▁built ▁the ▁western ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁trans cont inental ▁railway . ▁It ▁was ▁built ▁as ▁an ▁invest ment ▁for ▁Cro cker ' s ▁two ▁young ▁grand children , ▁Temple ton ▁Cro cker ▁and ▁Jen ny ▁Cro cker . ▁It ▁was ▁originally ▁meant ▁to ▁be ▁called ▁The ▁Cro cker ▁Hotel , ▁but ▁instead ▁it ▁took ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁earliest ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Gold ▁R ush ▁hot els , ▁the ▁St . ▁Francis . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁designed ▁by ▁Bl iss ▁and ▁F av ille ▁in ▁the ▁style ▁of ▁Chicago ▁architect ▁Louis ▁S ull ivan ▁in ▁Chicago , ▁with ▁a ▁relatively ▁bare ▁fac ade ▁for ▁San ▁Francisco . ▁The ▁hotel ▁opened ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 9 0 4 , ▁and , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁older ▁Palace ▁Hotel ▁on ▁Market ▁Street , ▁immediately ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁city ' s ▁most ▁pr estig ious ▁addresses . ▁▁ 1 9 0 6 ▁earth qu ake ▁▁ ▁The ▁San ▁Francisco ▁earth qu ake ▁of ▁ 1 9 0 6 ▁badly ▁fright ened ▁the ▁guests , ▁but ▁did ▁no ▁struct ural ▁damage ▁to ▁the ▁hotel . ▁John ▁Far ish , ▁a ▁min ing ▁engineer ▁stay ing ▁at ▁the ▁hotel , ▁described ▁the ▁experience : ▁" I ▁was ▁aw ak ened ▁by ▁a ▁loud ▁r umb ling ▁noise ▁which ▁could ▁be ▁compared ▁to ▁the ▁mixed ▁sound ▁of ▁a ▁strong ▁wind ▁r ushing ▁through ▁a ▁forest ▁and ▁the ▁breaking ▁of ▁waves ▁against ▁a ▁cl iff ... there ▁began ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁the ▁liv eli est