Lost Powder Horn search

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markackley

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A powder horn that sold at an estate auction in West Finley, PA in the 1990's is being sought. It is a revolutionary war relic that was made by my ancestor. I have photos of the horn and want to know the best way to find the trail leading to its current owner. It's out there somewhere. Any ideas?
I believe the horn sold for about $700 in 1991 and that would mean that the person who bought it knew what it was. So, the chances of this thing being bought by a know-nothing and ending up in a child's toy box are slim. My guess is that it is on display or being used in reenactments. Any help on leads would be welcome. This is a long shot, I know - pardon the pun.
Mark Ackley

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn55/Chriscraft_photos/Genealogy/powderhornweb.jpg powderhornweb.jpg
 
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I'm not sure, but shouldn't there be a record of the estate auction? If sold at an auction house, they would have the buyers information. Whether or not they would give it to you is another question. not sure if estate auctions work along the same lines.
 
It would be a miracle

I started with the auction house and they have nothing that will get me started. I agree, it is nearly impossible, but I must at least try. My family's genealogy is filled with poor farmers who left little in terms of a written trail. Worse yet, I know nothing about powder horns and have to rely on guesswork. I have no chance of anyone spending more that the time to read my email or message board post. Even for that, I am grateful. But there are a few who respond as you did. I will make sure to tell you about the miracle if it occurs. Thanks for your response.
 
contact the sportsmans clubs in the area. go to some of the blackpowder shoots and ask around.
 
You might contact organizations such as The Ohio Long Rifle Collectors, they have an annual show in Marietta which is kind of in the area of West Finley.
Good luck on your pursuit.
 
It's not being used by a reenactor if it went for $700 in 1991. :D Good quality hand made horns without scrimshaw go from $150-$350 today, and no way a plain horn that is an original would end up on somebody's hip. Probably safe and sound in a private collection. Good luck. Somebody may remember seeing it.

LD
 
It's a Long shot for sure

Loyalist Dave, Thanks for your reply. That makes me feel better. I don't know a thing about these powder horns. The "Ackley Covered Bridge" in Henry Ford's Greenfield Village, Dearborn, MI was built by the original owners' son, Joshua in 1836. It's the only relic in the family and it's floating around out there somewhere. I won't stop looking.
Mark
 
i hope you find it! i have lost many things in my life, and finding them is always a pain because i usually spend hours looking and find nothing or loose it in another state. it happened to my first pocket knife and my first Zippo lighter. i miss them both. :(
 
You might try a classified with pics in the local papers.
 
You could try contacting the Nation Muzzleloading Rifle Association. You should be able to run a note in their magazine.

Here is a link to another black powder magazine. Orrin Scurlock I believe is a horn collector and may be able to give you some direction on how to proceed.

http://www.muzzleloadermag.com/
 
Powder Horn Still searching

I love to hear encouraging words of my fellow threadmeisters. I have received some good advice. I would like to place a photo ad in a magazine for enthusiasts but don't know which one is most likely to reach the owner. Any ideas there?
 
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