But many San Franciscans left the city permanently. Oakland’s population doubled to 150,000 between 1900 and 1910, spurred by the earthquake and developers Francis “Borax” Smith and Frank Havens. There was also a big jump in population in Marin and on the Peninsula.
All these new suburbs, however, were stained by the racism of the time. The promoters of the new Rockridge Tract in Oakland distributed a leaflet that said, “It is probably unnecessary even to mention that no one of African or Mongolian descent will ever be allowed to own a lot in Rockridge or even rent any house that may be built there.”
— “The Great Quake: 1906-2006 Rising from the ashes”, San Francisco Chronicle; April 18, 2006
