One Hundred Years and Still Strong
At the corner of 20th and Church Streets in San Francisco stands a lone fire hydrant that has been painted gold. It's nondescript other than that. Many walk by this hydrant on a daily basis without acknowledging its presence.
The story has it that this lone fire hydrant helped save the city.
When the earthquake struck the city on 5:12 am on April 18th, 1906 it caused enormous damage. It also ruptured the water mains that fed the city from the peninsula reservoirs. As the San Francisco Fire Department scrambled to find a hydrant that worked, the Mission District and the rest of the city burned.
Finally, a lone hydrant was found that was able to pump water. As the plaque above shows, it saved the Mission and Noe Valley Districts.
It's not the sole, inanimate hero of the Great Earthquake. The army's hastily assembled fire breaks and the winds both helped save the city that many consider to be the best in the world.
For those of you who live in San Francisco, be grateful for this little fire hydrant. Stop by and say "hi" every once in a while. If it wasn't for that little guy, then you'd most likely still be living in the suburban sprawl that you grew up in.
If you haven't visited this city yet, make some time in your life to stop by. Say "hi" to the fire hydrant that sits like a sentinel, watching over the city it once helped save.
