Washington, D.C., February 7, 1859

Sir:  I have the honor to submit my final report of the explorations made by me and under my direction, in the years 1853, 1854, and 1855, to determine the practicability of the northern route for a railroad to the Pacific.

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August 18, 1920 - The 19th Amendment became law, guaranteeing women the right to vote.  The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.  Congress shall have power to enforce...

Major General, 12th President Zachary Taylor.

(Fun Fact:  Taylor had never cast a vote until he ran for the Office of President of the United States.)

On July 9, 1850, Orange-born Major General Zachary Taylor, 12th President of the United States of America died, a mere 1...

Sundries

sun·​dries | \ ˈsən-drēz; Miscellaneous small articles, details or items.

Museums all over the world contain incalculable amounts of small items, bits and pieces.  These sundry items also have their own stories and can provide a glimpse into a more pinpointed lo...

For as long as humans have traversed the lands they have had to carry belongings with them.  As a nomadic people, prior to the establishment of Mesopotamia, I would imagine containers for possessions would evolve from plant/cloth woven and/or clay to wood as needs and...

Most of the "old time" photos (1860-1900) people see are tintypes because they were very inexpensive and accessible to a larger percentage of the population.  They became popular beginning in the American War Between the States (as the saying goes, "there was nothing '...

Several weeks ago, Finders Keepers donated this two piece broom making system to the museum.

  The “kicker” on the left was a wrapping device and the “sewing vise” on the right was how the hand sewing process was performed.  I knew that brooms had a long history of use...

On February 27, 1801, James Madison, Senior died in Orange, Virginia. His eldest surviving son, James Madison, Jr. (Father of the U.S. Constitution, author of the Bill of Rights and 4th President) inherited a 5,000 acre estate, the enslaved people and a Georgian manor...

Have you ever wondered why women rode aside, or on a side-saddle? What brought it about?  Why not ride astride, as had been done for centuries from ancient Egypt until the Medieval Period?  Our current temporary exhibit looks at a brief history of riding aside and some...

One of the occasional issues I have to face is learning that the donor’s information about their artifact may not be accurate.  It is not unusual to have a little confusion over an exact age or perhaps a question about the chain of provenance.  However, with this artif...