my new antique FIRE HYDRANT!!

Here's one of the unexpected prizes from my recent trip to Ohio -- I knew I was picking up some fun stuff, but didn't know this one would be one of them until I got there... (but I'm good with that...?!!) It is going to make a WONDERFUL addition to my front-yard 'rust garden', as soon as I decide exactly where I want to put it there. (so's I won't have to *move it* any more than I have to?!!!)

It is exactly what it looks like -- that being, of course, several hundred pounds of cast iron and brass shaped as a fireplug. It served and came from Columbus, Ohio and still bears their yellow/blue color scheme. (along with plenty of evidence of older coats of paint and colors) I was told it is roughly 112 yrs old (I think) and was made by a now long non-existent foundry there (something like Bourbon Brass?) whose name is cast around its top, though now difficult to make out due to being under so much paint. One of its most unique characteristics is apparently the way its front outlet is constructed and bolted on, there were different configurations of this part also made that included a pair of outlets (plus valving, presumably) instead of the single one here, which also apparently is the now rarer of the two designs.

I'll soon be re-checking with my friend who I got it from, to make sure I get its history *written down* as complete and accurately as possible, and will update this showing with more detail after then. :-) :-) :-)

----------------------EDIT, for precise further detail---------------------

This just in from my collector friend about this hydrant!! It was made by a company called Bourbon Copper and Brass, in Cincinnati for the City of Dayton. The yellow and blue paint is standard on Dayton hydrants. Any Bourbon hydrant with the the bonnet top with only two bolts is 1912 or earlier, yours is likely 1890-1910’s. You can read more about the company and see some of the other hydrants they made here:

http://www.firehydrant.org/pictures/bourb01.html