I absolutely love this beautifully refreshed water tower that belongs to the city of Bryan, Ohio and that sits next to and boldly represents one of the most famous companies in town, the Spangler Candy Company, and its classic "Dum-Dums" lollipop.
When the water tower recently needed painting as part of regular maintenance, the Spangler Candy Company CEO Kirk Vashaw had the terrific idea to adorn it with the iconic candy. They hired muralist Eric Henn to do the work, which took several months and was finished in December 2022. Bryan Times provides more information:
Henn began working on the mural around the start of October [2022], after a base coat and lollipop outlines were painted on the tower.
It is hoped the tower will become a conversation piece and help attract visitors to the city, as well as being a promotional tool for the Spangler Candy Co.
Board member Annette Schreiner said the tower makes her proud to be from Bryan.
"My son who lives in Kansas City is keeping tabs on it and thinks it's just the coolest thing," she said. "He's a teacher in Kansas City and he keeps Dum Dums on his desk. He's been keeping tabs on it and just loves it, too."
The water tank is finished with Tnemec Series 700 HydroFlon, a protective coating manufactured by the Tnemec Company, Inc., which "specializes in protecting surfaces and structures from corrosion with high-performance coatings and linings." In a write-up about the project on their website, they describe the water tower:
The Dum-Dums water tower is owned by the city of Bryan, Ohio but is located on the Spangler Candy Company factory campus, which is the largest single lollipop manufacturing plant in the world. The water in the tower is the same water that is used to manufacture about 12 million Dum-Dums every day. Each of the eight 65-foot-tall Dum-Dums lollipops represents one of their most popular flavors. They've also created a brightly marked "photo op spot" just across the street from the tower where visitors can take photos with the tower in the background.
I love Dum-Dums (especially the mystery flavor!) and find this water tower delightful. It's definitely going on my list of must-see roadside attractions! Until I can see it in person, I'll enjoy this short video, created by WBGU-PBS as part of the "Scenic Stops & Stories" series, featuring interviews with the CEO of Spangler Candy Company, Kirk Vashaw, and the muralist for the project, Eric Henn.
