# To Pontiled Re: Pre-Civil War Cap



## Maine Digger (Apr 29, 2004)

Hey Mike, did you get the pictures of the cap with my email? What do you think? I'm posting them to NESFPA - New England Society For Protection Of Antiquities, they have an textile, garment expert on staff who said she'd like to see the hat.  I explained the incredible condition of the material.


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## Pontiled (Apr 29, 2004)

Yes, Norm, I got the photos and they are great. The detail, fibers, and the stitches appear to be from that estimated era. Of course, if it had a tag or was somehow otherwise marked with the maker's name, we'd know exactly when it was made. Judging from the authentic Civil War period cloth that I'm familiar with, yours has to be from that era. It's really amazing that it survived in such great condition!

 Perhaps some of the other board members would like to see what we're talking about.

 I'll get back to by e-mail a bit later. I have another appointment in a while at the physical therapist's office. They want to rip my arm off and beat my head with it!


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## diginit (Apr 29, 2004)

Howdy guys,
 Didn't mean to easedrop,But just couldn't resist.This sounds like an unexpected discovery to me. Could you post a picture? Please? Have a great day!
                                                                                                  Jim


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## Maine Digger (Apr 29, 2004)

Hi diginit, I'll post a picture of the cap, but I don't want anyone getting on my case because it's not a bottle![]  This is a cap that I found within the walls of my home, behind the plaster & lath. It was in a pocket at the base of the wall covered with wood shavings.  It was quite unexpected! In addition, we found several letters, one dated 1837 that gives some very wonderful details of day to day living at the time. It was from a young ? new wife to her mother. We're in the process of getting them preserved, I have scanned them,as well as made a transcript. If anyone is interested in a copy send me an email, I'd love to share them.[]


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## Maine Digger (Apr 29, 2004)

Here's another shot of the inside, sorry I didn't crop it, I think the full pic looks better[&:]


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## Maine Digger (Apr 29, 2004)

And here's a detail of the fabric & stiching for the liner


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## Maine Digger (Apr 29, 2004)

Here's closer view of interior


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## Maine Digger (Apr 29, 2004)

Here's close up of the exterior fabric, check out the nice tight seam work!


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## Maine Digger (Apr 29, 2004)

and finally, here's detail of how brim is attached


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## Maine Digger (Apr 29, 2004)

one last shot (I promise Roger!)[&:] of the detail of the brim attachment and the 'paint' used to coat it


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## Pontiled (Apr 29, 2004)

Norm, I have seen many, many examples of Civil War period cloth artifacts, as I had mentioned before (I think!),  however that same appearance goes back many decades. The fabric, stitching, and especiallt the hat brim are no later than the Civil War, but can go much earlier. Styles and techniques after the C.W. period. Personally, my guess is that it's from about 1855 to 1865, due to the brim and techniques used. The stitching on this piece is more evident in this period of time as well.


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## Maine Digger (Apr 30, 2004)

Now the obvious question is -- How and why did it end up in the wall!!!! [8|]As I said it was at the base, down under a pile of wood shavings. When I was taking down the wall, I noticed the brim between the lath, I thought it was tar paper, and gave it a yank, it was very fortunate that I didn't pull the brim off[&:] As it was, I did pull a few stiches loose on the right side. The Maine Historical Society places the cap 'somewhere form 1820 - 1860, which is about what you said. I'll get those letters out to you soon!


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## drjhostetters (Apr 30, 2004)

I will venture a guess how the cap got in the wall...since I used to do construction work when I was younger and dumber....They may have used double wall construction and the owner of the cap may have been on the top of the wall and bent over and the hat fell down...with no way to recover it and maybe not worth the effort (I know what I speak...I lost a couple of good hammers that way...cheaper to bury them in the concrete wall than waste time trying to retreive it)....was there sawdust high up into the wall?  They used to use sawdust for insulation in the "old" days...maybe not that far back ...but it was a cheap method of insulation...again this is just a guess.

    Very interesting find...reminds me of the story a friend told me when we lived in Harney County, near Burns, Oregon about 25years ago...seems they were tearing down this old house on their property to make way for a bigger and  better house and they were diamantling it to save the wood...when they tore away an inside board..they found an obsidian arrow head with part of the shaft attached embedded in the board just opposite a knot hole in the outside wall...

    Good hunting...The Doc...[X(]


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## Maine Digger (Apr 30, 2004)

G'morning Doc, I suspect you'll still be in bed as I write this from the 'right' coast.[] I've imagined all kinds of sceanarios as to how the hat arrived at its final resting place.  One is, due to its small size, I thought perhaps it was a child's and a fellow child hid it while the wall was being constructed.  But I dismissed that one, because the hat is too well made, and I suspect too valuable an object in those days to dispose of. I know in earlier days, people used to place shoes and such in the walls to ward off 'spirits', but I don't believe my house is old enough. The hat was underneath the type of shavings you produce with a plane, which were beneath the cellulose that was blown in about 100 years later. Talk about messy, wood chips, plaster & lath, and blown-in insulation.[&:] There were various other items found as well, among them a hand carved hollow wooden handle which I suspect was going to have a rope through it for a bucket;I'll put together a 'group' picture.


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## maineahh62 (Apr 30, 2004)

hello norm, what a great find, boy i would have a tough time letting go of the hat, it would be great if you could put together all of your find's in the home and be able to show what a family's life may have been like back then, the letter's and hat and other item's related would be a great piece of history to put back together, good luck with what ever you do decide to do.[]


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## sunshine4me (Apr 30, 2004)

Hi Norm, That is pretty cool find. When we were redoing some parts of our house, inside the old walls we find newspaper used as insulation to keep the house warm way back when. I can just guess we would be amased what sits in them walls of old homes. What time is the lawn sale this weekend? Cindi[]


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## Pontiled (Apr 30, 2004)

Getting on to bottles, I had a friend and his son who were checking out the walls of an OLD house many years ago. They had just begun to tear it down. From the second floor, you could see the walls down to the first floor. My buddy thought he could see two bottles in the wall from the second floor, so he went down to the first floor and began reaching his arm up to where he throught the bottles were. He pulled out 2 Success to the Railroad flasks that had been there since the house had been built! 

 One little tip comes to mind that all of us should keep in mind... when you're looking around an older home, look where the molding strips meet the floors. Often there is a tiny space between the strips and the flooring which allows small coins to go into the space. Look for the spaces!

 More tips later...


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## diginit (Apr 30, 2004)

Howdy M.D.
 Awesome cap. Looks like something a carpenter would wear.I'm a carpenter myself and have dropped tape measures. squares,and other small tools in walls also.It's cheaper to buy new ones than to open a finished wall.I don't think you could get in any trouble with the site supervisor  if I am interpeting this forum correctly. 
 Quote"Unexpected Discoveries 
 Not for bottles, pot lids or jars but all those other interesting finds you made." Thanks for the post.


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## IRISH (May 1, 2004)

diginit's right,  anything collectible related is fine here exept no flaming or anything offensive or rude [] .
 Ripper of a find Norm [] ,  can you post some of the letters or better a link to the letters (if you have the means to put them up on the net) ? .


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## Maine Digger (May 1, 2004)

Thanks all for the kind feedback[] I transcripted the letters by hand, laying out the words on the paper as they were in the original. Back then they used as much of the paper as possible; when they were done with the 'normal' letter layout, they wrote vertically up the side margins and upside down across the top margin.[8D] I'm in the process of repeating the transcripts on the pc this time. As soon as I'm done I'll post them where anyone can take a gander. I could also e-mail the scans to anyone who wants one. By the way, Mike's right about the cracks by the baseboards, when doing my bath over, we found a mint 1862 Indian Head penny.

 As far as what I was going to do with the hat? I offered it to the Maine Historical Society some time ago, however they said they couldn't accept it unless I could 'document authenticity of ownership'![&:] How do you prove you found something in the wall? I guess I should have taken photos! For now I keep the cap on a rolled up orthopedic neck collar to maintain its shape


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## drjhostetters (May 1, 2004)

You know the thought that comes to my mind?  "Antiques Roadshow"...PBS

    What would that hat be worth to a collector of such...???[8D]


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## Maine Digger (May 1, 2004)

Hi Doc, I never really gave much thought to value, I just think it's a wonderful piece of the past. I'm thinking I might offer it to the Maine State Museum in our capital. It would be a nice addition, and I'm sure they would take good care of it. I figure it would be worth an exemption for one years worth of state income taxes![8D]


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## deepwoods (May 1, 2004)

Norm-That is one very neat,fascinating find.I just saw"Gangs of New York"not long ago    and that cap reminds me of some of the period head gear shown in the film.Have you      determined what the material is?


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