What time period was this in use?

[judboyd]

Can anyone put shed some light on the writing on the top.  Looks like Rome CA or GA, but what about the other writing? 

[hosman321]

I can't seem to find out any info, sapphire is the amazing research magician.
Style looks to be late 1800's-early 1900's. But I'll keep lookin'!

[talesofthesevenseas]

I found a little information here that helped me identify the letters of the casting:

http://www.griswoldandwagner.com/Foundries.pdf

It is the name of the foundry that made your kettle.

SO-CO-OP F'DY CO., Rome, GA  is Southern Cooperative Foundry of Rome Georgia.

Southern Co-Operative was incorporated in Rome GA in 1898 (looks like it was founded in 1897?) and went out of business in 1971. They made cook stoves, grates and kettles. Here's a neat article from 1970 about the closing of the factory:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=348&dat=19700517&id=4AoFAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sTEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7226,2403467

There is a lot of info if you Google the foundry name, but it may be difficult to pinpoint the date when the kettle was made since they were in business for nearly 70 years. It looks like an oldie though! Maybe someone else can help with more info? Perhaps the style of the kettle would give some kind of clue to the age?

[waywardangler]

Looks like the kind that sat on a wood cookstove and kept water hot all day.

[sapphire]

Don't know where you're located judboyd, but looks like the library at Souther Louisiana University has some
material that might be of help to you.

http://www.selu.edu/acad_research/programs/csls/historical_collections/archival_collections/r_s/files/richardson_hardware.html

Under Box 16, Books and Catalogs

"22. Southern Co-Operative Foundry Company Supplement No. 2 to Catalog No. 4, Rome, Georgia, established 1898"


Still looking 

[judboyd]

I appreciate everyone's help and responses. 

Jud

[judboyd]

I'm located in the Florida Panhandle.