Filling In a Clean Slate: A Case Study of Urban Redevelopment after the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)" , at the 2022 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906 devastated over 500 city blocks within the heart of San Francisco. Landowners and developers were quick to seize the opportunity to reshape the cultural landscape of urban centers, particularly in disadvantaged and industrial neighborhoods. Archaeological excavations and archival research demonstrate the extent that post-disaster redevelopment changed land use patterns, community demographics and the character of the neighborhood. The historical record of redevelopment provides an analog to look at contemporary natural disasters, such as California’s recent wildfires, to better understand how a catastrophic event and subsequent redevelopment reshape whole communities.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SHA 2022 General Sessions   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2022

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology