The study of history through the excavation of discarded items, exploring people's attics, flying drones, and stuff….
One of the top contenders for the coolest historic artifacts related to American History has to be the pipe tomahawk. Like the Kentucky Rifle, with it’s distinctive patchbox and long rifled barrel, the pipe tomahawk is also distinctly American.
Another epic, at least to me, document find during this period of near-apoloclypse. The scavenging must go on. This is a 1768 deed from Anthony Van Schaick, his wife, Christina Van Schaick, and what seems to me to be Anthony’s elderly father, Goosen Van Schaick, for a whole lot of land in the area of upstate New York known as the “Half Moon” which was deeded to the Van Schaick family in the 17th century. It’s roughly located in the area known as the “Sprouts of the Mohawk River.” This is where the Mohawk goes over a large falls, and sprouts into separate channels, going around several islands, at the confluence with the Hudson River.
It’s important for us – especially Kentuckians – to remember that Daniel Boone moved to (what is now) West Virginia in the later part of the 18th century, I believe around 1788, from Kentucky, staying there until around 1797, at which point he reluctantly returned to Kentucky, before remembering why he didn’t like Kentucky anymore. And then he moved to Missouri around 1799. West Virginia gets no credit for its period of Boone residence. In the words of Rodney Dangerfield, “we get no respect – no respect at all.”
This spike tomahawk head was found, in the ground, by metal detector by Robert Bennett, in the vicinity of Harbor Springs, Michigan at the site of L’ Arbre Croche, a series of Ottawa Villages existing in the mid 1700s, and otherwise a highly traveled spot near Fort Michilimackinac at the Straits of Mackinac……
A gallery of original tomahawks for the last Tuesday in 2019, which is now Tomahawk Tuesday. Many of these are pipe tomahawks, which if you’re not familiar with them, was a cleverly conceived invention made for the North American Indian trade. It combined a pipe and a metal axe into a single trade item, both …
Check out the podcast version of the Thomas Brown story. The true story, told by young ranger with Major Robert Rogers, about his harrowing ordeal during the French and Indian War, starting with a five hour firefight in the winter wilderness, while wearing snowshoes . . . . Or, check out the blog post version …
Family tradition has it that this French and Indian War era American musket was used by James McBride (1726-1812) to fight in the Battle of Point Pleasant on October 10, 1774. It was previously on display at the Augusta County Historical Society Museum in Staunton, Virginia, as part of their year-long exhibit on Lord Dunmore’s …
Read moreJames McBride: his actual musket, and his epic life as a frontiersman and soldier
“He stopped just before my tent, and I discovered a number of men collecting round him as I lay in my bed. I jumped up and approached him to know what was the alarm, when I heard him declare that he had seen above five acres of land covered with Indians, as thick as they could stand one beside another.” – John Stuart
I jumped up and approached him to know what was the alarm, when I heard him declare that he had seen above five acres of land covered with. Indians, as thick as they could stand one beside another.
– Col. John Stuart
As I am but a youth, I shall not make those Remarks on the difficulties I have met with, or the kind appearance of a good God for my Preservation, as one of riper Years might do; but shall leave that to the reader as he goes along, and shall only beg his prayers, that …
Read moreEpic Narrative of Thomas Brown – a 16 year old Ranger during the French Indian War