Earthquake Shacks: How Tiny Houses Saved San Francisco after the 1906 Earthquake and Fire

On April 12, 2023 (Wednesday) at 7:00 p.m., local historian Woody LaBounty will appear at the 4 Star Theatre to give an illustrated talk on the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire and the 5,600 cottages built in the aftermath to house refugees from the disaster.

Using historical photos, maps, and ephemera, the big-screen presentation will show the magnitude of the San Francisco disaster and the trace the innovative relief plan designed to house more than 16,000 refugees in city parks, including on the Richmond District’s Park-Presidio Boulevard. LaBounty will also give a virtual tour of the surviving “earthquake shacks” in the Bay Area. 

LaBounty is a researcher, writer, and co-founder of the Western Neighborhoods Project (outsidelands.org), a 23-year-old nonprofit focused on the history of western San Francisco. He was recently Vice President of Advocacy and Programs at San Francisco Heritage (sfheritage.com) and writes weekly on city history at SanFranciscoStory.com.