‘Earthquake Eleven’: Historian Corrects Santa Barbara’s 1925 Death Count
Beth Farnsworth
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — There are conflicting death tolls from the 1925 earthquake.Most sources online state there were “13 deaths.” However, Santa Barbara historian and local “Ambassador” Neal Graffy is adamant that the correct number is 11.
Graffy said his research began with roughly 60 names. Through identifying misspellings and mistaken identities, he was able to verify victims’ names using funeral home records and county coroner inquests. He also confirmed spellings through immigration records, World War I draft registrations, and other official documents.
“All together — as far as I know at this point — Santa Barbara earthquake deaths do total 13,” Graffy said. “One from 1812, 11 from 1925, and one from 1926. So, there’s our 13, but it’s not the 13 that people have been writing about.”
Graffy noted that, ironically, the one death in 1926 happened on the same date as the 1925 quake.
“We can also add to our Santa Barbara earthquake death list the young lad — he was three years old. He died exactly one year after the 1925 earthquake — June 29, 1926. We had an earthquake, and a brick fell from a chimney. So, that’s another death.”
He said he has written obituaries for all of the victims and even had headstones installed for four of the previously unmarked graves.
The longtime local historian is scheduled to give a talk on Friday, June 27, on the “Earthquake Eleven” at the Santa Barbara Mission Archive-Library.
Then, on Sunday, Graffy will read the list of the 11 names during the Santa Barbara Earthquake Centennial “Day of Remembrance” ceremony on Sunday.