The new mascot

Lillie Hitchcock Coit was no ordinary lady of the 19th century. Born in 1843, she lit cigars with flair, sipped bourbon without apology, and wore trousers at a time when doing so could get a woman arrested. But her most daring trait? She lived boldly and unapologetically on her own terms.

As a teenager in post–Gold Rush San Francisco, Lillie fell in love—with the fire department. After being rescued from a burning building, she became a loyal fan of Engine Company No. 5. One day, at just 15 years old, she saw firemen struggling to haul their engine up Telegraph Hill—and leapt in to help. That single act of gutsy kindness earned her their admiration for life. From then on, she became their honorary mascot, riding in parades, attending banquets, and standing as their fiercest advocate until her final days.

When Lillie died in 1929, she gave San Francisco one last gift: a third of her fortune, left behind to beautify the city she loved. From that legacy rose an icon—Coit Tower, built atop Telegraph Hill in 1933. It stands today like a stone flame—part tribute to firefighters, part monument to a woman who burned with unstoppable spirit.

She didn’t just break the rules—she rewrote what it meant to love a city with your whole, wild heart.

#FirefighterLegacy #CoitTower
~The Two Pennies