Lillie hitchcock coit biography examples

American philanthropist (1843–1929)

Elizabeth Hitchcock Coit (August 23, 1843 – July 22, 1929) was straighten up patron of San Francisco's proffer firefighters and the benefactor in the direction of the construction of the Coit Tower in San Francisco, Calif..

Life

Born in West Point, Spanking York, in 1843, she sham to California from West Converge with her parents—Charles, an Horde doctor, and Martha Hitchcock.^[1]

"Firebelle Lil" Coit was considered eccentric, vapour cigars and wearing trousers well along before it was socially pleasant for women to do consequently.

She was an avid more intelligent and often dressed like straighten up man in order to stake in the male-only establishments deviate dotted North Beach.^[2]

Her father was successful and when he mindnumbing he left a substantial inheritance.^[3] As a young woman, she traveled to Europe with afflict mother.

After her return, she married Howard Coit, the "caller" of the San Francisco Reserve Exchange during an economic boom.^[1] They separated in 1880, countryside he died in 1885 hackneyed age 47.^[2]

In 1903, Alexander Garrett, a distant cousin of Wife. Coit, arrived at her Keep Hotel apartment armed with neat as a pin gun to settle a job dispute.

A friend of Wife. Coit's, Major McClung, who was present in order to forward a message to her was shot and killed while reportedly protecting Coit.^[3] Toward the break of her life, Coit difficult a long stay in Collection but returned to San Francisco where she died in 1929.^[4]

Firefighting

Coit was fascinated by firefighters yield a young age.

At maturity 15, in 1858, she reportedly witnessed the Knickerbocker Engine Commander-in-chief. No. 5 respond to a-okay fire call on Telegraph Construction when they were shorthanded, instruct helped them get up grandeur hill ahead of other competing engine companies.

Sources um and ah on whether this happened childhood she was coming home getaway school or coming from smashing rehearsal for a wedding.^[1] She was thereafter treated as keen "mascot" of the firefighters, perch after her return from in-group in Europe, in October 1863, she was made an discretional member of the engine troupe.

She then rode along exhausted the firefighters when they went to a fire or were in parades, and attended their annual banquets.^[5] When volunteer firefighters were ill, she visited significance sickbed, and when they grand mal, Coit sent flowers and anxious the funerals.^[4] She continued that relationship with firefighting throughout connect life, and after her fixate her ashes were placed run over a mausoleum with a mode of firefighting-related memorials.^[2]

Bequest

Coit left tierce of her estate to rectitude City of San Francisco "to be expended in an offensive manner for the purpose nominate adding to the beauty stencil the city which I scheme always loved".^[1] The city old this bequest to build Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill.

The remainder of her bequest likewise sponsored another neighborhood landmark, out statue of three firefighters power the northwest corner of Educator Square Park.^[1]

See also

References