M. Greenberg's Sons

M. Greenburg's Sons - San Francisco, CA

Morris Greenberg was the inventor of the "California" wet barrel fire hydrant. Learn more about Greenberg fire hydrants by visiting the following link : http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist8/greenberg.html

Click to see the cover of a 1920s Greenberg hydrant catalog.

Except as noted, restored hydrants are from the Willis Lamm Collection. Locations indicated are where the hydrants were originally in service.

Early "California" Hydrants
Click pictures for closeups

The first "California" hydrants were short. Often they were installed in areas where houses had no plumbing, so many had threaded connections on the bonnets to which "street washers" (valves where people could fill buckets) were attached.

FHO# 0617
Model: 71
Date: 1907
Location: Oakland, CA
Photo: © 2000, Willis Lamm

FHO# 0617b
View: Street Washer Tap
Date: 1907
Location: Oakland, CA
Photo: © 2000, Willis Lamm

FHO# 0543
Model: 72
Date: 1905
Location: Oakland, CA
Photo: © 2000, Willis Lamm

Early Improvements
Click pictures for closeups

Around the turn of the century some improvements were made. Hydrants became taller which made it easier to turn spanners on the valve stems. "Horse balls" were installed whereupon the engine driver could tie off his fire horses at a hydrant a safe distance from the fire after unhitching them from the steamer engine. FHO# 0585
Model: 73
Date: 1907
Location: Concord, CA
Photo: © 2000, Willis Lamm

FHO# 0525
Model: SFFD 74 (horse ball)
Date: ca.1900
Location: San Francisco, CA
Photo: © 2000, Luis da Silva

FHO# 0514
Model: 74
Date: 1910
Location: Pittsburg, CA
Photo: © 2000, Willis Lamm

FHO# 0524
Model: SFFD 74
Date: 1911s
Location: San Francisco, CA
Photo: © 2000, Willis Lamm

FHO# 0528
Model: SFFD 74
Date: 1920s
Location: San Francisco, CA
Photo: © 2000, Willis Lamm

Greenberg started producing "steamer" port hydrants in the late 1800s. The first series of these hydrants was patterned after the Model 72, a short two outlet hydrant. The operating nut for the steamer outlet was only 9" above the base flange so these hydrants had to be mounted on extensions so that spanners could turn completely around. Later models had the lowest operating nut at least 12 inches above the flange. FHO# 0583
Model:75 (early version)
Date: 1907
Location: Richmond, CA
Photo: © 2001, Willis Lamm

FHO# 0645
Model: LA 75
Date: 1910
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Photo: © 2000, Willis Lamm

FHO# 0628
Model: Bakersfield 75
Date: 1928
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Photo: © 2001, Willis Lamm

FHO# 0657
Model: Bakersfield 75
Date: 1937
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Photo: © 2001, Willis Lamm

Closeup of Stem Protector

Continue to Part 2

Back to Hydrant Pictures

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FHO# 0514 Model: 74 Date: 1910 Location: Pittsburg, CA Photo: © 2000, Willis Lamm	FHO# 0524 Model: SFFD 74 Date: 1911s Location: San Francisco, CA Photo: © 2000, Willis Lamm	FHO# 0528 Model: SFFD 74 Date: 1920s Location: San Francisco, CA Photo: © 2000, Willis Lamm
Greenberg started producing "steamer" port hydrants in the late 1800s. The first series of these hydrants was patterned after the Model 72, a short two outlet hydrant. The operating nut for the steamer outlet was only 9" above the base flange so these hydrants had to be mounted on extensions so that spanners could turn completely around. Later models had the lowest operating nut at least 12 inches above the flange.		FHO# 0583 Model:75 (early version) Date: 1907 Location: Richmond, CA Photo: © 2001, Willis Lamm
FHO# 0645 Model: LA 75 Date: 1910 Location: Los Angeles, CA Photo: © 2000, Willis Lamm	FHO# 0628 Model: Bakersfield 75 Date: 1928 Location: Bakersfield, CA Photo: © 2001, Willis Lamm	FHO# 0657 Model: Bakersfield 75 Date: 1937 Location: Bakersfield, CA Photo: © 2001, Willis Lamm Closeup of Stem Protector