History Detectives Season 9, Episode 12: Ince Ledger; Harlem Heirs; Chandler Tintype

Yakima Canutt's Saddle; The Ni'ihau Incident; Civil War Cannon

A veteran collector of cowboy gear, our contributor thinks he may have a saddle that once belonged to rodeo champion and Hollywood legend, Yakima Canutt. History Detectives’ first ever Hawaii story takes us to the island of Ni’ihau, the backdrop for a fascinating tale often overshadowed by the enormity of the raid on Pearl Harbor. A Charleston, SC antique dealer discovered a century old puzzle in a corked test tube. The tube contained what appeared to be metal filings along with a note that reads: "Old Secession was rebored at the Charleston Iron Works May 4/99 and fired by Palmetto Guard Company U.C.V. in honor of U.C.V. reunion May 10/99."

60 min

Spanish Civil War Eulogy; Word War II Leaflets; Tiffany Window

War traumatized Sol Fellman. He rarely discussed his Spanish Civil War experience until shortly before his death when he passed on his mementos. Going through her brother’s belongings in El Paso, TX, a History Detectives fan came across a leaflet with Japanese writing and startling war images. Our contributor cherishes a small, framed watercolor handed down from his great-great grandmother, Anne Weston.But he has reason to believe the value of this painting may extend beyond his family bond.

60 min

Siberian Bullet; John Brown Pike; Ronald McDonald Costume

Rummaging through a box of shells and bullets at a Colorado gun show, a History Detectives fan discovered a World War I vintage cartridge with a curious etching: Leo V. Thompson, CO E 31st Inf., A.E.F. Siberia. Our contributor bought a spear, or pike, from an antique shop in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. He knows abolitionist John Brown lived near Chagrin Falls and wonders if rebels used this blade in John Brown’s famous raid at Harpers Ferry, VA. Have we found the original costume that launched Ronald McDonald? The label credits a well-known costume designer, and the costume looks similar to the suit we see in an early Ronald McDonald commercial: the yellow balloon coverall, red and white striped shirt and long stockings, and red oversized shoes.

60 min

African American Comic Book; Lindberg-Sikorsky Fabric; Civil War Letters

Our contributor found an unusual 1950's comic book at an auction, titled Negro Romance. For over 50 years our contributor has cherished an object he inherited from his late father. It’s a piece of fabric in Plexiglass with signatures of Charles Lindbergh and Igor Sikorsky and dated August 1943. A couple of stamp enthusiasts found far more than stamps in a box they purchased. In the box, along with Civil War era stamps, we find letters addressed to a William Blackford, Senate Post, Washington, D.C.

60 min

Drone Propeller; Clara Barton Letter; Teddy Roosevelt War Club

Tucked into the pages of an antique book, our contributor from Osceola, Indiana found what he thinks may be a letter written by Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross. More than 30 years ago, while tearing the aluminum roofing from a farm house, a Chicago man discovered an oddly carved piece of wood in the dark recesses of the attic. Working beside a rural airstrip, an Illinois man dug up an intriguing find: an eight-foot long wooden airplane propeller. A little research online made him believe that his propeller might be from a TDR-1 plane, a pioneering U.S. drone plane from World War II.

60 min

Baker's Gold; Kittery Telescope; Japanese Carved Cane

A viewer from Colorado thinks he may have discovered a gem of Gold Rush memorabilia when he found an unusual drawing. When a Kittery Point, ME man moved into his great aunt’s house he discovered an unusual wooden telescope. No one in his family knows where it came from or how long it’s been in the family. A California man hopes the Japanese characters on this hand-carved cane will unlock the mysteries of his family’s past.

60 min

Andrew Jackson's Mouth; Modoc Basket; Hot Town Poster

A 1960s poster suggests a battle between citizens and police; carving of Andrew Jackson; a basket tells the story of a Modoc War heroine.

60 min

Drug Smuggling Doll; Florida Map; Marion Carpenter Camera

A camera may have been used to photograph President Truman; Civil War doll may have been used to smuggle medicine; a 15th-century map shows how Europe colonized Florida.

60 min

1775 Almanac; Exercise Records; Moon Museum

What a 1775 almanac reveals about a family's history; the story behind the "Get Thin to Music" phonograph records of the 1920s; a NASA mission that may have transported Andy Warhol's art to the moon.

60 min

Leopold Medal; Suffrage Pennant; WB Cartoons

60 min

Continental Club Card; Saint Valentine's Day Massacre; Society Circus Program

60 min