The Baldwin Hills Dam disaster occurred on December 14, 1963, when the dam containing the Baldwin Hills Reservoir suffered a catastrophic failure and flooded the residential neighborhoods surrounding it. Baldwin Hills Dam Disaster The reservoir was located on a low hilltop in Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles, California. It was constructed between 1947 and 1951 by the […]
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 was one of the main causes of the Great Depression that affected people across the country in many ways. Many people lost their homes and went on the road in search of work. Oklahoma and the mid-west was doubly affected due to the Dust Bowl that destroyed their farms. […]
The California Gold Rush in 1840’s made many people millionaires overnight and you would assume that the people who discovered the initial gold nuggets would be the wealthiest. However, this is not the case. Sutter employee discovers the first gold nugget In 1848, James W. Marshall, a trusted carpenter and employee of John A. Sutter, […]
The Golden Gate Bridge spans a mile wide and three miles in length channel between San Francisco and the Pacific Ocean. It has been declared one of the Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Opened May 1937 The Bridge opened in 1937 and was, until 1964, the longest suspension […]
Dramatic video of an bombing in San Francisco in 1916 – minutes after it occurred. The Preparedness Day Bombing took place in San Francisco, California on July 22, 1916, when the city held a parade in honor of Preparedness Day, in anticipation of the United States’ imminent entry into World War I. During the parade […]
Life was certainly different in 1903 when this film was taken. People dressed much differently for a day at the beach compared to today. This film above by American Mutoscope & Biograph Co. taken in 1903 is an afternoon panorama of weekend crowds at the north end of Ocean Beach, the western shore of San […]
This steam engine train ride in San Francisco in 1901 must have been thrilling! The film is photographed from the front of a moving steam engine and it shows the scenic portion of the Ferries and Cliff House Railroad route along the bluffs and cliffs of Lands End (at the northwest corner of San Francisco) […]
After the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, help arrived in 1906. This film, made by Thomas A. Edison Company highlights the role of the United States Army in transporting supplies following the 1906 earthquake and fire in San Francisco. The Army’s relief operations headquarters was at their base, the Presidio, outside the burned part of the […]
The filming of major news events was new when the San Francisco earthquake occurred in 1906. These rare films give a glimpse of life before and after the quake. This film was take May 9, 1906, less than a month after the Great Earthquake occurred in April 18, 1906. The location is Market and Mission […]
This was filmed amazingly only four days before the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Take a trip down Market Street on April 14th, 1906. Talk about a traffic nightmare. Cars were such a new invention there were no lanes or traffic signals. See more of the aftermath of the earthquake Historical books by Donna R. Causey Three […]
