Lillie Hitchcock Coit

Born in West Point, New York, in 1843, she moved to California from West Point with her parents—Charles, an Army doctor, and Martha Hitchcock. Her father was successful and when he died he left a substantial inheritance. As a young woman, she traveled to Europe with her mother. After her return, she married Howard Coit, the "caller" of the San Francisco Stock Exchange during an economic boom. She was buried at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Colma. == Firefighting ==

Coit was fascinated by firefighters from a young age. At age 15, in 1858, she reportedly witnessed the Knickerbocker Engine Co. No. 5 respond to a fire call on Telegraph Hill when they were shorthanded, and helped them get up the hill ahead of other competing engine companies. Sources differ on whether this happened while she was coming home from school or coming from a rehearsal for a wedding. When volunteer firefighters were ill, she visited the sickbed, and when they died, Coit sent flowers and attended the funerals. She continued this relationship with firefighting throughout her life, and after her death her ashes were placed into a mausoleum with a variety of firefighting-related memorials. == Bequest ==

Coit left one-third of her estate to the City of San Francisco "to be expended in an appropriate manner for the purpose of adding to the beauty of the city which I have always loved". == See also ==