From the collections at the Leavenworth County Historical Society and Museum. Reprinted with permission from The Leavenworth County Historical Society and Museum and the Leavenworth Times. Donated by Debra Graden.

Many Leavenworth Families Possess Valuable Antiques

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Some of the Richest Heirlooms in the Country Are Owned by Leavenworth Families--Historical Room of D. A. R. Has Valuable Collection of Local and State Treasures.

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Leavenworth Times, Sunday, November 8, 1925

A number of persons interested in heirlooms and antiques will visit Weston next Saturday to study the exhibition to be shown at the Methodist church. Leavenworth should have such an exhibit, as no place in this part of the country has more historical and beautiful relics of former days than have a large number of residents of this city.

The following are a very few of the many that are treasured by the owners: Miss Laura Tarr has a large collection of dishes used in Revolutionary times, among them being two salt shakers and a piece of willow ware given to one of her great aunts by Flora McDonald, who conducted Prince Charles Edward Stewart to Kingsbury, Scotland and saved his life. She was married in 1750 and in 1774 came to North Carolina with all of her possessions. Two vases brought from Miss Tarr's family plantations in Virginia are especially prized by her.

The home of Dr. and Mrs. C. D. Lloyd and Mrs. Effie Van Tuyl is a veritable house of antiques. Most interesting is an old desk, which belonged to Dr. Lloyd's fourth great grandfather and taken from New York to Shelburn, Nova Scotia. This desk contains secret drawers and found in one was the commission of this ancestor as captain and signed by Sir Guy Carleton in command of the British Tories.

There is also a "Roundabout" chair which came into the Lloyd family in 1790. This furniture antedates the Chippendale period. A silver sugar bowl used in Revolutionary times is another prized possession. The side-board and dining table in this home are from Thomas Lynch, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. There are a number of four-poster beds on the second floor with wash stands to match. A collection of thirty pieces of copper lustre is also interesting.

Mrs. Van Tuyl is the possessor of six silver forks which belonged to Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, wife of Alexander Hamilton. She also has a table brought from the early days of the Philippine occupation. It was taken from a Spanish barracks and is five by nine feet across the top.

Mrs. E. S. Catlin is exceedingly proud of a Haviland china tea set, given her grandmother at her wedding in 1820. Not one piece of the set has been broken and Mrs. Catlin says it was used continuously for a generation. It now occupies an honored place in the owner's dining room.

For the past sixty-three years the residence of the late Thomas Jones on Third avenue has been occupied by some members of the family and the house is stored with heirlooms. A linen press of solid walnut is one of the most noticeable antiques, also there is a bureau of walnut with sweet gum handles and ivory escutcheons. There are five Jenny Lind tables and a collection of handsome shawls, one especially tempting one of pink cashimere with a paisley border.

Mrs. Irving Parmelee has a rare set of rose wood furniture made in France much over a hundred years ago. The set includes two sofas, a large and small one, made with tall sides and low center. The houses at that period always had two parlors and the furniture was made for both rooms. The chairs match the sofas and the entire set in still intact and the beauty and unusualness of it is that the backs of the furniture are of solid rosewood. The large sofa is six feet long and each of the little chairs have four castors. There probably is no set of furniture in this part of the country so unusual as this one. Mrs. Parmelee also has a collection of steel engraving and chromos which are interesting.

Mrs. O. B. Taylor highly prizes among her many unusual heirlooms, a land grant of a thousand acres of land in Ohio to her great grandfather, John Askew, in 1804 and signed by Thomas Jefferson. Mrs. Taylor also prizes a grandfather's clock and a Banquet clock, both of which are still keeping perfect time. A teester canopy bed is another prized possession, as are two real Chippendale chairs, more than two hundred years old. a number of pieces of ancestral pink willow ware are placed in the Taylor dining room.

Mrs. Frank Bartlett is the possessor of rare antiques. A solid mahogany sideboard, six feet long, is much more than a hundred years old. It has Colonial pillars in front and hand made screws; she has a handsome book-case and desk combined with escutcheons in maple and inlay of mahogany, herringbone at the sides and inlays in the front of different grains of mahogany. This is an exceedingly rare piece of furniture.

Mrs. Bartlett has a love-nest or sofa of the Empire period, with carved acantha leaves on the sides and back. Other than furniture, this fortunate woman has a collection of over two hundred pieces of glassware, a large part of which is yellow glycerineed ware. A Dolphin candlestick, a piece of Parian wedgewood ware and an Apostle teapot, are noticeable in this collection.

Mrs. J. N. Joerger has in her home a very rare and valuable plainting[sic]. It is entitled the "Sleeping Madonna." When in New York last summer Mrs. Joerger saw a copy and has send to the Metropolitan Art Gallery to learn as much as she can concerning the picture. It has been in her family for generations and is an original of either Raphael or one of his pupils. while traveling abroad some years ago her uncle was a copy in the Art Gallery in Vienna. Mrs. Joerger's picture is between two and three hundred years old.

Mrs. J. A. Searcey has a collection of lovely heirlooms, which she prizes very much, among them being a gold lustre pitcher, which is considerably over a century old, the pitcher has a real old fashioned long spout. A rare old solid mahogany hand carved desk is also a liked possession. A number of doilies, made from the linen presented to her grandmother at her wedding and a centerpiece in a bed spread, embroidered with the name of the maker and the date 1832. Mrs. Searcy also has copies of The Spectator printed in 1768, which she considered very interesting.

A lovely Chippendale mahogany mirror belonging to her great grandmother is possessed by Mrs. Malcolm McNaughton. It was in the "setting up outfit" of this ancestor and as Mrs. McNaughton was married just an even hundred years later, the mirror became hers on her wedding day. Last week Mr. McNaughton received from his ancestral home in Saratoga Springs, N. Y., the knocker that had been on the family home for generations. The old home has recently been broken up and the knocker has come to the present Malcolm McNaughton. It is large and graceful, is of wrought iron, with silver plate bearing the full name of Malcolm McNaughton in script.

The home of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Davis has many possessions of rare value on both sides. Mrs. Davis's ancestors are all Scotch and English and she has a collection of foreign articles which are very beautiful. A shawl from India, given her great grandmother, Jessie Anne Campbell, by her great grandfather while serving in the English army, is highly prized by her. Also she has an English prayer book, which is over two hundred years old. An interesting bit, is a porridge spoon used by a cottager on her uncle's estate in Scotland. A solid walnut book case with walnut shelves is one of the prizes of the family and also a collection of quilts of many patterns, one interesting one having the picture of Henry Clay embroidered in many ribbons.

Mr. and Mrs. E. e. Murphy's home, which has had many heirlooms in the past, has been somewhat denuded of late as they have divided much of this furniture among their children, but still they have some lovely pieces, among them being several of South American mahogany, also two hand carved black walnut dressers and several Jenny Lind tables.

Mrs. Clarence Case Goddard's residence is an interesting home of antiques. All of her rooms are period rooms, Louis XV rosewood in the drawing room, walnut in the living and dining rooms and in the sleeping apartments are canopy beds and chairs of solid mahogany. One of her possessions, which she jealously guards, is the Swedish coat-of-arms presented by Gustava II, King of Sweden, for bravery to her ancestor, who belonged to the Admiralty of Charlescrome.

Mrs. J. D. Edmond's home is filled with interesting heirlooms having come down to her through a number of generations. Exquisite miniatures made during the Revolutionary period were the gifts of General Lafayette. A maplewood bed several hundred years old, also a Napoleon bed, a real Windsor chair, are just a few of the many pieces of furniture. A silk tapestry made in 1803, pictures, vases and china are also greatly admired articles in this home.

Miss Alma Wulfekuhler greatly prizes as heirlooms an ink well and sand shaker covered with beautiful porcelain, the lid having on top a miniature piece of statuary, also a handsome framed piece of tapestry, made several generations ago.

Mrs. Henry Ludolph has much interesting furniture, several four poster beds with chairs of the same period, tilt top tables, sofas and rocking chairs, which are greatly prized for their age. Another heirloom is an old fashioned prism lamp with ebony standard, red base and glass globe.

Mrs. Adolf Lange, St., has a rare collection of pewter among which is the little lamp by which Mr. Lange studied when a small boy, which was a long time before the day of the present high powered lights.

Mrs. John Walker has a number of handsome pieces of solid walnut furniture, antiques that are valuable. She is also the fortunate possessor of two Jenny Lind tables belonging to her ancestors.

Mrs. T. T. Reyburn has some of the best antiques in the city in her home. Among her prized holdings is a mahogany couch, two drop leaf tables of the same wood. A foot stool or ottoman is over two hundred years old, the dining table is of rosewood with spool legs. A large library table has roses carved on the sides and there are also two settees of rosewood and an ancestral mirror is in a gold leaf frame. In the sleeping rooms are mahogany high boys and an interesting dresser made in England of olive wood with the back fashioned of blue tile.

Mrs. Lucretia Hazelwood has many enviable articles of furniture which have come to her from past generations. One is a mahogany bureau, French design of the style of a century ago, a desk and chair which her grandmother had on starting housekeeping. Also there is a four poster bed, a walnut desk, and several hair cloth sofas.

Mrs. S. H. Kiser is the proud owner of a walnut bed that is more than a century and a quarter old, also a beautiful spinnet desk. An old rosewood chair is owned by Mrs. Kiser it having been the property of the family of the late Capt. M. H. Insley. Much china, among which is a lovely willowware sugar bowl is another prized possession.

Mrs. C. G. Nickels has as a priceless possession an old English tea urn which is much over a hundred years old. It will hold nearly two gallons, has a double lining and is ornamented with an eagle. Mrs. Nickels highly prizes a lace collar made by her mother while she was attending a young ladies' seminary in Edinburg, Scotland. Also she has two night caps worn by her great grandmother, one of real lace and one of fine material.

Mrs. Clarence W. Chase proudly possesses many heirlooms, among the most interesting of which is a teapot of blue wedgewood which belonged to her great grandfather while he was still a bachelor. Also a collection of silver teaspoons made of coin silver. Much ancestral china s also in Mrs. Chase's possession.

An interesting Bible is possessed by the family of Mrs. Alexander Kirk. It was brought from Ireland by the first Kirks who came to this country from that land. The Bible first has a back of cardboard and that is covered with deer hide. It is truly a valuable possession.

Mrs. Harry Seckler has a number of valuable bedspreads and quilts that are the envy of her friends.

Miss Mary Mickey owns a valuable collection of jewelry.

Mrs. S. B. Langworthy owns a historical pair of andirons besides much beautiful mahogany which has come from the original New York home.

Mrs. J. V. Kelly has much in her home that is of interest, beautiful mahogany settees and ottomans. Also mahogany clocks and beds. A high-backed grandmother's chair Mrs. Kelly especially likes. Much silver and china have come to her from her ancestors, the Laings, and also a Brussels white lace shawl which is rare and beautiful.

In the historical room in the court house of the D. A. R. are many rare and valuable possessions. What is considered the most valuable are the original articles drawn up for the founding of Leavenworth and signed by Amos Reece, L. W. Caples, William H. Adams, Oliver Diefendorf, L. A. Wisely, George M. Gist, Lorrenzo Bird, D. H. Stephens, Samuel Morton, William Murphy, Sam Fernandez, Mort Johnson, G. H. Belton, William S. Caples, H. Miles Moore, Joseph Maury, John C. Gest, Joseph Evans, Malcolm Clark, John Bull F. Impy, J. L. Ladd, Thos. Kyle, E. A. Ogden, Samuel Few, Sachfield Maclin.

There is a set of andirons that were kept at Kennebuk Inn, Horton, before which Abraham Lincoln warmed his feet, also a wedge wood pitcher and cup from which Lincoln is supposed to have taken a drink of beer. This was given to the society by Miss Mollie Delahay, of San Antonio, formerly of Leavenworth. Mr. and Mrs. Hertel presented a malodion much over a hundred years old. There is a gun with flint lock made in 1759 and used in the Revolutionary War. A copy of the Ulster County, N. J., paper in 1800 telling of the death of George Washington. This was presented by the father of Mr. Ross Perkins. An autograph picture of all of the Justices of the United States Supreme Court during the time that Chief Justice David J. Brewer served in the court. This picture was given by Mrs. George Eddy. A picture taken in 1860 of the original home of Judge J. L. Pendry on Sixth and Chestnut was given to Mrs. William A. Jeffers. A pair of lace mits[sic] were given by Dennis Jones. They were the possession of an old slave eighty years of age and had been given to her by her young mistress. A collection of relics of the Muncie Indians of Delaware township were given by Miss Laura Tarr, and Mrs. D. H..

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