The study of history through the excavation of discarded items, exploring people's attics, flying drones, and stuff….
The M1841 U.S. percussion rifle, manufactured in Harpers Ferry, (West) Virginia, is one of the best-looking U.S. military issue rifles in our nation’s history. You may know it by its other name – the “Mississippi Rifle,” or by its characteristic brass hardware, short length, and walnut stock. But did you know how it obtained its name, given that it was made in West Virginia?
But if we dig deeper, we find out that Logan’s subsequent murder spree in Virginia included Logan leaving “calling cards” with the dead bodies – one of which survives today; and one of which uncovers what I think is a bit of lost history tied to my little county – Monroe County, West Virginia.
This is the water pitcher and drinking glass which sat on the counsel table in the Jefferson County Courthouse in Charles Town, West Virginia during the 1859 trial of John Brown. It came out of the collection of former governor of West Virginia, William MacCorkle, who had quite a collection of West Virginia artifacts.
In Harrison County, West Virginia, there’s a cave, known as “Indian Cave,” which was explored in the 19th century, inside which there are some interesting petroglyphs, including depictions of figures such as rattlesnakes and fish. They’re even colored red using red ochre. They’re estimated to date to 500-1675 AD. It’s located “on the John McDonald …
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.”
When I originally found this huge iron object at the fort, I first assumed it was a big forged hinge of some sort, or other architectural hardware. After examining it, it’s not a hinge at all, it’s part of a very large fireplace trammel, which would have been used as an adjustable hanger for kettles for cooking in an open fireplace.
We’ve found quite a bit of treasure under the ground at Willowbrook, and quite a bit inside the house as well. This property has seen the entire history of the Greenbrier Valley, from beginning to the present.
One of my first attempts at uploading some of the Facebook videos we did this winter, into one larger video for Youtube. This documents our search for the homesite and grave of James Bryan, my 5th great grandfather – the only paternal grandfather who’s grave I haven’t found. At least back to the first of them to come to America.
This is the famous Houmas House Plantation near New Orleans, Louisiana: Well, it has a deep connection to little ‘ole Union, WV. In Union, Monroe County, West Virginia, are two spectacular antebellum mansions, Elmwood, and Walnut Grove. Did you know that the owners of Walnut Grove also owned the Houmas House Plantation in New Orleans? …
Read moreHoumas House Plantation in NOLA – and its Union, WV Connection