Artifacts from 1800s Colorado Homestead Site

I came across these artifacts found abandoned at a former northeast Colorado homestead site. There are five items that I am trying to identify and would appreciate any help. I can add additional photos as needed. All the items are photographed on a normal sized wooden chair to give you an idea of size.

Item 1: Bucket-shaped, sheet metal construction. Handle has markings "8626T". Attached bottom cover has wire mesh screen and cylinder extending up through middle of container.





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Item 2: Enamel coated iron pot. Coated inside and out.



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Item 3: Sheet metal funnel. Likely a funnel, but purpose?



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Item 4: Embossed sheet metal pan. Markings say "PAT PEND. HUDSON". Hudson, Colorado is about an 90 minutes away from location. Perhaps a tray for collection cinders from a stove? The tray slopes slightly towards the embossed end.




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Item 5: This is the most interesting to me. Again, it's heavy sheet metal, but formed into the shape of an oval, overgrown Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. There is a thick metal handle bolted across the top.




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Thanks for taking a look. If you have any ideas of what these items are, or a more precise time period, please let me know. Use the item numbers above, please to avoid confusion.

The first item reminds me of a portion of a smudge pot.

They are used to prevent frost damage in orchards.

Not sure about these, but they are my initial ideas.

1. A water heater.

Twigs, and fuel is put into the central tube, and a lit ember is placed into the sunken wire basket on top, which lights the tinder and fuel in the tube.

Water placed inside the large space around the tube, is heated by the fire smoldering away in the tube.

2. A basic vase/jug. Probably for milk or water.

3. A Funnel..for may purposes of pouring one thing into another container.

4. Some kind of sluice? There was a gold rush in there area around the mid 1800's, perhaps it was used for washing the sediments looking for gold and silver?

5. Looks like a baby bath to me.

Heat the water over a stove fire, and put baby in the warm water (once off the stove of course)..the bar could be for mum to rest her cradle arm on, or another now missing piece was joined on the bar, like a sloping platform to keep baby's head out of the water.

Originally posted by butcherguy
The first item reminds me of a portion of a smudge pot.

They are used to prevent frost damage in orchards.

Well, that could certainly fit with the climate here. I didn't see any sign of soot, but that could certainly have worn away over the years. Thanks.

Item 1 looks like the pots hanging on tree toi gather maple water.

The funnel....well it looks like ....a funnel

the item #4 I thinks, it a thing to catch water dripping from the roofs

The last one looks like a feed dish for animals.

Not certain about any of them but its what I seem ti see when I look at them.

Hope this helped.

T

Here is a good article about the early history of the area. It may help provide some context in identification of these items.

USDA

reply to post by Teye22

Item 1 looks like the pots hanging on tree toi gather maple water.

Sugar maple trees aren't found in Colorado though.

The last one looks like a feed dish for animals.

That is the first thing that popped into my mind on that item.

You think #1 could be some sort of water filter? sediment could settle to bottom, then overflow and go down tube to wire mesh?

Prior art on the Berkey Water Filter patents? ha

reply to post by butcherguy


Good point! I guess it was the canadian in me talking I see those all the time around here (in the proper season of course).

The first one looks like a heater of some sort or possibly a fogger for bugs. The guy ahead of me is probably correct, maybe a smudgepot. The second item seems to be either a water jug or something for milking cows. We had one of those in the farmhouse years ago and my grandpa used it as a spittoon. I am not sure what it originally was. Third one is a funnel, which I have one similar to hanging in my garage. The forth one looks like an ash pan from a stove, I think that Hudson manufactured wood and coal stoves. I'm thinking the last item is an old food dish for the animals, maybe pigs or chickens. I seem to remember seeing something that looked sort of like that but all rusted out on the old farm in the barn or one of the buildings..

This thread is very nostalgic. Those things were antiques back when I was a kid. S&F

reply to post by AnonymousCitizen

Item #2 could be a chamber pot.

Used for urination and defecation during the night and in cold weather before indoor plumbing was the norm.