Trierweiler fountain near Lutzelbourg in Moselle
When you drive up the road to Lutzelbourg castle you notice a fountain on the left side of the road under trees and surrounded by ferns. It is not uncommon to discover a fountain out of a village but this time there is a plaque with a text, not only a name or a date.
By driving down the road a few weeks ago I decided to take a photo as Cousin Kay had mentioned in France we seemed to have quite a few fountains around (it is really true once you are in the Vosges mountains, and they still work, they are not only decorated with flowers). And when I arrived near the fountain, I saw the name : Fontaine Trierweiler !
Since the last elections in France this family name is linked to our presidential couple. So I was surprised to see it. But it has nothing to do with Mrs Trierweiler (well, maybe the man was one of her cousins I have read somewhere later).
The text on the plaque says : This fountain used to bring water to the station of Lutzelbourg when steam train was going there. It was restored and dedicated in 1995 to Raymond Trierweiler, president of the Club Vosgien of Phalsbourg-Lutzelbourg from 1965 to 1993".
The time of steam trains is not so far after all. There is still one in Abreschviller which is very successful. And now I feel like knowing how people brought water to the train in areas where there was no river near the station. I don't remember seeing any photo or painting with water tanks like the ones in the USA. So where did French stations keep their water before getting tap water ?