The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was one of the greatest disasters in U.S. history, but for Danish immigrant Soren N. Jacobsen it became an opportunity. The young cabinetmaker had arrived at Ellis Island in 1900 and worked his way west doing millwork and building houses before settling in Salt Lake City.
But realizing the need for rebuilding after the quake, Jacobsen left for San Francisco. He built a base of experience working as a foreman on projects like the Fairmont and Bellevue hotels before returning to Utah to found the company that still bears his name.