2017 Fall Newsletter

Lloyd’s Letters

Recently the museum received more than 40 containers of Indian Artifacts that were lost or discarded more than 150 years ago in Miami County. Jerry Emberlin of Shawnee, Kansas brought us his lifetime, over 50 years, collection. He admits that it was a fun passionate hobby. But this required a great deal of very hard work; including preliminary re search of old maps and history; and permission of property owners, sometimes taking 10 years. Mapping out and cir cling the wand over large areas can get very monotonous. Then the digging, cleaning and electrolyzing for rust and documenting are a part of the process. He told me that he made over 60 trips to Miami Village Sites, each of about 70 miles. My definition of metal detection is as follows. It is a stick like wand held by the forearm with a battery controlled box at the top that has several setting and sends an electrical signal to a round open centered coil of copper wire. When electrical waves find metal below, it sends backs a signal that the detector can interpolate. The detector process es the signal and can determine what type of metal has found. Some models can tell the difference between coins and pop bottle caps. High-powered Italian models can cost more than $3,000 and cheap models now sell for under $100. As background, I first met Jack York, Jerry’s partner, back in the winter of 2010. He played a large role in this proj ect. He showed me his extensive collection in his home at Louisburg, Kansas. It included many old bullets, coins, and buttons, household item and hard to ID items. His collec tion overwhelmed me. The area covered varied from Ft. Leavenworth to Ft. Scott and Clinton, Mo. to Pomona, Ks. Then Jack told me I should see Jerry Emberlin’s collection as it was larger and more extensive. I spent five hours with Jack and learned much about metal detection collection. He started his collection in the late 70’s right out of school. Early on Jack explored the Coldwater Springs site as it was a Military Road site just south of Louisburg. A Nov. 17th 1999 Louisburg Herald report shows a picture of Jack standing in front of his metal detector. Because of family connec tions, he also explored the Wea Trading Post and Village just south of 319 and Ridgeview Rd., south of the junction of Bull and Wea Creek. Jack and Jerry can more precisely pinpoint site because of the old bullets they find concen trated around these sites. Jerry first got permission from Maxine Slyter Brandt about 1983 to explore the Miami Mission Village west. She lived After many back and forth phone calls Larry Lybarger got to talk to Jerry, we finally suggested that an accession loan agreement might work. He would bring us 15 or 20 boxes for us to evaluate and to be viewed. If we didn’t want them or Jerry was not happy with our proposed treatment, he could pick them up any time. Jerry said he was very ac quainted with the accession process. He and Jack had pre viously had an exhibit at our Museum and had removed it prior to 2009. Jerry soon brought 24 more boxes for us to evaluate. He placed a value on a number of these boxes which seemed reasonable. Jack thinks during their collec tions they made several thousand trips. The next bump in the road I knew was coming as our financ es are strictly day to day. Jerry had voiced concern about how earnest we were to properly and safely display the col METAL DETECTION ARTIFACT COLLECTION just east of that site. Jack and Jerry did not meet until about 1990 when Jack spotted Jerry in a restaurant with a Metal Detection hat on. They worked together after that and Jack is still working new sites. The hobby is quite common. The KC Star of August 5, 2012 reports about the Mid-West Artifact Society of Kansas City. It meets monthly for a picnic, socializing and comparing finds. The 20 plus members on that date went fishing (met al detecting) at a Boys Scout encampment at the south end of the old Swope Park. At that time the Vice President was John Irby of Osawatomie, Kansas. In the report He tells the story of a couple losing a $4,000 wedding ring out a car window on 69 Highway near Drexel, Mo. and it being found by metal detection. He also reports that they explored the Osawatomie State Hospital grounds, Mine Creek Site and old homes and an old school. Forward, to last winter. Jack called me and reported that Jerry because of age and medical problems wanted to disperse his collection, possibly on E- Bay. Jack suggested to him he needed to connect with me and the new Miami Co. Hist. Museum Indian Room people as a good place for his collection. It took awhile due to winter weather and sickness, but we made connections and in his basement I got to view and photograph some of his boxes. I showed these pictures to the Museum Board Members in hope of convincing them that this was a very worth while collection. I told them that because we had no Miami Tribal artifact, getting this was strictly a dream, but, I was not very optimistic. But we needed to physically see more of the collection.

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