MaineRelic
Bronze Member
I just recently received permission to hunt the now wooded fields of a huge 1790's farmhouse with a big barn out back . There is not much left of the original farm land due to urban sprawl . There is a convenience store on what would have been one of the prime metal detecting spots right along Route 1 . The House is empty and is starting to fall into disrepair . The big old Barn is still holding up ok ! I made a site visit / test dig there wensday after work for about an hour. I did not find much then but noticed the barn sat quite high up on it;s stone foundation so I called the owner back and asked if he minds If I crawl under the barn to look for old bottles ect.. and he said no problem. so today I got up very early and gave it a go , The woods dirt was dry and hard from our recent heat wave so I don't feel I did as well as I could have detecting but I made a few finds out of the dirt . Under the Barn I managed to find pieces of an old harness with the snaffle bit still mounted to the bridal . the big brass buckle was found in the dirt right underneath the bridal 
. Now this made me really start checking out the tops of the beams and low and behold I saw these paddles tucked up on top of a hand hewn beam where there was quite a depression under the barn . At first I thought they were for grooming a horse but the reverse said No 6 wool . So I figured they used it to brush a sheep after it was sheared . Nope ! WRONG AGAIN ! After getting home and go-ogling it they are wool cards. Used in a pair to separate and straiten the wool to prepair it for the spinning wheel , The William Whittmore Co, was established in 1799 in West Cambridge MA. Now Arlington Mass. Amos Whittmore was given a patent for the method of manufacturing the wire bristles to card the wool. The Factory burned in 1862 . I have not been able to obtain an accurate date of manufacturing of these particular cards any more info would be greatly appreciated ! Thanks for looking ! MaineRelic.
. Now this made me really start checking out the tops of the beams and low and behold I saw these paddles tucked up on top of a hand hewn beam where there was quite a depression under the barn . At first I thought they were for grooming a horse but the reverse said No 6 wool . So I figured they used it to brush a sheep after it was sheared . Nope ! WRONG AGAIN ! After getting home and go-ogling it they are wool cards. Used in a pair to separate and straiten the wool to prepair it for the spinning wheel , The William Whittmore Co, was established in 1799 in West Cambridge MA. Now Arlington Mass. Amos Whittmore was given a patent for the method of manufacturing the wire bristles to card the wool. The Factory burned in 1862 . I have not been able to obtain an accurate date of manufacturing of these particular cards any more info would be greatly appreciated ! Thanks for looking ! MaineRelic.
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...gotta love that button. Hope ya get some good rain and cooler temps so ya can go back for more! Terrific finds! 
M.R.
