Silver Twin Hydrant Hayes

For a few months, I kept seeing another Unilocaler (Steven B. of Castro fame) checking in at the Little Giant Golden Hydrant, down in The Mission. Didn’t pay much attention — thought it might be the name of a bar. This is actually a really cool piece of history relating to the 1906 Earthquake, and the devastating fire in the aftermath. The Little Giant is a fire hydrant that saved most of The Mission below 20^th Street because it pumped water that day.
As it turns out, there were two other notable hydrants that put on a good fight that day — They are known as the Silver Twins. This hydrant is on Hayes and Buchanan — the other is supposedly at Van Ness and Ellis, although it is not the original hydrant like the one at Hayes. If you notice all of the old, pre-​1906 buildings out in the Western Addition, you can thank this little guy. On the morning that the Earthquake struck, there was a kitchen fire that broke out by Hayes and Gough. Sure enough, because there was water from this hydrant, the neighborhood was saved.
Imagine no pre-​1906 buildings in Hayes Valley, Alamo Square, The Haight… Hard to believe that we owe as much of our history and our aesthetic to a few fire hydrants that functioned when almost all of the others didn’t. I think it’s well work a few moments if you’re walking by to reflect on the past — it’s always amazing to think of how much has happened in The City.
Practical note: Hayes Valley Market is right here, and it’s a solid place to grab a drink, snack, or a tasty sandwich.