Railroad Baggage Tag & 19thc Canadian Militia Button!

[ANTIQUARIAN]

I've hit a couple of sites over the past two days totaling about 7 hours of hunting. The first site I hit was on Friday, it was a c1850 field-stone farmhouse. Unfortunately, I feel this site has had the soil re-topped sometime in the past 15 - 20 years, as targets were sparse. However, I did find the brass horse bell and the 1912 style FORD Model T hubcap with the border around the script on the face at this site. The site I hit this morning is the site of a c1860 brick farmhouse. I've been to this site a number of times, primarily working the western field, today I hit the front half of the eastern field. It was at this site last fall where I found my first baggage tag along with an early wristwatch and a number of LC's. My first 'keeper' find was the GTR baggage tag; this was followed by the 19thc Canada Militia button. I'm hoping to get back to detect the rest of this field again tomorrow morning.

The Canadian Militia / North West Mounted Police 1866 - 1893

The often-inadequate performance of the Canadian militia during the Fenian raids of 1866-1870 clearly demonstrated a need for better training at all levels. The British Army had long been the source of qualified instructors; but the British regiments sailed for home in 1870, leaving Canadians to their own resources. In 1883, to replace the personnel and expertise lost through the British departure, approval was granted for the creation of a small Canadian regular force of cavalry, artillery, and infantry. On 21 December 1883, Lieutenant-Colonel J.F. Turnbull was authorized to raise and command A Troop, Cavalry School Corps and School of Cavalry. During the following year, recruiting brought A Troop to its established strength of three officers, forty men, and a number of horses. However, proper saddlery, valises, and carbines were not provided, and these items had to be borrowed from A Battery of the regular artillery and from the Queen's Own Canadian Hussars, a militia unit in Quebec City. Active service came quickly for the Cavalry School Corps. On the outbreak of the Northwest Rebellion in April 1885, A Troop was joined by the Winnipeg Troop of Cavalry to form a mounted unit of General Middleton's North West Field Force. When the Rebellion had been crushed, the Cavalry School Corps resumed its normal peacetime task of training the volunteer militia cavalry.

The Grand Trunk Railway in Ontario 1852 - 1923

The company was incorporated on November 10, 1852, as the Grand Trunk Railway Company of Canada to build a railway line between Montreal and Toronto. The Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system that operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, and in the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate headquarters were in London, England. The Grand Trunk, its subsidiaries, and the Canadian Government Railways, were precursors of today's Canadian National Railways. GTR's main line ran from Portland, Maine, to Montreal, and then from Montreal to Sarnia, Ontario, where it joined its western subsidiary.
Thanks for looking,

Dave

 

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[ANTIQUARIAN]

I am not sure how it got there - it was not CW period - perhaps a coincidence or some canuck vet left it to pay his homage.

It's always the way ... when we find an object we can't help but try to imagine how it got there. My theory is that a bad guy was being cased by a North West Mounted Police constable and it fell off the policeman's uniform!

Thanks,
Dave

Thats was a very nice hunt Dave ! I Love the button and the baggage tag ! Thanks for contributing to the site ! Nice to see some Ontario goodies ! MaineRrelic

Thanks very much for your kind words MR! If you're going to take the time to read my post, the least I can do is make it and interesting read ... or a history lesson!

Best of luck to you,
Dave

 

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[CMDiamonddawg]

Congrats on some nice hunts and finds Dave .

Old RR baggage tags are tough to find anywhere . Great pics too !

CMDdawg

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Congrats on some nice hunts and finds Dave .

Old RR baggage tags are tough to find anywhere . Great pics too !

CMDdawg

Thanks very much dawg! I went back again this afternoon for 1.5hrs and all I found was a brass harness buckle and a 38cal. bullet! I sure would love to pull a silver or at least an LC out of this field, but beggars can't be choosers right!

Best of luck to you buddy,
Dave