antique water meter lid recovery

Those of y'all that saw this recent showing

https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/294244-a-few-new-bits-for-my-rust-garden

will already realize that I'm not at all afraid to drag home otherwise semi-random bits of what most other folks would just call "rusty scrap iron" without a second thought, ifn's I should happen to find it intriguing in any way. Such is true -- I guess my thought processes don't really always work the same way most other peoples' do...?? <lolol>

ANYWAYS. This most recent soon to be addition to my rust garden is kinda special. (maybe even for a few others than me, possibly?) After spending at least 3 decades that I know of (for fact) partially (but shallowly) buried upside down, I finally had an opportunity to officially get a screwdriver and pry just a little bit on one edge of the largest portion seen here to see if anything (a hole, etc) was still on its underside. NOPE -- not that, just a crusty rusty surface with grid marks and a letter or two cast into it. Another little tug and it was free, with the little bit of dirt it'd been under falling right back where it was -- the smaller part with the same fresher dirt/rust on it was also nearby just under the surface, and the 3rd little triangular portion I'd already found and picked up a couple weeks ago -- it had been at the actual surface thus it now has a smoother rusted appearance on the side that was up. Into the back of the truck the pieces went...today I had a moment to take a little wire brush to 'em a bit, and LOOK WHAT I FOUND...???!!!

This lid bears the name of the "ARKANSAW WATER CO." on its largest existing portion. Note particularly the spelling of our fair state's name with a **W** at its end. Beyond folklorish kinda history and all the Lil'Abner sorta stereotypes, I've NEVER seen that spelling actually used anywhere.

A quick look at Google revealed this very brief (but telling) bit of history quoted from the (now) Central Arkansas Water utility department's website:

" The Arkansaw Water Works Company owned the Little Rock system from 1910 to 1936, when the City of Little Rock, after securing a federal grant and loan, purchased facilities serving the south side of the river. "

http://www.waterworkshistory.us/AR/Little_Rock/

Given the particular location where these were unearthed, next to a ca.1880's home built on a lot that was then (reportedly) one of the original four corners of the City of Little Rock, I havta think this lid could easily date closer to the 1910 edge of that time frame...?

YUP...I thinks this just very well might be a particularly interesting acquisition for the garden... <lol>