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

[Delmonico]

My English made Spong #2 coffee grinder, was unused when I found it in a thrift store with no box.  Age unknown because these were made in several sizes from the 1850's till about 2010 and according to my English friend they never changed, he has several of them and has two citrus zesters also made of cast iron. 

[Delmonico]

My shave kit, German made razor with celluloid scales.  Strop was an old dried up one I replaced the leather on the swivel and fire blued the swivel.  Mirror is pewter from a garage sale and badger brushes are not hard to find.  The razor stone that is not in the picture was a gift from a late friend as a birthday present.  He found it in a thrift store and knew what it was and who needed one.  Tin cup was my Grandma's from school so since it is likely lead soldered I don't drink out of it. Yes I've shaved with it at events. 
 

[Delmonico]

Crissmann and Sons Butcher knife from Sheffield England dated to the 1880's original scales and edge.  AKA never abused on a grinder.

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[Delmonico]

1900 built flat mainspring Low-Wall, original wood, rebarreled in the late 40's with a Springfield 22 target barrel and chambered for 22 Hornet.  1950's K-12 Weaver with adjustable parallax and sitting in a very rare set of  pre-War Weaver 1" mounts made to clamp to a dovetail.    Several old timers told me they have seen them for 3/4th and 7/8th but never the 1 inch ones, did see them in a reproduction of the ads in Shooters Bible before the war. 

[River City John]

Delmonico,
if you're posting that's a good sign you're over that flu. It takes time to recover your energy reserves and clear-headedness. And interests.

As to that biscuit cutter, I've never seen another like it.
And it went to just the right person, who'll appreciate it's antiquity and continues to use it for it's original purpose. Bravo!

Put a pic in here of that japaned tin spice box. That was a find, too!

[River City John]

My Mother's maiden name was Tucker, and her people were early pioneers in Illinois. ( Mom's side of the family saved so much. . . stuff! As the youngest, now, of the "eldest" generation, I've become the caretaker. Growing up with all this, any wonder I am a history nut?.) I've posted a picture of my G-Granmother & G-Grandfather previously in this thread.

At one point there was a legal proceeding involving an estate that was petitioned by my G-G Grandfather, James Tucker. Being in rural, sparsely populated Illinois they had to make use of the Circuit Courts that traveled from community to community and try cases.

Here is the court document drawn up by the legal firm representing his case that were traveling the circuit, - Logan & Lincoln. Signed and dated March 1st, 1847 by both partners of that law practice.

[Delmonico]

Delmonico,
if you're posting that's a good sign you're over that flu. It takes time to recover your energy reserves and clear-headedness. And interests.

As to that biscuit cutter, I've never seen another like it.
And it went to just the right person, who'll appreciate it's antiquity and continues to use it for it's original purpose. Bravo!

Put a pic in here of that japaned tin spice box. That was a find, too!

Doing better.  That box and many other treasures is hard to get to right now.  That cutter has gained a lot of attention.  This winter is going to partly be spent getting the gear ready to go again although I have to find a helper. 

[Mogorilla]

Games were big in our house growing up and Chinese Checkers was a regular as was Karoms.   they were games from my dad's youth.   These are the boards he grew up with and me and my sisters as well.   Dad remembered these always being there and he was a kid in the 30s.   A friend thought the bigest item in this was the chocolate box used to hold the pieces, but it is in rough shape.  Also only box my dad remembered having the pieces.    When he passed, I brought them with me.   

[River City John]

I mentioned my G-G-Grandfather, James Tucker.

One of the more intimate items that has come down to me is the hand sewn and embroidered wedding corset of my G-G-Grandmother, Jame's wife.
It is embroidered with the date of their wedding day, October 18th, 1843.

[RoyceP]

One of the most important things I own is a wrench made by my grandfather Adolph Peterson. He made this wrench as a copy of the tool made by K.R. Wilson. He made it with a band saw and a file. He used 1/2" steel plate, then heat treated it so it was hard. I used it today on my 1914 Model T exhaust nut. He died before I was born so I never met him.

[Major 2]

Very cool,

[Johnny McCrae]

My first car was a 1953 Ford Victoria. I bought it in 1957 at the age of 17. It was bone stock when I bought it. Interesting thing about it is that my mother found it for me on a local used car lot. It had 1957 Cadillac hubcaps with bullet spinners and working lake pipes.

This is a 1974 Sportster I bought as a basket case. It's a hardtail. I did the paint job with aerosol cans of auto spray paint and lots of rubbing compound. It was a real blast to ride.

The Ford is seventy years old and the Harley is almost fifty. Wish I still had them.

[Major 2]

My Mother's father, Grandaddy Rice as I knew him, lived to be 88.
 He was butcher by trade and ran a shop in Highlands, North Carolina.
He was 38 years old when WAR were declared and registered for the draft.
Granddad was a town councilman for 37 years and mayor 7 of those years.
He represented North Carolina in the early 1930's, during the Great Depression, for the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He attended the dedication in 1940 with Franklin D, Roosevelt at Newfound Gap.

Some of the knives he used, and two others both with 16" blades were handed down along with a three side Arkansas sharping stone.

[River City John]

In 1898 my hometown, Omaha, hosted The Trans-Mississippi Exposition, a huge affair comparable to the infamous 1893 Chicago Columbian World's Fair/Exposition.

My Grandfather was a Vendor and I have his official pass.

[Johnny McCrae]

In 1898 my hometown, Omaha, hosted The Trans-Mississippi Exposition, a huge affair comparable to the infamous 1893 Chicago Columbian World's Fair/Exposition.

My Grandfather was a Vendor and I have his official pass.

What a great memory to have! What did he have in his Vendor  space?

[River City John]

The info written states he was a ticket taker in the Commissary. Knowing his history, I wouldn't doubt that he was a bartender.

"Sure 'an it be the truth, Ora Tucker 'twer mighty fond of his poiti'n!"

[Mogorilla]

Hey RCJ, where in Illinois was your family.  I grew up in a town famous for a murder trial that Lincoln was the defense attorney and most of my family left germany and england and went straight to Illinois

[River City John]

Hey RCJ, where in Illinois was your family.  I grew up in a town famous for a murder trial that Lincoln was the defense attorney and most of my family left germany and england and went straight to Illinois

Swan Creek Township is its original name. Next to Roseville, Ill., the other family source name place, in Warren County. Also Ridott, Ill. in Stephenson County.

[Mogorilla]

I was about 60 miles south of roseville in Beardstown.  Lincoln did a murder trial in Beardstown, known as almanac trial.  Interesting/exciting courtroom drama.   Roseville is near Monmouth, where i believe Wyatt Earp was born.   Small world.  Seems big right now as i am typing this in Heraklion Crete. 

[Major 2]

One of my proudest possessions

This Ithica 1911-a1 made in Jan 1945 and carried by Capt. William Roberts.
 I purchased from his daughter in law, several years ago, April 2019. 
It was together with this Enger-Kress marked U.S. shoulder holster, and 3 boxes of US issue 45ACP dated 1945.

His Obituary

ROBERTS,
WILLIAM FRANKLIN
William Franklin Roberts, 97, died on August 11, 2019, in Gainesville, Georgia.
Born February 16, 1922 in Jacksonville Florida, William served as a B-26 Marauder pilot with the 386th Bomb Group, 555th Bomb Squadron during World War II. He flew 50 combat missions and was in Paris on VE-Day.
Mr. Roberts was a graduate of both the University of Florida and UCLA as well as a Charter Life Member of the University of Florida's National Alumni Association and Grand Guard. William worked at Northrop Corp and the Aerospace Corporation in Southern California as well as GE in Philadelphia. He provided technical assistance for the first communications satellite and for developmental stages of the space shuttle. Earth Day in 1970 inspired William to found Sigma Treatment Systems. He patented pollution control systems for ships at sea and traveled the world, giving lectures and promoting his company.
William's active retirement included a purposeful emphasis on creative ventures to balance his largely technical career. He often said, 'I feel like I have lived several lives, and they were all good.'
William was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Constance Charron Roberts, in May, 2014.
He is survived by four sons; eight grandchildren; two great grandchildren; many special nieces and second cousins, plus numerous other relatives and friends of all ages in many locations.
On August 29th at 2:00PM a Memorial Service will be held for William at Lanier Village Estates, a retirement community in Gainesville, GA.
A later interment, with full military rites will be at the
Florida National Cemetery in Jacksonville. This will be a joint interment for William and Constance