| 1848 Enenezer NY bucket |
Each village of the Amana Colonies had its water works and fire engine. Every strong man was a member of the fire department. The water supply came from deep artesian wells, the one in Amana being 600 feet deep. The one in Homestead was 2100 feet deep, supplying water for all the village needs. Men would form long lines, fill the fire buckets with that water and pass them down the lines to put a fire out. Buckets were made of tough leather, tightly stitched by the harness makers or shoe makers and printed with black letters to identify its station. The bucket handle was rolled and sewn, very strong. There was a bucket by each stove so it was readily available in case of fire. Early buckets in American history were made of gourds or leather. This is a very necessary, well made object now seen as a rare art form. They have quite a heritage, age, and design...The Amana Heritage Museum owns the black one.
Photos by Renate and a KS clients friend
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| R.Hess photo |
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