This hand operated water pump, is located in the center section of the Rockfield Cemetery. I pumped the handle a few times, and water came out of the spout.
It is made of cast iron, originally painted dark green, but now mostly worn away, the base and the body are marked:-
The F.E. Myers & Bro. Co. Ashland, OH
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F. E. Myers Company History - (
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"In 1870 Francis E. Myers left his father's farm and began selling tools and hardware to local farmers. In the basement of a rented building on Main St., that was at that time cobblestone, Francis and his brother Philip A. began The F. E. Myers & Bro. Co.
Philip developed the double-acting hand pump, which became quite successful. It delivered water in a steady stream instead of in short spurts. The began to recieve many orders for this pump. Other brothers, Alvah N. and G. Denton then joined the company. They erected their own building which by 1884 had been replaced with a large factory that covered many city blocks.
Philip's mechanical talent kept Myers a step ahead in the business. Francis contributed financial, management and sales expertise. The compnay prospered. P.A. Myers held 125 patents on various pump designs and also porch swings, bicycle stands, hat tools, store ladders, door hangers,and other items.
Through the years Myers has designed, developed and manufactored many types of pumps. These include: windmill pumps, bilge pumps, de-watering pumps, fire pumps, industrial pumps, and power sprayer pumps.
In the early 1900's Myers began to design and build fully automatic electric pumps. One of these pumps was discovered in Ashland County in 1967, still operating.
The business grew and became more complex. In the 1930's Myers began to market their products through wholesale distributors.
Myers became involved internationally with an export sales effort.
In 1960 Myers became a wholly owned subsidary of the McNeil Corporation, a worldwide organization with corporate headquarters in Akron, Ohio. "
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Rockfield Cemetery, is located on County Road S 150 E, locally known as South Rockfield Road, approximately one and a half miles, wsouth east of the town of Veedersburg, in Van Buren Township, Fountain County, Indiana.
According to Find A Grave (
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Van Buren Township is one of eleven townships in Fountain County, Indiana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 2,972. The township contains three cemeteries: Bonebrake, Cold Springs and this one, RockField. (
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Fountain County lies in the western part of the U.S. state of Indiana on the east side of the Wabash River. The county was officially established in 1826 and was the 53rd in Indiana. The county seat is Covington. According to the 2000 census, its population was 17,954; the 2010 population was 17,240. The county has eight incorporated towns with a total population of about 9,700, as well as many small unincorporated communities; it is also divided into eleven townships which provide local services. An interstate highway, two U.S. Routes and five Indiana state roads cross the county, as does a major railroad line.
The state of Indiana was established in 1816. The first non-indigenous settler in the area that became Fountain County is thought to have been a Mr. Forbes, who arrived here in early 1823 and was soon followed by others. Fountain County was officially created on December 30, 1825, the act taking effect on April 1, 1826; the boundaries of the county have not changed since that time. It was named for Major James Fontaine of Kentucky who was killed at Harmar's Defeat (near modern Fort Wayne, Indiana) on October 22, 1790, during the Northwest Indian War. (
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