1889 Bayonet find with a photo of it before it was lost,how cool is that?

[Pa.Billy]

Wow, last week I ran across a this photo in a local Facebook forum of the 1889 Johnstown flood. Looking into
where it was taken I started to realize the ground these soldiers were posted at may not have been disturbed due
to the very steep hillside it was on, a half mile upstream from the Johnstown's vehicular incline plane. This
afternoon,starting out along the steep hillside I quickly came to the point I figured it was, but I walked
around a little to eliminate other possible areas. I was only 40 ft of from my computer calculations where it
figured the photo was taken at. The old heart started pumping faster when I saw the site was undisturbed ! Just
above and below it a trail had been bulldozed out over the years. I found it right where the rifles are stacked
in this photo ! It was about 6 inches deep and the .50 caliber round ball was found about 10 ft above the
bayonet.

 

[Steve in PA]

Nice research. I am very familiar with the story of the Johnstown Flood. I'm not sure you have a bayonet there though. Maybe some experts will chime in.

 

[g-olden years]

Wow! Research & your knowledge of your area sure paid off! Congrats! Andi

 

[Pa.Billy]

here's the original photo I went off of.....the church spires in the background helped in finding the spot also, two of them are still standing today

 

[Pa.Billy]

ok, I cleaned it up a little bit.

 

[Steve in PA]

They definitely had bayonets on the guns in that picture. Your piece looks like a piece of old blacksmith made iron, but does not look like a bayonet to me. You might want to post it on the What Is It forum.

 

[Pa.Billy]

ok thanks Steve, hope it's from the time period.

 

[monte952003]

awesome finds i can remember my great grandmother telling stories about the flood she was 99 when she passed and was a child when the flood happend she always told us it washed there house a block down the street. PA Billy im from blairsville and have been researching a lot about the local area if ya ever wanna head out hit me up. Im new to metal detecting but im pretty knowledgable about the local history

 

[Pa.Billy]

nice to meet you monte, I was just in Blairsville this morning. That must to have been cool having a grandmother that lived through that period. I would like to get together and do some metal detecting.

 

[vpnavy]

Thanks for sharing...