San Francisco: Into the Fire, 1900-1909 [Decades Series]

Episode from KRON-TV's Decades series made in 1999 which uses original news footage and contemporary interviews to reflect on Bay Area history from 1900-1909, including issues relating to: an outbreak of bubonic plague in Chinatown; the United Railroad workers strike of 1901 (which expanded to include many other workers); the flourishing and investigation of institutional corruption; the visit of President Theodore Roosevelt in May 1903; construction of the St. Francis Hotel in 1904 (there was a telephone in every room); Amadeo Giannini's founding of the Bank of Italy in 1904 (which eventually became the Bank of America); the cataclysmic April 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire; racial segregation in schools; the Japanese American experience in San Francisco; architect Julia Morgan's rebuilding of the Fairmont Hotel, which opened in 1907 and the Portola Festival of 1909, celebrating San Francisco's recovery from the calamity of 1906. Also features interviews with: Daniel Bacon; Gray Brechin; Professor Guenter Risse; Charles Fracchia; Deanna Paoli Gumina; Malcolm E. Barker; Gladys Hansen; Howard Mutz; Karin Breuer; William Issel; Marion Cowen (1906 earthquake survivor) and Professor Yuji Ichioka. This program was produced and written by Ken Swartz, narrated by Will Lyman and edited by Andres Alegria. This Emmy Award winning series from Executive Producer Jim Swanson traced the rich history of San Francisco throughout the Twentieth Century. Opening graphic designed by Carrie Hawks.