President Theodore Roosevelt later visited the fountain on May 13 , 1903 and spoke to a large crowd using the monument as a backdrop . His speech was entitled " Expansion and Trade Development and Protection of the Countries Newly Acquired Possessions . " When originally erected in 1901 , it was the center of a fountain , but following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake , the basin was eliminated
1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Mechanics Monument