Earthquake in Southern California: A Historical Account

 In his official report, Lt. Col. E.F. Beale describes the earthquake's impact on Fort Tejon: "at about six o'clock this morning, the shocks of an earthquake commenced and have continued with more or less violence, at intervals of five or six minutes, up to this time. The destruction to property, both public and private, has been immense. Many of the buildings at this Post have been so injured as to be totally uninhabitable."

The earthquake occurred after a range of times between previous earthquakes, with the last six earthquakes rupturing the San Andreas fault in the Carrizo Plain having an average time interval of 88 ± 41 years. 

Although the 1872 Lone Pine earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.8, caused more casualties and destruction of property, the 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake remains the strongest earthquake historically recorded in Southern California.

You may also like to Read,

10 Reasons for Earthquakes in Southern California: Exploring the Geologic Factors