Old Oaken Bucket

---

History of the Old Oaken Bucket

In 1925, Dr. Clarence Jones, Indiana alum, and Russel Gray, Purdue alum, were given the task of finding a suitable trophy to represent the rivalry between the two schools. They traveled across the state in search of "the most typical Hoosier form of trophy". Jones and Gray came across Bruner Farm where a bucket hung from a well. They brought the bucket back with them and restored it. George Ade, representing Purdue, and Harry Kurrie, representing Indiana, presented the Old Oaken Bucket trophy to President Bryan, of Indiana, and Dr. Elliott, of Purdue at Ross Ade Stadium, in the 1925 game. Ironically, the 1925 game ended in a 0-0 tie. The bronze block "IP" was linked to the trophy to signify the tie. As of 2013, Purdue leads the series 72-38-6. 

The Old Oaken Bucket 
by Samuel Woodworth

How dear to this heart are the scenes of my childhood,
When fond recollection presents them to view!
The orchard, the meadow, the deep-tangled wild-wood,
And every loved spot which my infancy knew!
The wide-spreading pond, and the mill that stood by it,
The bridge, and the rock where the cataract fell,
The cot of my father, the dairy-house nigh it,
And e'en the rude bucket that hung in the well- 
The old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket,
The moss-covered bucket which hung in the well.

That moss-covered vessel I hailed as a treasure,
For often at noon, when returned from the field,
I found it the source of an exquisite pleasure,
The purest and sweetest that nature can yield.
How ardent I seized it, with hands that were glowing,
And quick to the white-pebbled bottom it fell;
Then soon, with the emblem of truth overflowing,
And dripping with coolness, it rose from the well 
The old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket,
The moss-covered bucket arose from the well.

How sweet from the green mossy brim to receive it,
As poised on the curb it inclined to my lips!
Not a full blushing goblet could tempt me to leave it,
The brightest that beauty or revelry sips.
And now, far removed from the loved habitation,
The tear of regret will intrusively swell,
As fancy reverts to my father's plantation,
And sighs for the bucket that hangs in the well 
The old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket,
The moss-covered bucket that hangs in the well! 

The Trophy has been stolen?

Over time, the Old Oaken Bucket trophy has been stolen. The first time this happened was in 1930 when Indiana dominated over Purdue. A Purdue representative took the bucket to the train station where he came across a group of IU students. These students claimed they were tasked with the responsibility of taking the bucket to IU. Later that day, it was revealed that the Old Oaken Bucket never made it to IU. The students the Purdue representative came across were actually Purdue students dressed in IU clothing. The trophy was later recovered in Lafayette. 
The Old Oaken Bucket has continued to be stolen from time to time by both IU and Purdue students. Sometimes the bucket would disappear for an entire year and then turn up the night before the next rivalry game. 

Myth or Not?

The Bruner family claim that during the Civil War, General John Hunt Morgan and his troops, known as "the Raiders",  came to Bruner Farm. They used the bucket to draw up water from the well and quenched their thirst.