Brendan M.
Hero Member
- Apr 14, 2006
- 649
- 10
- Detector(s) used
- White's DFX, Bullseye II pinpointer, Gray Ghost Headphones
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
I was just reading last night here in the forum about folks who went back over their "junk" and ended up finding some cool things after cleaning up said junk. That just happened to me as well.
Yesterday I was hunting around an old house and barn and dug a ton of scrap metal and stuff. I dug this one ruler-sized scrap of bent up metal and didn't even give it a moment's attention until later when I was emptying out my bag and noticed it had some markings on it. I cleaned it up as best as I could and realized it was part of an old thermometer. I got the idea it was really old based on the funny markings it had in places, like "Blood Heat," "Fever Heat," and "Spirit Boils." It's stamped up top with "E. Kendall, N. Lebanon Spa, N.Y."
I did a little research and it turns out the full name of the maker is Edwin Kendall, and he was making thermometers in that town (also called Lebanon Springs) between 1859 and 1863. He and his brothers all got into the business from their father, Thomas Kendall, who was the first manufacturer to standardize thermometer markings (boiling point of water, freezing point, etc.) back in the 1820s, and the family went on to have great success, also making some of the first barometers. To this day the Kendall brand makes state-of-the-art thermometers for hospitals, labs, etc.
Anyway, as a history buff I thought this was really neat, and it helped me get some more dating proof for my site. Moral of the story: Check that junk before you toss it!
Cheers and HH,
Brendan
Yesterday I was hunting around an old house and barn and dug a ton of scrap metal and stuff. I dug this one ruler-sized scrap of bent up metal and didn't even give it a moment's attention until later when I was emptying out my bag and noticed it had some markings on it. I cleaned it up as best as I could and realized it was part of an old thermometer. I got the idea it was really old based on the funny markings it had in places, like "Blood Heat," "Fever Heat," and "Spirit Boils." It's stamped up top with "E. Kendall, N. Lebanon Spa, N.Y."
I did a little research and it turns out the full name of the maker is Edwin Kendall, and he was making thermometers in that town (also called Lebanon Springs) between 1859 and 1863. He and his brothers all got into the business from their father, Thomas Kendall, who was the first manufacturer to standardize thermometer markings (boiling point of water, freezing point, etc.) back in the 1820s, and the family went on to have great success, also making some of the first barometers. To this day the Kendall brand makes state-of-the-art thermometers for hospitals, labs, etc.
Anyway, as a history buff I thought this was really neat, and it helped me get some more dating proof for my site. Moral of the story: Check that junk before you toss it!
Cheers and HH,
Brendan
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