Fort Tejon Earthquake 1857

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Great Fort Tejon Earthquake, 1857

The Great Fort Tejon Earthquake of 1857 was one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded in the United States and left an incredible surface rupture scar more than 220 miles in length along the San Andreas fault. It is estimated to have had a Richter Scale magnitude of 7.9. Yet, despite the immense scale of this monster, only two people were reported killed by the effects of the quake. A woman at Reed's Ranch near Fort Tejon was killed by the collapse of an adobe house and an elderly man had fallen dead in the Los Angeles area. In 1857, Southern California was sparsely populated, especially in the areas most strongly shaken. This fact and good fortune kept loss of life to a minimum. The effects of the quake, however, were quite dramatic, even frightening. Were the Fort Tejon shock to occur today, the damage would easily run into the billions of dollars and the loss of life would probably be substantial. Some of the present day communities that lie upon or near the 1857 rupture area are Wrightwood, Palmdale, Frazier Park, and Taft.

Source: Southern California Earthquake Data Center

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