southwest corner of the park. It was the
last public lynching to take place in California. Image
courtesy of Sourisseau Academy, San Jose State
University.