Born in Indian Territory, family lore had it that Bessie Lusson was the first non-native child born in what later became Oklahoma. She was born at Fort Washita, where her father was stationed as a young officer of the 2nd United States Dragoon Regiment. Native Americans came to the fort to pay their respects to the newborn and her parents, and gave her the name "Blossom" in the local language, as the prairies round about were covered with verbena flowers at that time of year. The native term for "Blossom" was forgotten - or too difficult to pronounce, perhaps - but Bessie was known as Blossom or "Bloss" within the family until the present day.
Bessie married Dr. Pierre/Pedro Lusson on April 18, 1864, in Philadelphia, the year of his graduation from the Medical School of the University of Pennsylvania. By 1870 the family was living with Bessie's parents in Philadelphia, perhaps in part to help them in their declining years.
n 1873 the Lussons moved from Philadelphia to California, where they settled permanently. They raised their three children Cornelia (Crux), Adele (Maynard) and George in San Jose, where Bessie was active in local society, Trinity Episcopal Church and the DAR. Both the Lusson daughters were confirmed and married at Trinity Church, and their younger brother George followed in his father's footsteps by attending a well-regarded boarding school - St. Matthew's Hall, an Episcopal military-style institution in San Mateo.
Bessie Lusson died of heart failure as a result of San Jose's 1903 earthquake, which destroyed part of the Louise Building where she and her husband were living.
-------
NEWS REPORT the day after the San Jose earthquake of 1903. From the San Francisco Call, Aug. 3, 1903, Volume 94, Number 64, Page 5.
DAMAGE DONE BY EARTHQUAKE
Heaviest Shock San Jose Has Known Since 1868
One Woman Dies of Heart Disease and Scare Is General.
Special Dispatch to The Call
SAN JOSE, Augt. 2.— The heaviest earthquake since 1863. if not in the history- of San Jose, occurred here to-night at 10:49 o'clock. Damage was done to some of the buildings and Mrs. Lusson, wife of Dr. P. M. Lusson, died of heart disease as a result. All of the lodging-houses and hotels were emptied and almost the entire population of San Jose deserted its homes for the streets.
At the Garden Theater there was a panic. People rushed for the streets, a score of women fainted and the actors and stage mechanics became ''rattled." The earthquake did most damage in the vicinity of Second and San Fernando streets. The towers and chimneys of the Louise building, the property of the Phelan estate, were wrecked and a great mass of bricks and mortar thrown to the street. Windows in the buildings were broken. It was in this building Mrs. Lusson resided, and her lifeless body was found on the bed. She had been a sufferer from heart disease and fright ended her life.
Large sandstone capping was shaken from the Native Sons' Hall at Third and San Fernando streets and also from the Richmond building on Second street. At the latter place a block of sandstone made a hole a foot deep in the sidewalk. Windows were broken in the business houses at various places about town, and plaster was shaken down. The crockery stores suffered severely. Guests of Hotel Vendome and the St. James rushed from their rooms to the street and many refused to retire again for some hours. A lodger In the Del Mar lodging-house fainted, and it was some time before he was resuscitated. The big electric tower stood the shock well and swayed, but little. A report is current that the Mayfield Hotel was wrecked.
In private residences bric-a-brac, crockery and plaster were smashed and some of the people report narrow escapes from falling articles. Lick Observatory reports the shock the heaviest in the history of the place. The indicator of the seismograph was dislodged and no record obtained. In San Jose the shock lasted from 20 to 30 seconds and was from east to west. The time of the shock, as given by Lick Observatory, was 10:49:24 o'clock.
Bessie married Dr. Pierre/Pedro Lusson on April 18, 1864, in Philadelphia, the year of his graduation from the Medical School of the University of Pennsylvania. By 1870 the family was living with Bessie's parents in Philadelphia, perhaps in part to help them in their declining years.
n 1873 the Lussons moved from Philadelphia to California, where they settled permanently. They raised their three children Cornelia (Crux), Adele (Maynard) and George in San Jose, where Bessie was active in local society, Trinity Episcopal Church and the DAR. Both the Lusson daughters were confirmed and married at Trinity Church, and their younger brother George followed in his father's footsteps by attending a well-regarded boarding school - St. Matthew's Hall, an Episcopal military-style institution in San Mateo.
Bessie Lusson died of heart failure as a result of San Jose's 1903 earthquake, which destroyed part of the Louise Building where she and her husband were living.
-------
NEWS REPORT the day after the San Jose earthquake of 1903. From the San Francisco Call, Aug. 3, 1903, Volume 94, Number 64, Page 5.
DAMAGE DONE BY EARTHQUAKE
Heaviest Shock San Jose Has Known Since 1868
One Woman Dies of Heart Disease and Scare Is General.
Special Dispatch to The Call
SAN JOSE, Augt. 2.— The heaviest earthquake since 1863. if not in the history- of San Jose, occurred here to-night at 10:49 o'clock. Damage was done to some of the buildings and Mrs. Lusson, wife of Dr. P. M. Lusson, died of heart disease as a result. All of the lodging-houses and hotels were emptied and almost the entire population of San Jose deserted its homes for the streets.
At the Garden Theater there was a panic. People rushed for the streets, a score of women fainted and the actors and stage mechanics became ''rattled." The earthquake did most damage in the vicinity of Second and San Fernando streets. The towers and chimneys of the Louise building, the property of the Phelan estate, were wrecked and a great mass of bricks and mortar thrown to the street. Windows in the buildings were broken. It was in this building Mrs. Lusson resided, and her lifeless body was found on the bed. She had been a sufferer from heart disease and fright ended her life.
Large sandstone capping was shaken from the Native Sons' Hall at Third and San Fernando streets and also from the Richmond building on Second street. At the latter place a block of sandstone made a hole a foot deep in the sidewalk. Windows were broken in the business houses at various places about town, and plaster was shaken down. The crockery stores suffered severely. Guests of Hotel Vendome and the St. James rushed from their rooms to the street and many refused to retire again for some hours. A lodger In the Del Mar lodging-house fainted, and it was some time before he was resuscitated. The big electric tower stood the shock well and swayed, but little. A report is current that the Mayfield Hotel was wrecked.
In private residences bric-a-brac, crockery and plaster were smashed and some of the people report narrow escapes from falling articles. Lick Observatory reports the shock the heaviest in the history of the place. The indicator of the seismograph was dislodged and no record obtained. In San Jose the shock lasted from 20 to 30 seconds and was from east to west. The time of the shock, as given by Lick Observatory, was 10:49:24 o'clock.
Born in Indian Territory, family lore had it that Bessie Lusson was the first non-native child born in what later became Oklahoma. She was born at Fort Washita, where her father was stationed as a young officer of the 2nd United States Dragoon Regiment. Native Americans came to the fort to pay their respects to the newborn and her parents, and gave her the name "Blossom" in the local language, as the prairies round about were covered with verbena flowers at that time of year. The native term for "Blossom" was forgotten - or too difficult to pronounce, perhaps - but Bessie was known as Blossom or "Bloss" within the family until the present day.
Bessie married Dr. Pierre/Pedro Lusson on April 18, 1864, in Philadelphia, the year of his graduation from the Medical School of the University of Pennsylvania. By 1870 the family was living with Bessie's parents in Philadelphia, perhaps in part to help them in their declining years.
n 1873 the Lussons moved from Philadelphia to California, where they settled permanently. They raised their three children Cornelia (Crux), Adele (Maynard) and George in San Jose, where Bessie was active in local society, Trinity Episcopal Church and the DAR. Both the Lusson daughters were confirmed and married at Trinity Church, and their younger brother George followed in his father's footsteps by attending a well-regarded boarding school - St. Matthew's Hall, an Episcopal military-style institution in San Mateo.
Bessie Lusson died of heart failure as a result of San Jose's 1903 earthquake, which destroyed part of the Louise Building where she and her husband were living.
-------
NEWS REPORT the day after the San Jose earthquake of 1903. From the San Francisco Call, Aug. 3, 1903, Volume 94, Number 64, Page 5.
DAMAGE DONE BY EARTHQUAKE
Heaviest Shock San Jose Has Known Since 1868
One Woman Dies of Heart Disease and Scare Is General.
Special Dispatch to The Call
SAN JOSE, Augt. 2.— The heaviest earthquake since 1863. if not in the history- of San Jose, occurred here to-night at 10:49 o'clock. Damage was done to some of the buildings and Mrs. Lusson, wife of Dr. P. M. Lusson, died of heart disease as a result. All of the lodging-houses and hotels were emptied and almost the entire population of San Jose deserted its homes for the streets.
At the Garden Theater there was a panic. People rushed for the streets, a score of women fainted and the actors and stage mechanics became ''rattled." The earthquake did most damage in the vicinity of Second and San Fernando streets. The towers and chimneys of the Louise building, the property of the Phelan estate, were wrecked and a great mass of bricks and mortar thrown to the street. Windows in the buildings were broken. It was in this building Mrs. Lusson resided, and her lifeless body was found on the bed. She had been a sufferer from heart disease and fright ended her life.
Large sandstone capping was shaken from the Native Sons' Hall at Third and San Fernando streets and also from the Richmond building on Second street. At the latter place a block of sandstone made a hole a foot deep in the sidewalk. Windows were broken in the business houses at various places about town, and plaster was shaken down. The crockery stores suffered severely. Guests of Hotel Vendome and the St. James rushed from their rooms to the street and many refused to retire again for some hours. A lodger In the Del Mar lodging-house fainted, and it was some time before he was resuscitated. The big electric tower stood the shock well and swayed, but little. A report is current that the Mayfield Hotel was wrecked.
In private residences bric-a-brac, crockery and plaster were smashed and some of the people report narrow escapes from falling articles. Lick Observatory reports the shock the heaviest in the history of the place. The indicator of the seismograph was dislodged and no record obtained. In San Jose the shock lasted from 20 to 30 seconds and was from east to west. The time of the shock, as given by Lick Observatory, was 10:49:24 o'clock.
Bessie married Dr. Pierre/Pedro Lusson on April 18, 1864, in Philadelphia, the year of his graduation from the Medical School of the University of Pennsylvania. By 1870 the family was living with Bessie's parents in Philadelphia, perhaps in part to help them in their declining years.
n 1873 the Lussons moved from Philadelphia to California, where they settled permanently. They raised their three children Cornelia (Crux), Adele (Maynard) and George in San Jose, where Bessie was active in local society, Trinity Episcopal Church and the DAR. Both the Lusson daughters were confirmed and married at Trinity Church, and their younger brother George followed in his father's footsteps by attending a well-regarded boarding school - St. Matthew's Hall, an Episcopal military-style institution in San Mateo.
Bessie Lusson died of heart failure as a result of San Jose's 1903 earthquake, which destroyed part of the Louise Building where she and her husband were living.
-------
NEWS REPORT the day after the San Jose earthquake of 1903. From the San Francisco Call, Aug. 3, 1903, Volume 94, Number 64, Page 5.
DAMAGE DONE BY EARTHQUAKE
Heaviest Shock San Jose Has Known Since 1868
One Woman Dies of Heart Disease and Scare Is General.
Special Dispatch to The Call
SAN JOSE, Augt. 2.— The heaviest earthquake since 1863. if not in the history- of San Jose, occurred here to-night at 10:49 o'clock. Damage was done to some of the buildings and Mrs. Lusson, wife of Dr. P. M. Lusson, died of heart disease as a result. All of the lodging-houses and hotels were emptied and almost the entire population of San Jose deserted its homes for the streets.
At the Garden Theater there was a panic. People rushed for the streets, a score of women fainted and the actors and stage mechanics became ''rattled." The earthquake did most damage in the vicinity of Second and San Fernando streets. The towers and chimneys of the Louise building, the property of the Phelan estate, were wrecked and a great mass of bricks and mortar thrown to the street. Windows in the buildings were broken. It was in this building Mrs. Lusson resided, and her lifeless body was found on the bed. She had been a sufferer from heart disease and fright ended her life.
Large sandstone capping was shaken from the Native Sons' Hall at Third and San Fernando streets and also from the Richmond building on Second street. At the latter place a block of sandstone made a hole a foot deep in the sidewalk. Windows were broken in the business houses at various places about town, and plaster was shaken down. The crockery stores suffered severely. Guests of Hotel Vendome and the St. James rushed from their rooms to the street and many refused to retire again for some hours. A lodger In the Del Mar lodging-house fainted, and it was some time before he was resuscitated. The big electric tower stood the shock well and swayed, but little. A report is current that the Mayfield Hotel was wrecked.
In private residences bric-a-brac, crockery and plaster were smashed and some of the people report narrow escapes from falling articles. Lick Observatory reports the shock the heaviest in the history of the place. The indicator of the seismograph was dislodged and no record obtained. In San Jose the shock lasted from 20 to 30 seconds and was from east to west. The time of the shock, as given by Lick Observatory, was 10:49:24 o'clock.
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