🥇 BANNER SUPER RARE piece of local history

[civil_war22]

I can’t even put in to words how excited I am. Went out to that permission today Broken_detector, and I’ve been digging lots of goodies, and found a Banner worthy find. The medal I found was worn on a necklace given out to only 5 women, who were the original 5 sisters of Mercy hospital graduating in 1886. Miss Agnes Gray got this medal some 133 years ago, and I was fortunate enough to find it. The old St. Anne’s Academy is no longer there, but the main church is there. These 5 women took care of the men, women, and children of Fort Smith, AR back in a day when the population was so little they could make house calls. I have reached out to the church itself, and am hoping to get ahold of them, and returning the beloved Miss Gray’s graduation medal back home to where it began. I was born at Mercy as a child, as well as my twin, and other family. My great great uncle in the 1930’s who was Alma Town Marshall Henry Humphrey we’re brought here to be tended to by women like these. Maybe even her. I’ve highlighted in the article mentioning the first graduating class, and Miss Gray’s name. This is the biggest Banner I could ever imagine in my life, and I’ll be cheeky for years to come.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

How to Research for Treasure Hunting and Metal Detecting From Lead Generation to Vetting - Grab it through Amazon!

[chatterbait]

I’ll for sure let everyone know. My stipulation I’ve worked out in my head with the curator is I want it to be displayed. I don’t want it just put back in a back room somewhere, and I also want recognition for finding it. That’s two things that can easily be done

And I want to hunter the entire property to find the other 4.Great find I'm happy for you.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Diving for Pleasure and Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[Swamp Fox]

A memorable recovery. Congrats !

 

[HighVDI]

IMO these are by far the best finds! Ones you can trace back to a person, place.....or both! Big congrats!

 

[Trezurehunter]

What a great find and story research on your part.

 

[civil_war22]

And I want to hunter the entire property to find the other 4.Great find I'm happy for you.

That would be nice. I wish the Catholic Church would let me detect their property. It’s super super old, and Zachary Taylor’s home once stood there

 

[civil_war22]

Went back out today to look for some more old coins, and pretty sure someone else has been out there. Saw some fresh dig holes. Landowner said no one else is supposed to be out there, so looks like we may be putting up some trail cams to see who it is. He’s paying us to remove the old porch off the 3 story mansion, and I’m going to ask him when we’re done with that if I can take the tractor, and use the box blade with rippers for turn up the soil on the empty lot, and hope it brings some deeper finds closer to the top. I’d planned on spreading some grass seed out there since it’s fairly bare from when the city tore the old house down.

 

[civil_war22]

A member of the local parish offered to buy it from me, but I didn’t sell. Was a 4 figure price. I know, I know I’m stupid for not taking it, but it seems more personal to me.

 

[Doc Arey]

Love this!

 

[broken_detector]

Awesome piece, amazing history

 

[civil_war22]

Awesome piece, amazing history

Thank you, it’s definitely a ONE OF A KIND piece. I spoke to the curator of the museum, and the records department at the new Convent, and my medal is the ONLY surviving piece. They’ve spoken to family members who still attend the Catholic Church about my find, and the family members of the other 4 women have no recollection of where they could be. The grand children, and great grand children have no clue where there grandmothers went. I’ve turned down let’s just say a 4 figure offer for it from a prominent member of the City, and will hold on to it till I can figure out what kind of deal we (Church, convent), and I can make.

 

[cdickrun64]

I would suggest a trade for exclusive detecting rights.

 

[civil_war22]

I would suggest a trade for exclusive detecting rights.

That would be nice. The original Convent was President Zachary Taylor’s House. That same ground is still there, the house burned downed that held the convent in the 1900 so they had a new one erected on the other side of the road in 1903.

 

[looknforgold]

Loved reading this thread (actually read it the other day, but...lol), awesome. Had to skim back through it

 

[civil_war22]

Loved reading this thread (actually read it the other day, but...lol), awesome. Had to skim back through it

Haha, well I wish they would let me detect there. It’s not part of the National Historic Sites like downtown eventhough it’s only about 2 blocks up from them. Everything in that ground could date well before the Civil War because it’s the highest point overlooking the main Garrison road to the old fort used in the Civil War, and the original fort that was built in the 1830’s is about 30 yards past that one on the other side of some train tracks. So where the church sits at would have been a heck of a vantage point for any soldier. Which is probably why when Zachary Taylor was commander over the Garrison his house was there.

 

[Sonny Runolfsson]

Wow, that was a great discovery.

 

[civil_war22]

Wow, that was a great discovery.

Thank you

 

[against the wind]

Great recovery and excellent research.
Congratulations

 

[Mvgirl]

Wow! All I can say is wow. The chances of finding g that is like one in a million...

 

[Tenspeed]

Wow, what a find!

And returning it to its home is even better!

Congratulations and thanks for doing the good deed of returning it.

 

[civil_war22]

Wow, what a find!

And returning it to its home is even better!

Congratulations and thanks for doing the good deed of returning it.

It hasn’t gone back yet. I’m working on getting it there, as well as working out a deal with the museum curator, who wrote me lastnight about the piece. He wanted to let me know that they had located a picture of her. No living relatives around locally he said, the other 4 women’s families have been told about the piece, and none of them have their mother, or grandmothers necklace, but had heard of it before. I have found more religious stuff in my yard, that also coincides with the church just not as old, I say not as old but they’re still in the early 1900’s. So we’ll see what comes of it today when I talk to them about it.