Do you own a piece of history? Please share your items & accounts

[Major 2]

I thought this might be really interesting subject.

Having always been a history buff; it was my best academic subject in grade school.
I absorbed as much as the limited curriculum the public school system offered.
Then, continued to read all these years.
I enjoyed learning, reenacting for 35 + years, and collecting and researching artifacts.
I enjoy my stent as museum curator after I retired my profession.

In this thread, I ask "What Have you" ?  it can be a piece of real estate (The old family farm maybe? )
or Granddads old gun.
Maybe, its war relic or trophy "a bring back" maybe even with provenance.
Even an antique, Auto or motorcycle, even a toy or article of clothing, perhaps even fossils ....

I think many here would enjoy, reading and seeing whatever might be shared.
I have an eclectic collection and if this thread is at all enjoyed and populated, I will introduce some of them.


Let's see, those old homesteads, or farms, Model T's and Muscle Cars.
Americana from the past, War relics & bring backs.

(if you can post photos great; or have some but need a tad bit of help I can gladly post them.)

Looking forward to seeing where this thread goes 

[Johnny McCrae]

Attached is a picture of my grandfather's cigar factory. He operated it in Milwaukee in the 1920's and lost it during the great depression.

[Major 2]

Very cool John, thank you for sharing   

[Major 2]

Since John opened with his cool photo... 

I'll offer one too.
The photo is of Teddy Roosevelt the date March 25, 1917

Left to right in the car: A.A. "Gus" Rice (probably), Capt. Charlie Willis, unidentified driver, Russell Coles and Teddy Roosevelt, Punta Gorda, Fl., 1917.
The hotel in the background is the Seminole Hotel Ponta Gorda Florida.
I have this Photo as a framed Post Card that was offered at the time.
What is significant to me aside from the former President, and so noted on the original photo card reverse.
The Man & Woman in the background near the post are my Grandfather & Grandmother owners of the Hotel and taken when Mr. Roosevelt was a guest.
In addition, the automobile is a 1916 Maxwell touring car that belonged to my Grandfather and used to transport guests from the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad station to the hotel.

[River City John]

My Great Grandparents, John & Ida Tucker.
John fought in the Civil War and served in the 11th Ill. Cavalry.
He lost his right arm, but not due to wartime injury, but sadly due to drunkenness and not paying attention when crossing multiple railroad tracks in a yard. Family always stayed mum about how it happened, and just let people assume it was the result of wartime incident. He was a cattle merchant after the war.

I have one of his combination knife/fork tablewares, and his leather quirt.
There was a huge need for specialty appliances to serve amputees after the CW. Many firms manufactured these combination utensils to be used one-handed.

[Major 2]

Spot on what this thread is about... Many thanks for sharing a very Beautiful & Handsome couple.

[River City John]

Also handed down, an 1860 Lincoln/Hamlin campaign button and an April, 1860 commission as Surgeon in the Pennsylvania militia prior to their being accepted into Federal service.

The commission is to James Robinson, M.D. My G-Grandfather on my Dad's side was James Robinson Covert. I have not been able to determine whether James Robinson, M.D. was a blood relative, or just a well-esteemed family friend to be honored that way.
I know that he achieved the rank of Major, but other than this document proving service, I have no other info as to his wartime career.

[River City John]

(Sorry Roger, I'm all excited about this show-'n'-tell thread!)

My Aunt was awarded the Order of Civil Merit of Spain by Franco in 1958.

[Major 2]

( Roger, I'm all excited about this show-'n'-tell thread!)...

Outstanding my Friend, I hope many more will enjoy and offer their treasures.

[Johnny McCrae]

Howdy River City & Major 2,
Great stuff you two Gents have posted!

Here something dear to me. Bart Starr sent me a free agent's offer to attend training camp.

Also enclosed is a picture of my 1940 Harley WL. Dumbest thing I ever did was to sell it. We were the same age.

[Silver Creek Slim]

Great stuff.

Slim

[River City John]

Johnny, that Harley is fabulous!
Stock colors or did you customize it?

[Johnny McCrae]

They are not stock colors. I completely restored the motorcycle.
I learned how to drive a Harley on an old Panhead with a tank shift

[nativeshootist]

I have two .44 Henry cases that were dug at at the skirmish at warbonnet creek

[Major 2]

I have two .44 Henry cases that were dug at at the skirmish at warbonnet creek

With your permission I'll add

On July 17, 1876, three weeks after the defeat of Custer at the Little Big Horn, the Fifth U.S. Cavalry, commanded by Col. Wesley Merritt, skirmished with Cheyenne Indians from Red Cloud Agency at Warbonnet Creek in northwest Nebraska. The warrior Yellow Hair was killed at the outset by regimental scout William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, who claimed that he had taken "the first scalp for Custer." This minor episode, soon after Custer's defeat, signaled the army's ultimate victory in the Great Sioux War of 1876-77, and bolstered Cody's fame. History Nebraska  https://history.nebraska.gov/publications_section/skirmish-at-warbonnet-creek/

[Major 2]

I have been fortunate to become the steward of these historic WW2 German/Austian war prizes AKA
Bring backs.

Each has a bit of provenance where it was acquired and by whom, I:E Capture Paper and or a Letter accompanying.
Nothing so exciting as whom it was taken, or a ranking SS Officer name dropped.

1. 1917 Erfurt Luger was found in Falaise, France by John Wilson Collette, Aug 17, 1944.
     The accompanying letter mentions a ring was also found and recovered but the holster is not
      mentioned. However, the holster according to Charlie Collette's (Son) statement had been with the
      gun since the War.

2. M1935 Beretta w/ Holster taken as war prize in the Ruhr Valley. It is a late war production with German 4 UT proof. A large number of weapons were surrendered by the Volkssturm in the Ruhr pocket.. An interesting sidenote
the Holster had a spare Magazine which was loaded with 5- 7.65 live rounds headstamp dated 39.
Capture Paper

3. 08/34 Steyr Piper confiscated in Salzburg, Austria from Austrian Gendarmerie National Police
    immediately after US occupation.  Capture Paper

4. Mauser byf  P-38   aside from the Capture Paper, where or when it was captured or surrendered is
  unknown.
   

[Johnny McCrae]

Here is a picture of my mother's violin. I'm pretty sure it's at least 100 years old. Inside, it's marked Stradivarius. Unfortunately, it was a fake or I'd be driving a Ferrari among other things.

[River City John]

Here is a picture of my mother's violin. I'm pretty sure it's at least 00 years old. Inside, it's marked Stradivarius. Unfortunately, it was a fake or I'd be driving a Ferrari among other things.

When we operated a brick 'n' mortar antique shop years ago, we had a couple of these Stradivarius walk through the door for appraisal. The customers always were certain they had new found fortune, and they were crestfallen to learn that the company that "borrowed" the name for advertising purposes to suggest their violins were comparable to the legend. They even copied the label seen in some originals. Odd in that it was exclusive limited to violins, yet the real Stradivarius shop produced many other stringed instruments besides violins.
One guy in particular basically called me a liar and didn't know what I was talking about. Oh well.

This tactic of naming your product after something that had an established reputation in order to lend legitimacy is not unusual.
There was a time in early 19th century when an English pottery factory put a man with the name of Wedgwood on their Board so they could put the name on their wares, thereby usurp the fame of the actual Wedgwood factory, which was world famous.

[Major 2]

That reminds me of the stories of Mrs. Zerelda James Simms Samuel.
Who would play on the sympathies of her visitors by offering to sell old, rusted, often inoperable guns that she said belonged to Jesse before he died, which in reality she had bought second-hand, leading to a proliferation of people claiming to and sincerely believing that they owned a gun that had once belonged to Jesse James.

[Johnny McCrae]

The customers always were certain they had new found fortune, and they were crestfallen to learn that the company that "borrowed" the name for advertising purposes to suggest their violins were comparable to the legend

I never had any high hopes that it was a true Stradivarius but just to be sure, we took it to a Violin store in Sarasota. The owner was a concert violinist and he confirmed that it was not. He told me a restoration would cost around $600 to make it worth $400.