Steven has had a fascination with hydrants since he was about 2 or 3 years old. Whenever he would see one, he would have to go up to it and touch it, kind of like kicking the tires on a new car that one is considering buying. He still does it to this day. He got his first hydrant from "Santa" when he was 5 in 2003, a 1967 Kennedy, and his interest grew from there. With the help of his dad, he found the website Firehydrant.org, and has been studying the collections of everyone listed, and with that, his "wish list" gets bigger and bigger everyday. He checks e-bay several times a day to see if there are new listings for hydrants, and he watches everyone that is posted for sale.

His father has driven literally hundreds of miles to pick up a hydrant. The farthest was to Illinois to pick up a Mueller hydrant. It took him 13 to get there and back.

Steven can spot a firehydrant a block away, and pretty much knows what the make and model of it is before he is close enough to it to make a proper i.d.

Steven also has three hydrant catalogs: a leather bound copy of Pacific States Cast Iron Pipe Company, Provo Utah, General Catalog No. 53, paperback Pacific States Fire Hydrants, and a hardback copy of Traverse City Firehydrants Valves Water Works Special, Catalog Number 17. He also has a few nozzles, hydrant wrenches, and early Tonka fire trucks. Steven's goal is to acquire at least one of each kind of hydrant out there, a big ambition for a 7 year old!!!! He also wants to be a fireman when he grows up.

All Photos © Steven Groves