Photo Credit: Dr. Rich Veit
This month’s artifact is from a local museum display, located at Historic Walnford in Crosswicks, New Jersey. The Monmouth County Parks website has this to say about Walnford:
“Picturesque after a snowfall, full of fascinating history throughout the year, any day is a great time to visit this wonderful historic site and learn more about the Waln family and the evolution of Walnford over two centuries - from an 18th century industrial village and family farm to an elegant country estate. At the heart of the Crosswicks Creek Park (1436 acres), the site showcases over 200 years of social, technological and environmental history through the Waln family.”
Photo Credit: Dr. Rich Veit
In the nineteenth-century a German officer was traveling through the area with two other officers. They approached a creek on the property and decided to wade through to the other side. One of the officers became separated from his horse during the crossing after his horse suddenly sank into a hole in the creek. The two eventually made their way back to shore, it was then that the officer noticed he had lost a spur during the ordeal. The boy who witnessed this event eventually grew into an old man and would later discover a spur during a construction project along the same creek. This spur is on display at the Walnford museum along with corresponding letters which describe these first-hand accounts.
Special thanks to Dr. Rich Veit for this Artifact of the Month submission.
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