Historic marker for watering trough
Somedays as I sit in the parlor at the Williams House my mind wanders back to what it must have been like in this place during the 1800′s. Dirt/sand streets, no indoor plumbing, no electricity, fireplace or old wood cooking stove, and fireplaces in every room for heat. Horse and buggy for transportation (or walking of course). When I am walking through the town I occasionally see very specific markers of what that time was like. Pictured above is a plaque marking the last surviving watering trough in downtown Fernandina Beach. Used today by the carriage companies for watering their horses, it was an essential part of life in those 1800′s. Apparently there were many around town in that period, and you may notice another symbol of the time, the step up right next to the watering trough. A few of the step ups still exist on some of the streets and were to facilitate getting on or off of a horse or buggy.
Watering trough and Step-up
Hitching posts, buggy whips, blacksmith shops, and stables for horses are long gone, but we are left here with a small reminder of what time and life felt like when horsepower meant something and a fill up meant water and food for your animals. We are happy to be living in a historic district where such markers of time still remain and we can be reminded occasionally of the slower pace and perhaps more enjoyable pastimes of a different era.
