Following the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake of 1906, San Francisco was ablaze. A tally made months later estimated that 28,000 buildings were destroyed in the quake and subsequent fires, and more than 3,000 people were killed. In fact the fires that ravaged the city in the days after the quake eventually caused more damage than the quake itself. When all told 80% of the buildings in San Francisco were destroyed, there was $400 million in property damage (more than $8 billion in today’s dollars), and 225,000-plus of The City’s 400,000 residents were left homeless.
The fires not only damaged buildings, but they also caused gas lines to explode and watermains to break. Without water feeding the city's hydrants there was no way to stop the fires. When the fires reached the Mission District there seemed to be no hope of stopping it and the Mission was sure to be lost. That is until they found that there was one fire hydrant at the corner of 20th & Church that magically still had water. Being up a hill the horse drawn fire engines had trouble reaching it, so the residents of the Mission got together and helped haul the engines up the hill to be filled so they could return to fight the blaze in the flats below.
This fire hydrant was given the name, Little Giant and it was credited with having saved the Mission. Today the hydrant is painted gold and stands proud above the Mission. Every year on the anniversary of the fire it gets a fresh coat of gold paint to continue to honor the important role it played in saving part of San Francisco.
This is not a hugely popular corner however it can be busy, so keep an eye out for muggles. ALSO, San Francisco is known for snatch and grab crime. Be cautious when there, especially if you have a camera to take a shot of the incredible view.
ATTENTION: Do not go on the other side of the fence next to the tram tracks. The cache is not over there and it is dangerous. Plus, you could be harrased by the police and given a trespassing violation.
HOT TIP: You do not need one because the cache is camouflaged in plain sight, but if you go at night, a blacklight will make the cache shine like a light bulb.