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Cell-phone walking tour recounts 1906 earthquake's impact on SJ

By Mary Gottschalk

The hoopla over the centennial of the 1906 earthquake is fading, but for those who still find it interesting, History San Jose has launched a cell-phone walking tour.

It's a straightforward process, where a map is downloaded from the www.historysanjose.org website, and then walkers set off with cell phone in hand.

The tour starts at the new city hall, Santa Clara and Sixth streets, and continues on various downtown streets before ending at the Peralta Adobe and Fallon House Historic Site at W. St. John and N. San Pedro streets,

The number to call is 408.794.2828, and an introduction explaining the magnitude and effect of the quake is played when 100# is entered.

At each of the 13 sites on the tour, there is a poster indicating the stop number to enter, followed by a # sign.

For example, Hopkins & Carley on S. First Street is Stop 5. Walkers call the main number then enter 5# to learn about the Leitia Building that survived the quake and the Phelan Building across from it, which collapsed, killing a man and injuring his family.

The recordings are entertaining, while being educational.

One of the most fascinating is Stop 10 on E. Santa Clara Street. It was the site of the Unique Theatre, a four-story theater built in 1903 that collapsed completely.

Owner Sid Grauman left for Los Angeles, where he went on to build one of the most famous theaters in the world--Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

The walking tour is a pilot program by History San Jose and is being sponsored by Orchard Supply Hardware.

The walk is part of the museum's "It's Our Fault, Too: The 1906 Earthquake in the Santa Clara Valley" exhibit in progress at History Park, 1650 Senter Road, through Dec. 30. For more information, visit www.historysanjose.org or call 408.287.2290.