Street Sprinkler Wagons.

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On a hot dry day in the 1870's you would see in Topeka a wagon sprinkling water on the streets.  This was to keep the dirt from blowing in the wind.   These wagons were popular up to the late 1890's.

In the 1870,s there were no paved streets tn Topeka,even after the streets were paved with bricks these wagons were still in used.  These wagons were pulled by two horses and some had sweeper attachments.These wagons were filled with 700 gallons of  water, they were filled at the top of the wagon.

They were filled at fire hydrogen's or city wells. They had to be refilled quite often,as they could only go a couple blocks before they were empty.If you were a driver of one of these wagons you  would be known as a ( Street Sprinkler ).The above picture is what  the wagon used in Topeka may have looked like.

Street Sprinkler Drivers.

1872-1874.

Jefferson Davis, ( Colored ).

1880.

Robert Batey.

1893-1894.

J. G. Taylor.