(Ryan Gessner/Flickr)
The Golden Fire Hydrant That Saved the Mission in the Aftermath of the 1906 'Quake
18 April 2018
(Ryan Gessner/Flickr)
Ultimately, 80 percent of the city was destroyed and more than 3,000 people lost their lives. But among the tragic stories there is one especially heartwarming tale: the legend of the Golden Hydrant.
As fires raged throughout the city, the Mission was in serious peril. All the fire hydrants were running dry and firefighters, along with the horse-drawn engines they used, were exhausted. Desperate residents came together at what is now Dolores Park to check the last single fire hydrant left in their neighborhood for water. Miraculously, the hydrant at the top of the park (at Church and 20th streets) was still functioning, and hundreds of people pulled fire engines up the Dolores hill to access this last fire hydrant when the engines' horses couldn't make it. After a seven-hour battle against the blaze, the people of the Mission and a few firefighters saved the neighborhood from total destruction.
In honor of their epic fight, the fire hydrant was painted gold. Every year on the anniversary of the earthquake, the hydrant receives a fresh coat of paint from the Fire Chief and local residents at 5:12 a.m. (the exact time of earthquake hit).
This article was originally published by 7x7 in 2014.