Interviewee: Catherine O’Caine Strittmatter (CS) Interviewer: Carla Ehat (CE) Date of Interview: November 11, 1976 For a full transcript of this interview, please click here. Catherine’s family moved from the Farallone Islands to Green Street in San Francisco only two months before the earthquake. She recounts their decision to flee the city for Fruitvale. Audio Clip from the Interview (1 minute 4 seconds)

Transcript of Audio Clip

CS: When the earthquake came, we went to sit on Nob Hill to watch the fires instead of minding our own business and staying home. And when we came home, the soldiers wouldn't let us in. We had nothing, and my father said to them, “Can’t we get some clothes?” And nothing at all, and here was all my Easter outfit. I thought that was a crime. And he said, “No,” so my father was going to force himself in and he took his bayonet out.

CE: He did? What happened?

CS: So my mother said, “It's not worth it. Let's go.”

CE: Where did you go then?

CS: We went down the hill. We didn't know where to go. My mother happened to have her purse, luckily, and when we got down to the bottom of the hill, this fire wagon came along and he said, “Where are you people going?” My mother said, “I don't know. I just don't know where we're going to go.” He said, “Have you any relatives across the bay?” And my mother had this friend that stood up for her that time, and she had a big home, so we went over there and we all went in the fire truck.

AK: Over to where?

CS: Down to the ferry building and then on the ferries. There wasn't a charge or anything to get over across the bay, and we went over to Fruitvale.


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