✅ SOLVED Hook from former fort site 1863 - 1912

[niffler]

Hello fellow t-netters, I found this riveted hook 8" down on a football field located on a former military site used by the Army from 1863 - 1912. I think it is a military belt hook, but I have not found an exact match, although some Indian War era hooks are close, but the riveted end is rounded whereas mine is triangular. Anyone out there that can identify the age of my hook, or am I way off base thinking it is military? I had to super glue one of the rivet heads because it broke when I was using a toothpick on the crusted dirt. Thanks, Niffler

 

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[TheCannonballGuy]

Looks like a mid-to-late-1800s military swordbelt adjuster hook to me. The form can vary a bit, due to being manufactured by more than one contractor. Here are photos of a couple of variations.

 

[HutSiteDigger]

CBG- there is no "looks" about it! You are 100% correct.

I was going to reply with a answer about this but was waiting for you too answer. The ones we dig here in Virginia (as you know) have this "green patina" look too it. I have dug at least 100+ of these in Virginia (heck I dug one last week) with that green patina look too it!! but the one this member dug must have been in way different soil than here in Virginia. Im pretty sure 99% think this is Civil War period indeed. Great id CBG!!!

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Thanks... but as an unbiased strictly factual relic-scholar I have to mention that the "civil war style" swordbelt (with that form of adjuster-hook) continued to be made and used through the entire Indian Wars era.

And yes, the soil in Idaho is different than in Virginia -- mainly due to significantly drier climate than we have here in Eastern Virginia.

 

[niffler]

Wow, thanks guys! I really appreciate the ID. Relics from this timeframe seem to be pretty rare in Idaho, we only got statehood in 1891. Thanks again and good luck in your searches.

 

[kuger]

Wow, thanks guys! I really appreciate the ID. Relics from this timeframe seem to be pretty rare in Idaho, we only got statehood in 1891. Thanks again and good luck in your searches.

....there was a lot going on in the Territory Pre-State hood.....like a Gold rush for one,and all kinds of Indian activity

 

[BosnMate]

....there was a lot going on in the Territory Pre-State hood.....like a Gold rush for one,and all kinds of Indian activity

Yeah, gold mines and ghost towns, and there was a lot of Indian activity which was scattered over a huge area including Oregon and Nevada. The Indian activity was the best kept secret before the atom bomb. They didn't want people to stop coming to Oregon, so the problems weren't advertised, but there was a couple of wagon trains with the names recorded, left Missouri, and none of those names ever showed up in Oregon or California. There were military posts all over eastern Oregon. It's really interesting history to read and then to get out there on the desert and try and chase the locations down. Of course the BLM and Forest Service both frown on doing that now. I can remember the time when you asked the Forest Ranger where to look and he'd draw you a map.

 

[BosnMate]

Oh yeah, one of these was found during the archaeological dig of the Custer fight on the Little Big Horn and labeled as a model 1855 waist-belt adjustment hook.