Interviewee: Lucia Sherman Gromme (LG) Interviewer: Carla Ehat (CE) Date of Interview: September 13, 1976 For a full transcript of this interview, please click here. Lucia recounts how Mrs. McAllister, of San Francisco, sought refuge with the Sherman family in Ross. Audio Clip from the Interview (2 minutes 21 seconds)

Transcript of Audio Clip

LG: My mother and sister and I had come to Ross the day before the earthquake to spend the summer. And we were settled in and, the morning of the earthquake -- it was early in the morning -- I was waked up by this rumbling and shaking and everything and all the ornaments on the mantelpiece were falling onto the tile hearth and smashing. And I was impressed by it. I was sleeping in a big bed with my mother, and I said, “Is this an earthquake?” and she said, “Yes.” And she was scared to death and, of course, I was too little to be scared and I just thought it was exciting. All I remember else about the earthquake is that the few days afterwards, I was standing on the lawn in front of the house and I saw Mrs. McAllister coming across the lawn pushing a baby carriage and that was extraordinary, because she belonged in San Francisco and she would never push a baby carriage herself anyway. But the strangest thing about it was that she was so dirty; she was just covered with grime. And the story was that the fire had started, you see, and she was trying to get out of the city and her husband had got her down to the ferry and she had gone on the ferry, and the littlest boy -- she had three boys -- and the littlest was in the baby carriage and the other two were walking along side her, yes? I was told this later, that she had put on both of her -- all her best blouses which were covered with embroidery.

CE: Underneath?

LG: Underneath her suit jacket. And so, she was a handsome woman and looked very dignified, as she always did, and, of course, there was smoke and cinders everywhere and she was filthy dirty.

CE: Why did she come to your home?

LG: Well that was a haven.

CE: It was a haven.

LG: It was the first place they could think of.


CONTACT: Laurie Thompson at ljthompson@co.marin.ca.us
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