In 1900 , the Johnson family was living comfortably on Bush Street in San Francisco , California . Emory 's father owned a famous Turkish bathing house . The family lived in a fine house and had live-in servants . In 1906 , a catastrophic event changed everything - San Francisco earthquake . The quake caused many fires to break-out throughout the city . One fire destroyed Johnson 's bathhouse . The Johnson family survived the quake and resettled in nearby Alameda , California . In 1910 , Emory 's father supported the family by establishing the famous Piedmont baths
San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Emory Johnson