Before 1900, Bob adds, figural hitching posts of cast iron became popular. Jockeys - both black and white - were posed with one hand on the hip and the other hand extended, holding a ring to which a horse could be tied.
"One of the more unusual ones is that of an elf or a leprechaun with an extended arm or hand which held the ring," Bob says. "Figurals were also made to resemble tree stumps, horse heads, animals, birds and other objects."
Bob says broken cast iron posts can usually be repaired and restored. To easily repair one broken below ground level, a heavy steel strap can be bolted on each side, or a smaller diameter pipe can be inserted and secured.
"Sometimes you can attach a completely different base portion than the original one-piece casting. The break in the middle can be sawed off square at the swirl-portion of the casting, and a ¬æ -inch pipe can be cemented inside the hollow casting. Then, four ¬?-inch metal plates are machined, three round and one square, and drilled with holes in the centers. The plates are stacked and welded in place, then bolted to a steel, six-inch square tubing. A ¬º -inch thick 'M' is machined and secured from the inside of the square tubing."
Bob says cast iron horse heads designed to fit as finials over wooden posts allow one to return the wooden base to as near the original as possible, or to create an original design. Most finials were cast hollow, and placed over the wooden post and secured with flathead wood screws.
Vintage hitching posts are increasingly rare, and prices reflect that rarity. Bob says he was asked to put a value one that was stolen. He advised a minimum replacement cost of $1,200. Insurance coverage and often a security system - have become necessities for the collector, he says.
For more information: Bob Maclin, 1436 Lakewood Drive, Lexington, KY 40502. Gary Van Hoozer is a Missouri writer specializing in vintage agriculture and farm history.