November 03, 2014

Coit Tower -- finally lit up in orange


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photo by Donald Kinney

Coit Tower had recently been lit up in red--I am assuming in recognition of our poopy-and-good-for-nothing 49ers (football team), but now that our San Francisco Giants (baseball) has won the 2014 World Series, Coit Tower is finally illuminated in the Giants predominate color; orange.

Courtesy of Wikipedia here is the story of Lillie Coit:
Lillie Hitchcock Coit donated money, and a tower on Telegraph Hill was built. Many locals were outraged, suggesting it looked like a penis.

'Firebelle Lil' Coit [b. 1843] was considered eccentric, smoking cigars and wearing trousers. She was an avid gambler and often dressed like a man in order to gamble in the male-only establishments that dotted North Beach. Lillie Hitchcock married Howard Coit, the "caller" of the San Francisco Stock Exchange but they separated in 1880, and he died in 1885 at age 47.



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

Lillie was fascinated by firefighters from a young age. At age 15, in 1858, she reportedly witnessed the Knickerbocker Engine Co. No. 5 respond to a fire call on Telegraph Hill when they were shorthanded, and helped them get up the hill ahead of other competing engine companies. She was thereafter treated as a "mascot" of the firefighters, and after her return from travel in Europe, in October 1863, she was made an honorary member of the engine company. She then rode along with the firefighters when they went to a fire or were in parades, and attended their annual banquets. She continued this relationship with firefighting throughout her life.



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

Coit died in 1929, leaving a substantial bequest. The funds were used to build both the 210 foot tall tower and a monument in Washington Square to honor Coit’s beloved volunteer firefighters. The tower was designed by the firm of Arthur Brown, Jr., architect of San Francisco’s City Hall. Contrary to popular belief, Coit Tower was not intended to resemble a firehouse nozzle [or a penis].   source of this paragraph: S.F. Recreation and Parks




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