weekend find

I'm thinking this is a sugar kettle. The Star Foundry is listed in our CIC as being in Wheeling W. Va. Strangely there was another foundry in Anniston Ala. that produced a lot of iron during the civil war and also during World War II. I am attaching a link to Anniston Ala. that has some interesting facts but nothing concrete regarding your piece. I just did a quick search but maybe a more in depth search will link the two foundries. Good luck with your search.
http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1464
 
There appear to have been several Star Foundries, none of which appear to be related. Old newspapers also refer to ones in Chicago, IL, Oshkosh,WI, Covington KY, Fayetteville NC, in operation in the mid-1800s.
 
I can't tell for sure from the pics----is this kettle/cauldron bottom gated? If not, it was almost certainly made after 1930 or so at the earliest I think.
Could've been a sugar kettle for boiling down sugar cane, but it doesn't fit the style of New England type sugar kettles for maple syrup. That type of kettle around here would've been multipurpose for anything from scalding chickens before plucking, making soap, making Brunswick stew, washing clothes, and on and on. Looks like a nice kettle. Can we see more pics?
 
The grey book states a cauldron is a pot. A pot has a smaller opening than the largest diameter which is normally close to the middle. A kettle has the largest diameter at the top where the opening is. From the photo, this looks like a kettle.

Hilditch
 
Whether it's the pot calling the kettle black or vice versa is of no import here. If it's not bottom gated (and it doesn't look like it is to me from the lone picture provided), it's probably made after 1930 or so. Many, many foundries didn't mold any markings on their pots, cauldrons, kettles to identify the maker. Some internet sleuthing should be able to narrow this one down somewhat.
 
Kevin, we know the who and where. That leaves just the what and when for most folks. I posted info on the what for those that may be confused by conflicting terminology, not you ‘cause you know. Establishing the what will only leave the when.

Hilditch
 
The only one I know left is Union Foundry. To my understanding there were several after WWII but were short lived. The opening on the pot is smaller than the belly of the pot. It is too new to be from Janney Foundry as that was a civil war era foundry or when Anniston was first founded. The pot has a chip in the rim and really is not worth a great deal but I had never seen this name before. I figured it was worth the $40.
 

Attachments

  • 754c744efbfa4ff08daa9d624bffb457[1].jpg
    754c744efbfa4ff08daa9d624bffb457[1].jpg
    95.8 KB · Views: 32
Comment: I have a bean pot marked Alabama Pipe Co., Anniston, Alabama that I think is mid 1950s. Hilditch, the second picture shows Tommy's piece is a cauldron, am I right? It also looks like somebody used it as a planter. That happens to the big old pots a lot around here.:(
 
Now it looks like a cauldron/pot to me too. It seems it was called a cauldron long before the English started calling it a pot.

Hilditch
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top