Fire Bucket, 1803

01

Artifact Overview

Many home and business owners in colonial and early America kept leather fire buckets in case of emergency. When a fire broke out in the community, owners tossed their buckets into the street, where firefighters and local citizens used them to carry water to put out the fire. Buckets decorated with names, initials and numbers helped owners identify their buckets after the fire had been extinguished.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Fire bucket

Subject Date

1803

Place of Creation

Object ID

30.186.15

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Leather
Metal
Paint (Coating)
Wood (Plant Material)

Color

Black (Color)
Yellow (Color)

Dimensions

Height: 13.5 in
Diameter: 8 in

Inscriptions

on side: No. 1 / J. Whitehouse / Y.F.S. / 1803
Fire Bucket, 1803