Jefferson Square Park

Jefferson Square Park sits on a hill in the Western Addition, but its most critical role in San Francisco history occurred in the immediate aftermath of the 1906 earthquake. When the city faced a massive housing crisis, the United States Army transformed this green space into a sprawling refugee camp. Between one thousand five hundred and two thousand people lived here in a mix of temporary tents and quickly constructed wooden shacks while the city began its long process of reconstruction. These makeshift homes remained in the park until October of 1907, turning this hilltop site into a vital, albeit temporary, survival hub for displaced residents.