As anyone who has been listening to the press recently knows, Today is the 100th anniversary of the 1906 earthquake.

The Chabot Observatory (which was at the time located in Lafayette Square Park) was one of the few locations in California with a seismograph and the record (see below) was included in the final report of the State Earthquake Investigation Commission. Chabot Director Charles Burkhalter was one of the scientists involved in the study of the earthquake as seen by the following letter from the Governor:

“To WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
The bearer, Professor A. C. Lawson, of the State University, together with Professor G. K. Gilbert of the United States Geological Survey, Professor Fielding Reid of Johns Hopkins University, Professor J. C. Branner of Stanford University, Professor A. O. Leuschner of the State University, Professor George Davidson of the State University, Professor Charles Burkhalter of the Chabot Observatory, and Professor William Wallace Campbell, Director of the Lick Observatory, are hereby constituted a Committee of Inquiry into the earthquake phenomena in all parts of the State of California, and the citizens of the State are hereby requested to coöperate with this committee in all possible ways, affording them all necessary information and access to the results of the earthquake disturbances.
(Signed) GEO. C. PARDEE,
Governor of California.
Dated Oakland, Cal., April 21, 1906.

This quote is from the preliminary report of the Commission which may be seen at:

http://www.sfmuseum.org/report/seiscom.html

This report marks the beginning of earthquake science.