The earthquake became associated with the fort by name because the area near the epicenter was sparsely populated. It ruptured the southern part of the San Andreas Fault for a length of about 225 miles (350 kilometers), between Parkfield and Wrightwood. However, it is uncertain whether the potential for the 3 to 7 meters of slip that apparently occurred along the Cholame section in 1857 has been recovered by crustal straining along the fault since then.
Surface rupture originated northwest of Parkfield in Monterey County and propagated southeastward for over 360 km (225 miles) along the San Andreas Fault to …
Fort Tejon USGS reported four earthquakes near Petrolia between 2:18 p.m. and 4:05 p.m. The great earthquake of 1857, which became known as the Fort Tejon earthquake, was centered nearly 100 miles away. Fort Tejon, in fact, was not the epicenter, nor was it even near the epicenter of the earthquake. The Fort Tejon earthquake occurred at about 8:20 AM (Pacific time) on January 9, 1857. Three additional earthquakes hit between 4:30 p.m. and 5:38 p.m. Saturday in the same area, registering magnitudes between 2.9 and 3.6, USGS reported. The epicenter of the Tejon quake is not known with certainty, but some suggest is was at Fort Tejon, near the middle of the surface rupture where the reported shaking was strongest. One of the largest recorded earthquakes in the United States, with an estimated moment magnitude of 7.9, it ruptured the southern part of the San Andreas Fault for a length of about 225 miles, between Parkfield and Wrightwood.
The interiors may be viewed through the wire fencing.The dining room inside the commanding officer's quarters.The roof of the commanding officer's quarters receiving new shingles, showing the detail of roof construction.Model of Dragoon in the barracks.One of the several uniform displays in the barracks.The restored commanding officer's quarters.View of the barracks from the front porch of the commanding officer's quarters.
The most reliable report of the event was issued from the fort, nearly 93 miles (149.7 km) distant. The epicenter of the 1857 event was not at Fort Tejon but rather about sixty miles farther north but, because Fort Tejon was a well-known place in a thinly populated area, the earthquake was named after it. The earthquake itself caused one fatality, evidence of the low density of population. The fort's location protected the San Joaquin Valley from Barracks interior showing soldiers' quarters.Wolf rug in the adults' bedroom on the second floor of the commanding officer's quarters.Bedroom for the children and servant on the second floor of the commanding officer's quarters.Officers' quarters.
Here are other major quakes over magnitude 7.0 according to the California Department of Conservation: 7.9 - Jan. 9, 1857 Fort Tejon 2 killed, 220-mile surface scar Because foreshocks generally occur near the epicenter of the ensuing larger main shock.