Video commemorating 70th anniversary of Tehachapi earthquake in production | News

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TEHACHAPI — The year was 1952, the day was Monday, July 21. At 4:52 am, the second largest earthquake to hit California up until that time struck the sleeping town of Tehachapi, registering 7.7 on the Richter scale.

With heavy damage and 12 dead, the 2,000 residents were cut off from outside help for many hours. They dug themselves out and treated the many injured on the front lawn of the small, heavily damaged Tehachapi Hospital. The present Tehachapi Boulevard corridor, known then as US Route 466 and running the length of the town, was destroyed, toppling the two railroad water tanks and shearing off walls of multistoried buildings and the Juanita Hotel.

As the 70th anniversary of that day approaches, the Tehachapi Museum, under the direction of Charles White, is documenting the earthquake in a video to be presented at the museum.

“The museum has been collecting material for years in the form of still photos, newsreel footage and personal interviews from the residents that were living here at the time,” White said. “The museum hired local resident, producer/director Thom Mills and his Los Angeles-based film company Trispect Films to produce a 10- to 12-minute documentary for viewing at the museum. We plan to premier the video sometime in July and may include a lecture series as well.”

Mills and his team researched the material collected by the museum and wrote a script telling of the quake.

“In addition to interviewing local survivors from that ill-fated morning, we are incorporating many still photos taken by residents that morning,” Mills said. We will also be recreating some dramatic scenes using the talents of local residents as actors. This, added with narration and music, will tell what happened the morning of July 21 in Tehachapi 70 years ago.”

Filming took place at various sites in the city over two days this week.

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