SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – There are conflicting death tolls from the 1925 earthquake.
Just about every source online states “13 deaths. However, Santa Barbara “Ambassador” historian, Neal Graffy, is adamant that the correct number is 11.
Graffy said during his research he started with roughly 60 names. Through misspellings and mistaken identifies, he was able to weed out and verify victims’ names through funeral home records and county coroner inquests. He also validated spellings through immigration records, World War I draft registrations and other official documents…