Booth (Charles L.) earthquake refugee camp letter book, 1906-1907

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Summary

Title:
Charles L. Booth earthquake refugee camp letter book
Dates:
1906-1907
Creators:
Booth, Charles Lawrence, 1876-1953.
Abstract:
Extent:
1 volume
Language:
Preferred citation:

Charles L. Booth earthquake refugee camp letter book. San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco History Center

Background

Scope and content:

Letters, hand copied, from Camp No. 7, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, May 18, 1906 to June 27, 1906, signed by Edward F. Geddings, Capt. Asst. Surgeon, US Army Camp Surgeon. Letters, June 28, 1906 to July 1, 1906, signed by C. A. Morris, Civilian Physician in charge of Camp No. 7. Letters to Adjutant Permanent Camps, San Francisco. Correspondence to and from Dr. C. L. Booth, Camp Commander, June 19, 1906 to October 28, 1907, the bulk addressed from Hdqrs. Camp 23 Precita Av. and Folsom St. (July 15, 1906-Sept. 27, 1907) to Executive officer, Gough and Geary Sts. (Camp, Food and Warehouse Dept. of San Francisco Relief and Red Cross Funds) and to Auditor at same office. On August 1, 1906, the care of the camps passed from the Army to the civilian San Francisco Relief and Red Cross Funds, a corporation, specifically to its Department of Camps and Warehouses. Volume includes rent rolls for Camp 23, lists of cottages removed from the camp, and a notice from Department of Public Health. The volume comprises 241 numbered pages; pages 67-90 have been torn from volume. A portrait photograph is pasted on page 60; one sheet of Reconstruction Postal Cards, published by San Francisco Sunday Examiner is laid in; Oct. 31, 1850 issue of Christian Repository (Montpelier, Vermont) laid in.

Biographical / historical:

Charles Lawrence Booth was born in Montana, the son of Colonel Charles Austin Booth, U.S.A. of Vergennes, Vermont. C. L. Booth graduated from the Baltimore (Maryland) School of Medicine in 1898. He then spent several months working in military hospitals. In 1904 he was working as a physician in Los Angeles, and in the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire became refugee camp commander in Golden Gate Park and later at Precita Park. By 1910 he was practicing in Milwaukee, and by 1918 had moved to Spartanburg, SC, working as acting Assistant Surgeon for the U.S. Public Health Service. He remained there until his death in 1953.

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid created by San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco History Center staff.
Date Prepared:
1906-1907
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using Record Express for OAC5 on July 14, 2025, 2:54 p.m.

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is available for use during San Francisco History Center hours.

Terms of access:

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the City Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the San Francisco Public Library as the owner of the physical items.

Preferred citation:

Charles L. Booth earthquake refugee camp letter book. San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco History Center

Location of this collection:
San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102, US
Contact:
(415) 557-4567
sfhistory@sfpl.org
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