TEHACHAPI, Calif. (KERO) — 71 years ago, the dust settled from a 7.3 magnitude earthquake that devastated the town of Tehachapi.
The earthquake caused mass destruction in the town and left 12 people dead, including nine children. In addition to those killed, 18 people were injured and there was an estimated $50 million in damage.
The Tehachapi Heritage Museum has numerous artifacts, pictures, and stories preserved from the quake, which was the fifth largest in California history.
The temblor erupted along the White Wolf Fault Line, causing the quake, at 4:52 a.m. on July 21, 1952. It would be one month later that a 5.8 magnitude aftershock devastated Downtown Bakersfield.
