Ed-D
Sr. Member
- Jan 1, 2011
- 429
- 809
- 🏆 Honorable Mentions:
- 3
- Detector(s) used
- Garrett AT Max and Pro, NEL Hunter Coil, ACE Apex for the coast
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
Last month I found a silver relic. When I first got it out of the ground it was encase in some of that hard Texas dirt and I could only see part of an emblem and its general shape. I thought it was a flattened school ring and only after I soaked it did I see it wasn't a ring, but some kind of other jewelry like piece, probably from a bracelet or school uniform. The emblem on the face is inscribed "Decatur Baptist College 1934". There were also some initials on the back.
A quick online search revealed that Decatur Baptist College formed in the late 1800's as America's first two year college. In the mid to late 1960s it became Dallas Baptist University and the campus was moved to the current location south of Dallas, TX. The building that was the administration offices of Decatur Baptist College now houses the Wise County Historical Society Museum.
I first spoke to the Executive Director of the Wise County Historical Society Museum who said they had never seen a relic of that kind from the college and suggested I talk with Dallas Baptist University who keeps all of the student records and who maintains an archive of items from the old Decatur Baptist College. I started a conversation with Mr. Dennis Linam at Dallas Baptist University regarding the item and he also agreed he had never seen anything like it and never knew something like that existed. According to Mr. Linam the school was poor and they did not have class rings or any such things, especially one made of Sterling silver. We were able to identify the original owner of the item, but have not been able to find her. We figure the item was probably a one of a kind item that the owner or the owners family had made.
I decided to donate the item to Dallas Baptist University. Today I met with Mr. Dennis Linam (pictured right) where he will display the item with the other Decatur Baptist College items in their archives. We had a great visit and this was once again such a rewarding aspect of this great hobby.
A quick online search revealed that Decatur Baptist College formed in the late 1800's as America's first two year college. In the mid to late 1960s it became Dallas Baptist University and the campus was moved to the current location south of Dallas, TX. The building that was the administration offices of Decatur Baptist College now houses the Wise County Historical Society Museum.
I first spoke to the Executive Director of the Wise County Historical Society Museum who said they had never seen a relic of that kind from the college and suggested I talk with Dallas Baptist University who keeps all of the student records and who maintains an archive of items from the old Decatur Baptist College. I started a conversation with Mr. Dennis Linam at Dallas Baptist University regarding the item and he also agreed he had never seen anything like it and never knew something like that existed. According to Mr. Linam the school was poor and they did not have class rings or any such things, especially one made of Sterling silver. We were able to identify the original owner of the item, but have not been able to find her. We figure the item was probably a one of a kind item that the owner or the owners family had made.
I decided to donate the item to Dallas Baptist University. Today I met with Mr. Dennis Linam (pictured right) where he will display the item with the other Decatur Baptist College items in their archives. We had a great visit and this was once again such a rewarding aspect of this great hobby.
Last edited:
