1840s Flatter Dug Up

[CurlyGeorge]

I am the blacksmith at Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site, near Lerna, ILL. It is Abe's father's last home site. The site manager has a "Hammer looking thing" that was found in the area of the of hog lot. He asked me if I knew what it is or was used for. Well, turned out to be an old flatter. Now, Thomas and Sarah Lincoln moved to this location in 1837, and Thomas passed away on the site in 1851. Other tools and artifacts have been dug up at the site in the past. But this is the only blacksmith tool that has been dug up, to our knowledge. Just thought that I'd share a couple of pictures of it. Hope that you enjoy.

[teenylittlemetalguy]

Neat! thanks for sharing.
I wonder if a family member used it or if someone just lost it while they were there doing some work.

[Bill Roy]

CG,
What was on the site prior to the Lincoln's purchasing it?
It could be an 1820's Flatter. :P

[CurlyGeorge]

Bill, there were no buildings on the land where they built on. It was just timber. Thomas cut the logs to build the original cabin. TLM, that would be neat. But we'll never know for sure. :D

[Bentiron1946]

Goes to show you some tools just haven't change much over time. Nice find and I'm glad a smith was there to tell them what it was. I was at a museum and they had some surveying tools laid out in a display case and the names of the tools were not correct on all of them. There happened to be a curator working on a nearby case and I asked who put the names on these tools and she said she did. So I set her straight on them and she said prove it, so I got on line on her computer and found all of the item up for auction at an antique tool site and sure enough I was right on all of them. She asked me how did I know in the first place, I told her I had worked for a land surveyor as a young man and some thing haven't changed much since Geo. Washington's time, not that I was on his crew, but some forms of work haven't changed a whole lot but some folk seem to feel it's OK to make up names for tools from the past. They could have called that a "Broad Faced Hammer Thingy" Used for Killing Hogs, and no one would have been the wiser, but you set them straight, thanks for doing that. B)

[Marksnagel]

George, that is really cool! Finding things like that are always exciting especially when you have an idea where they originated or who may have owned them.

Thanks for posting the pics!

Mark<><

[wolfshieldrx]

Cool, a broad faced hog killing hammer! LOL!!
I think thats what I'll start calling all my flatters. Bart

[Timothy Miller]

Looks to be lightly used. I wounder if it is wrought iron with a blister steel face or something different.

[ken leedy]

I pointed out an incorrectly labeled item in our local museum. I took them a photograph of the item, which is still sold by Kayne and Sons, to prove my assertion. They still have not corrected the label on the item. I guess they just don't care about being accurate. It's the last time I try to help them.