4/11/21 Report - Working An Inland Site and Some Finds. An Old O. M. Edwards Padlock.

 Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.

Yesterday I gave you a site map of a partially cleared lot that I began to metal detect and summarized some of the finds up to that point.  I mentioned that since many of the large and surface targets were removed from some areas, I expected to start finding some smaller items..  I was also hoping to start finding some marked items that might provide more information about the site.  Well my timing was right, and it happened.

First I found the small item below.  I'll get back to it later, but after a few more scattered spikes, I found the above lock, which I really like.  The patina when it was found is like like the third picture, but I couldn't wait to see if I could get the cover for the keyhole to open so I sprayed some WD40 on the front of the lock.  Then the keyhole cover opened nicely.  And not only does it open, but the spring works very well.  

The chain seems to go with the lock.  At the bottom of the lock is a connector that is broken, which allowed the chain to separate.

The shank of the lock is marked O. M. Edwards Company Syracuse N.Y.  The keyhole cover is marked "trade PAOWNY mark."

My research on this lock is just beginning. but I found one site that listed the O. M. Edwards company operating in Syracuse in 1889.  

Here is that link.

A List of Syracuse Businesses from an 1948 Syracuse Centennial Dinner Program (rootsweb.com)

Since the construction of the railroad in Fort Pierce was around 1894, some of the finds I am making, including this one, could come from that construction period. Maybe I'll find more evidence one way or the other before long.

I've seen some similar, but not exactly the same padlocks made by the O. M. Edwards company for sale on eBay.  They were patented as early as 1913.  I haven't fount the exact model shown above yet.

The following handy paper was found on one padlock listed on eBay.  It gives a summary of the kinds of things the O. M. Edwards company made.  I think his biggest hit was a device for opening windows on passenger cars.

Products of the O. M. Edwards Company.

One eBay listing provides the following information relevant to the O. M. Edwards.  Because of his connection with the Pennsylvania (PA), the Ohio Western, (OW) and the New York Central (NYC) railroads OM named his estate PAOWNYC.  Additional research, however, shows that the OW actually refers to the Ontario and Western rather than Ohio Western.

As I said above, before finding the padlock, I found the following item, which at the time seemed to me to mark the beginning of some of what I might call the second level finds of the site.

If you hit a junky area, you might be tempted to give up and quit on it, but if you remove some of the junk, much of the smaller and better stuff will then be found.

Shortly before finding the lock, I found the plate with six split rivets.  I took that as a signal that the second level of finds was about to begin.  

This items is about 2 inches by 1 3/8 inches. Looking at the back, you can see the ends of the one split rivet still in place.

Split rivets are used to connect soft materials such as leather or wood.  Whatever this one connected, by the length of the rivet you can tell that the material was not thick.  I'm guessing leather, but that is just a wild guess at this point.  It is slight arched.  

What do you think it connected?  Any ideas?

There are two general takeaways.  The first is the need to remove to clean up an site by removing big targets before getting to the smaller and better stuff.  I've found that true on the beach.  After removing coins, you might get to the smaller rings and things.

Another important point, is that this is just one random lot.  For every lot like this that has been detected there are hundreds that have not.  I had no reason to believe there was anything on this lot, but decided to find out.  I expected that it would have something of interest, but I didn't know what.  And I'm not near done with it yet.  I'm still expecting more big and small targets and some better things.  I've only hit one or two coins so far, and they were both fairly recent pennies even though they were so badly corroded I couldn't identify the dates.

I've mostly been using the Ace in all-metals mode.  It does well near the power lines and has a nice small coil.  At some point, I'll probably switch detectors.

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I'm getting a nice thunder storm right now.  I have some older finds to clean up.  A couple of those I think are shipwreck related.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

We'll be getting a 3 - 4 foot surf.  The wind is still mostly from the south, but the thunder storm might open up some areas.  

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net.

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