San Francisco and the surrounding area was struck by a destructive 7.8-magnitude earthquake,
whose epicenter lay just 2 miles west of the city. The earthquake was quickly followed by massive fires that, over the course of three days, burned a large
portion of the city. Three thousand people would be killed, and half of San Francisco’s population would become refugees.

When
the earthquake struck not long after 5 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, most people were still in bed. A brief initial shock was followed by the main quake,
which lasted 45 to 60 seconds. In that minute, buildings throughout the city crumbled or sank into the ground, roads cracked, water and gas mains broke,
and thousands of people were killed, trapped, or injured.

It wasn’t just San Francisco that was affected; nearby cities such as Santa Rosa and San Jose were equally decimated by the earthquake, and tremors were felt as far north as Oregon and as far south as Los Angeles. A strong aftershock around 8 a.m. sent further buildings toppling.

The destruction caused by the earthquake was devastating enough, but within half an hour more than 50 fires had been reported in San Francisco. Despite the response of local firemen, some of the fires grew into massive conflagrations that burned through well-known neighborhoods, including the city’s downtown,
Chinatown, and Nob Hill. By the time the fires were finally put out on Saturday, 4.7 square miles, 500 city blocks, and 28,000 buildings had burned.

As a result of the earthquake and fires, more than 200,000 San Franciscans (out of a population of 400,000) became homeless. Initially, many camped in
parks or other open spaces, but soon many fled the city altogether—some
temporarily, others permanently. Organized relief efforts distributed food, water, and shelter to the refugees, and millions of dollars in aid and donations were given to the city.

The clean-up from the disaster would take two years, and rebuilding the city would take even longer. By 1915 San Francisco had recovered enough to host
the Panama—Pacific International Exposition. In some respects, however, the city never fully recovered from the earthquake: before the disaster, San
Francisco had been the leading city on the West Coast, but following it, Los Angeles took its place.

Do you have family members who lived through the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fires? Tell us about them! Or learn more about the disaster on
Newspapers.com.

Here’s a bizarre news story for you today: in 1897 a man named Bob Fitzsimmons found himself in an unexpected boxing match against his (not so docile) pet bear.

Fortunately for the sake of not being mauled alive by a bear, “Fitz” had some experience in the realm of boxing. Just months earlier he had risen to fame with a well-publicized win against Gentleman Jim Corbett. He’d also go on make history as boxing’s first world champion in three weight divisions, and would later be added to The Guinness Book of World Records as the lightest heavyweight champion.

But before all of that came his ill-advised bare-knuckle boxing match (pun intended). The article below gives the details.

In the end there were no fatalities, not even for the animals involved. Still, it seems there’s a concrete lesson to be learned through this crazy story: it’s probably best not to keep bears as pets, no matter how much you like ’em.

Find more stories like these with a search or browse through the pages of Newspapers.com.

Pull out your green clothes and shine your shamrocks, for St. Patrick’s Day is here again. If you’re in need of a few solid recipes for your St. Patrick’s Day feast, look no further: Newspapers throughout the years are here to provide.

First up, a festive side for your dinner table: Shamrock rolls (1941):

And from 1950, a subtly festive drink with just a hint of green:

Here’s something easy enough for the kiddos to make, from the Boys and Girls Newspaper in The Gazette and Daily (1950):

If you’re a bit more adventurous but like easy prep, you might try this salad or this casserole, which together fulfill the corned beef and cabbage requirements of a St. Patrick’s Day meal (1979):

That Emerald Salad doesn’t seem particularly appealing, but who knows? Perhaps it’s a hidden treasure.

For your show-stopping entree, this Pot of Gold Cabbage seems like an excellent thematic choice (2001):

And of course, what is a St. Patrick’s Day dinner party without the party? Here’s some surefire advice from domestic expert Lucy Lincoln to craft the perfect social event (1921):

(Though that last party game clue seems a little on the nose, wouldn’t you say?)

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Hope your parties are safe, fun, and full of delicious food. Let us know if any of these dishes make an appearance at your holiday table. There are more recipes to be found from years gone by with a search on Newspapers.com.

This little story from a Pennsylvania paper sounds like the synopsis to a romantic comedy. Published on this day in 1881:

A Girl Changes Her Mind · Tue, Mar 1, 1881 – Page 4 · The New Bloomfield, Pa Times (New Bloomfield, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.com

Find more like this with a search or browse on Newspapers.com.

From the New York Times, 1901, the story of an escaped spider and the men it terrorized.

Unfortunately for the spider, mercy can only last for so long. The spider was crushed, but it didn’t go down without a fight.

Find more like this with a search or browse through the papers on Newspapers.com.

This page from the Chicago Tribune, published February 11th, 1900, shares a collection of memories gathered from prominent public members of the city. Some are sweet, some sad, some entirely indifferent.

Here, Rev Dr. J.S. Stone shares his memories of the valentines shared in his youth:

Denis Sweenie, fire chief, had some sweet things to say about a certain significant other:

Librarian John Vance Cheney wishes he could remember the sweet feelings of receiving his first valentine:

And (this one is a personal favorite) Dr. W. A. Howard tells the absolutely adorable story of a valentine he received when he was 6 years old:

Want to read the rest? Click through the first image on this post to get to the full page on Newspapers.com.

Happy Valentine’s Day!