Denny Hill, which stood north of Seattle's downtown was thought to block the city's growth. The steep hill was removed in two stages between the 1890s and the 1930s, and the land was regraded. This house jack was used during the second Denny regrade in 1929. William T. McLachlan moved his family from Canada to the San Juan Islands in 1878, then on to Seattle in 1882. He started a business moving houses along 1st Avenue during the first Denny regrade. The firm became McLachlan & Son in 1898 when his son Thomas joined him in the business.