NPR has been doing a great series of articles on the centennial of the Great 1906 Earthquake and Fire in San Francisco. Listening to the accounts this morning reminded me of some family tales that Margie has told me in the past.
Her great-grandfather, R. Emmett Austin (R for Robert), went to med school at St. Louis U. (later Washington University), then served in the Spanish-American War. Afterwards, he and the family settled in San Diego.
In April 1906, he was boarding in San Francisco, and was in the second or third day of the state medical boards, so that he could get his license in the state. When the quake hit, it obviously disrupted the exams (and destroyed all the records), and the examinees were basically told, “You’re doctors now — go out and tend to the people out there.”
Evidently Margie’s family has a written account by him of making his way out of the city and the things he saw. The one image that sticks in Margie’s mind was of a woman, clearly well off by her dress, carrying a suitcase full of food.
Must make a note to get a scanned copy of the letter and get it posted online. That sort of primary material would be a really neat thing to share.