In his late teens-early twenties , Joel fell seriously ill with skin and glandular tuberculosis , and underwent extensive treatment in Stockholm . In October 1902 , when nearly 23 , Joel and his brother Paul Elias Hägglund ( 1877-1955 ) emigrated to the United States . Hill became an itinerant laborer , moving from New York City to Cleveland , Ohio , and eventually to the west coast . He was in San Francisco , California , at the time of the 1906 earthquake
1906 earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Joe Hill