Earthquake/Fire: Lafayette Park

The striking images on these cards date from the afternoon of 4/19/1906, the second day of the fire. Most look SE from Lafayette Park toward the corner of Gough/Sacramento. 1905 Sanborn (V. 3, sheet 260) shows details of the area before the fire. Punnett's Two Years After map shows that the fire burned to within a block of the park; it crossed Van Ness but was stopped at Franklin. Doolittle shows the burned area after the fire, looking east across Van Ness between Bush/Pine toward Nob Hill.



weidner_212.png weidner_229.png rotograph_u4.png
weidner_212_b.png weidner_229_b.png rotograph_u4_b.png



rieder_u15.png behrendt_212.png weidner_210.png
rieder_u15_b.png behrendt_212_b.png weidner_210_b.png

These postcards all show the same view; a higher resolution image is here. This must be later in the day than Weidner 212 above, as a large tent has been erected, the park is filling with refugees and their belongings, and the fire is much closer. The houses at 1812/1814 Gough again appear at the right edge. Just left of the woman's white blouse is 1919 Sacramento, still standing in 2020. A Scheff postcard using this image is postmarked 7/26/1906.



Steve's SF postcard pages: