Refugees Camp In Jefferson Square


In the early 1900's, Jefferson Square was 11 pastoral acres of park -- hilly contours, trees and shrubs. But on April 18, 1906, earthquake and fire reduced the city to rubble and smoking ruins from the waterfront to Van Ness Avenue, and 'citizens driven from homes, moving aimlessly about, keeping in the open, camped in parks.' (San Francisco Examiner). In charge of relief efforts, the Army organized a system of refugee camps on 31 parks around the city. Giving long-term shelter to some 20,000 homeless residents, all the camps had tents; some also had wooden shacks. Jefferson had both. Families who obeyed the rules and presented a plan for rehabilitation were provided with food, clothing, tents, and aid from social workers to help them return to self-sufficient lives.


Jefferson was one of the larger sites, better equipped to house its colorful, often boisterous community of 1500-2000 people. It had a tent school, an emergency hospital, clothing distribution store, soup kitchen and social hall. Its central communications board helped find and reunite families. Residents were given to mass protests denouncing, among other targets, the soup kitchen, food rations, the quality of clothing donations, bath house facilities, and United Railway vehicles. Ordered to move to the large camps in Golden Gate Park, they refused to budge. Fifteen dissidents formed the United Refugees Corporation to start cooperative farming and real estate enterprises. There were summer band concerts and, at Christmas in 1906, a nearby neighbor gave each child in the camp five dollars. In one of the suicide attempts that crept into several camps, a 70-year old Jefferson Square resident took carbolic acid and swallowed safety pins and coins. He was treated at the emergency hospital.



When it was closed in October of 1907, 'Jefferson Square became a meeting place for left-wing orators,' a camp record reports.

Dated: 1906
Subject: Earthquakes
Medium: Stereocard
Country/Origin: American
Condition Report Minor foxing. Good plus.

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