Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Hicks Engine

Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, October 7, 2023

1. Hicks Engine Marker

Updated Marker

Inscription. The Hicks eight-horsepower engine was the most popular power source for San Francisco's "Monterey" fishing boats. Its simple design made for economy, reliability, and ease of maintenance.
The Bay Area led the nation in production of heavy duty four-stroke marine gas engines. James L. Hicks, one of two dozen local manufacturers, built his first engine in 1910. The early availability of gasoline engines led to new designs in powered fishing boats and small tugs.
The Hicks engine was hand-started by spinning the flywheel. The spark was generated by a mechanically driven "make and break" igniter instead of a spark plug and distributor.

BASIC FACTS:
Builder: Hicks Engine Sales Company
Date of Construction: circa 1925
Engine Type: Four Stroke Cycle, gasoline (or distillate)
Output: Approximately 8 horsepower at 350 RPM
Displacement: 7-1/2" stroke by 6-1/2" bore (799 cc)
Cooling System: Direct saltwater

Erected by U.S. Department of the Interior. National Park Service, San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1924.

Location. 37° 48.605′ N, 122° 25.359′ W. Marker is in

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San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in Fisherman's Wharf. Marker can be reached from Hyde Street near Jefferson Street, on the left when traveling north. The Hicks engine, part of the San Francisco Maritime Nation Historical Park, is located on the Hyde Street Pier at the bottom of Hyde Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2950 Hyde Street, San Francisco CA 94109, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Felucca Nuovo Mondo (a few steps from this marker); The Main Fiferail... (a few steps from this marker); Steering the Ship... (a few steps from this marker); Scow Schooner Alma (a few steps from this marker); The Carpenter Shop... (within shouting distance of this marker); Balclutha (within shouting distance of this marker); The Deckhouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Workin' on the Railroad (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Francisco.

More about this marker. Inset Images:
Assembling engines at the Hicks Gas Engine Works machine shop (main image); a Hicks steam engine (top); a Hicks family member at a catalog shoot (above).

Also see . . .
1. Hicks Engine Works - Social Network and Archival Context. By 1910, Hicks Engine Works
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 4, 2017

2. Hicks Engine Marker
Captions: (main photo) Interior of the Hicks Work on Howard Street in San Francisco, about 1915.; (engine diagram) 1. Intake/Exhaust valves, 2. Igniter (provides spark, 3. Forward/Reverse lever, 4. Carburetor, 5. Oiler.
was a notable part of the drive to produce and manufacture gasoline engines in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Hicks 8-h.p. single cylinder four-stroke engine was popular with fishermen, particularly along Fishermen's Wharf in San Francisco where it was installed in most Monterey fishing boats. (Submitted on March 8, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

2. Antique Marine Gas Engine - 1913 Hicks 6HP - YouTube. Video of an operational Hicks engine. (Submitted on March 8, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

3. Hicks Marine Engine Archival Collection - National Park Service. Say the words "potato, potato, potato" and you will hear the sound and rhythm of a Hicks marine engine circa 1910 through 1950. ...the gasoline engine used most often during the first half of the 20th century in Monterey fishing boats along San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, the West Coast and Pacific Basin.
Location, location, location - San Francisco was an epicenter of gasoline engine manufacturing and production because of its proximity to the developing West Coast. In the first half of the 20th century, California was home to more than two dozen engine builders including Hicks Iron Works in San Francisco (Grayson, 1994). (Submitted on March 8, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, October 7, 2023

3. Hicks Engine Marker

In front of the covered engine.

Hicks Engine (covered) and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 4, 2017

4. Hicks Engine (covered) and Marker

Hicks Engine image. Click for full size.

Photographed By National Park Service

5. Hicks Engine

Credits. This page was last revised on October 8, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 8, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 585 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on October 8, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. 2. submitted on March 8, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. 3. submitted on October 8, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. 4, 5. submitted on March 8, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.