A Petite Lil, for Petite Lil’s.
An honorary member of the Knickerbocker Engine Company No. 5, and the first woman in the US to be a firefighter squad member, Lillie Hitchcock Coit is one of my favorite and most bad ass ladies from SF’s history.
“Fire bell Lil” was a straight shooter, cigar smoking, gambling, thrill seeker. She advocated for city firefighters her entire life, proudly repping her No. 5 badge, and even stitching the number 5 into her underwear. She fought fires and donated her wealth to the beautification of San Francisco, leading to the construction of Coit Tower - now home to flocks of chatty green parrots. If Fire Bell Lil’s spirit is up in that tower, I’d like to think this is how she’s spending her time.
“Fire bell Lil” was a straight shooter, cigar smoking, gambling, thrill seeker. She advocated for city firefighters her entire life, proudly repping her No. 5 badge, and even stitching the number 5 into her underwear. She fought fires and donated her wealth to the beautification of San Francisco, leading to the construction of Coit Tower - now home to flocks of chatty green parrots. If Fire Bell Lil’s spirit is up in that tower, I’d like to think this is how she’s spending her time.
