History Detectives

A Kit Carson biography that may have belonged to his family members; a saddle linked to Hollywood stuntman Yakima Canutt; "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" sheet music with curious inscription; a basket that may have been woven by a pivotal player in the Modoc Indian wars.

A North Vietnamese soldier's diary; Notebook with recipes for large volumes of liquor; ledger sheds light on how American Indian actors were treated in Hollywood.

Whether two patches that feature a symbol of a bird dropping a bomb are from a World War II unit; if a neckpiece and leggings belonged to Chief Black Kettle, a Cheyenne leader; whether a President Lincoln-signed note is authentic. Also: A tattered piece of red fabric is linked to a pivotal moment in the U.S. Civil War.

A matched set of Civil War-era pistols; a 78 rpm record from KKK Records that features the songs "The Bright Fiery Cross" and "The Jolly Old Klansman." Also: Eduardo Pagán attempts to prove that Motown bassist James Jamerson owned an Ampeg B-15 amp that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame wants to display.

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.

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

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.

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.

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."

WB Cartoons:This box of cartoon drawings and cels tells an unexpected story about animation's early days. Galvez Papers: Why did a regional governor care enough about a slave to sign her emancipation papers? Mussolini's Dagger: Did this dagger once belong to Benito Mussolini?

Hot Town Poster: What role did this striking poster play in the explosive events of 1960s America? Face Jug: Did the artist mean to scare someone with the grimace on this face jug? Lost City of Gold: What does the inscription on a rock tell us about when Spain first arrived in America?

Korean War Letter: What does this letter reveal about a forgotten act of heroism during the final days of the Korean War? Diana: How did this alleged lesbian autobiography escape censorship in the 1930’s? Lookout Mountain Painting: What can this painting tell us about a turning point in the Civil War?

Sculpture piece may be part of one that featured Andrew Jackson; Clara Barton letter; a notebook may have belonged to a World War I spy.

Iwo Jima Map - What role did this map play in one of WWII’s fiercest battles? Copperhead Cane - How did this cane inspire a fiery political movement that threatened Lincoln’s presidency? Theremin - How did this strange instrument help spark a rock n’ roll revolution?

Duke Ellington Plates - Are these plates the first edition of Duke Ellington’s “Take the A Train”? "Scottsboro Boys" Stamp - Did a penny stamp help save the Scottsboro Boys from the electric chair? Civil War Bridge - Has a new discovery rewritten Civil War history?

Items look at include six paintings by Thelma Johnson Streat, which may have been mural studies commissioned by the WPA in the 1930s or '40s; a 1790 miniature color portrait of a "G. Washington" which was found stored above a Manhattan tavern in a box of documents; and a scrap of material believed to have come from a Japanese balloon bomb used during WWII.

A man from New Jersey claims to have the instrument panel from the Hindenburg in his possession, in which his family lore claims it came from the blimps 1937 crash site. Then, an 18th-century book titled "Trials of Patriots," may contain John Adams signature and an inscription to his son, Charles. And a search is on at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx to see, as legend has it, the origins of hip-hop music.

Items explored include a recording believed to be from the trial of Iva Toguri, better known Tokyo Rose, the Japanese American woman who made propaganda broadcasts for the Japanese during WWII; a possible photograph of the legendary Crazy Horse, the Lakota warrior. Also, a diary written by a pilot during WWII who perished in action is returned to his family.

Items include a shotgun believed to have been used by a member of Al Capone's gang during the St. Valentine's Day Massacre; a threatening letter to President Andrew Jackson believed to have been written by John Wilkes Boothe's father; and an alarm which is thought to have been an alarm against grave robbers in a cemetery.

Season 7 begins with a closer look at the "Psycho-Phone," a device presumed to have been built by Thomas Edison and was designed to communicate with the dead. Then, a WWII letter between two soldiers which talks about a third man's qualifications to become a dog trainer. Lastly, a watch fob which commemorates Pancho Villa's infamous raid on Columbus, New Mexico in 1916.

Blueprint Special: Did this record play a dramatic role in the Allied victory during the Second World War? Monroe Letter: Does this letter link America's fifth President to the high seas piracy of U.S. merchant ships in the early 1800s? Atocha Spanish Silver: What is the meaning of these markings on a silver bar discovered in the wreck of the Spanish ship?

John Adams Book: Do these tattered pages open the book on a President who built a nation even as his own son fell into ruin? Mankato Spoon: What does this delicate silver spoon have to do with the largest mass execution in American history? NC-4: First Across the Atlantic: Is this piece of fabric a remnant from the first transatlantic flight, eight years before Lindbergh?

GAR Photograph: How did two African Americans come to be part of this photograph of about 20 older white men in Reconstructionist-era America? Bill Pickett Saddle: Did this saddle ride into cowboy history with one of rodeo's most daring innovators? Hitler Films: Could these rusting film canisters contain unknown footage of one of the 20th century's most heinous murderers?

China Marine Jacket: Can the symbols on this unusual item of clothing identify a marine who may have witnessed a Chinese paradise tumbling into disaster? Airstream Caravan: Was this mobile home part of a modern-day wagon train halfway across the world? Lincoln Forgery: Could this piece of sheet music have come from Abraham Lincoln's private collection?

Red Hand Flag: Is this peculiar flag one that African-American soldiers marched under in the war to end all wars? Seth Eastman Painting: Is this painting an original depiction of Native American life from one of the premiere painters of the American West? Isleton Tong: Was this building a safe haven for persecuted immigrants, or a hub for organized crime?

A saddle that may have been owned by cowboy legend Bill Pickett; a flag that might have been draped over the casket of President William McKinley; and film cans that may contain archival footage of Nazi officials.

A 1932 Ford Roadster that may have been used in dry-lake races; a letter that may have been written by Mount Rushmore sculptor Gutzon Borglum to James Red Cloud of the Lakota tribe; a cast-iron eagle that might have been a decoration for a New York post office

Movie posters for a film that might contain footage of fighting during the Mexican Revolution; and an autograph book that may have signatures from Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge. Also: a robe that might have belonged to Gen. Peter Muhlenberg, who led troops during the American Revolution.

A fight bell that may have been used in a Jack Dempsey boxing match; a photo that may depict white Civil War soldiers standing with two black men, all of whom are thought to be members of the Grand Army of the Republic. Also: a document that may have Thomas Jefferson's signature on it, along with a pledge that would help finance a school.

The fifth season begins with a portable projection screen that may have been used by President Kennedy to view spy photos during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Also: an aluminum record that might contain an original recording of the “Amos 'n' Andy” program; and a painting that may have been an original portrait used in the women's suffrage movement.

A baseball ticket possibly signed by Lou Gehrig on the day of his farewell speech; an electric streetcar from Cleveland; and a document that may have granted freedom to a slave.

Puzzles include a bison skull that may date to 3000 B.C.; a watch that may have belonged to gambler-gunman Doc Holliday; and stock certificates possibly signed by black nationalist Marcus Garvey.

Puzzles involve a film reel of 1920s stuntman Eddie Polo; scales used by Chinese immigrants in the early 20th century; and a shotgun that belonged to Nazi henchman Hermann Goering.

Puzzles pertaining to 1943 certificates labeled “alternate service to war”; a set of books that may have belonged to 19th-century politician John C. Calhoun; and a toy mouse named Micky that bears a patent date of 1926 (two years before Walt Disney created Mickey).

Questions surrounding a baseball autographed by Dizzy Dean, a brass eyeglass containing an image of Jefferson Davis, and a question on credit for an oil-drilling device. Included: investigation of a 1944 baseball game in which the players supposedly included Dean, Satchel Paige and an Air Force staff sergeant; whether an eyeglass belonged to a Confederate supporter; whether a twin-cone roller-rock bit was invented by Howard Hughes or a San Jose resident's grandfather.

Leisureama Homes Jim Thorpe Tickets 1667 Land Grant

Hermann Goering's Shotgun Calf Creek Arrow The Edison House

Secrets of the Tape Mountain Mail Bag Banned Birth Control Box

Cherokee Bible Slave Banjo United Empire Loyalists

Black Star Line Certificates Mickey Mouse's Origin Pro-Nazi Newspaper in Texas

Charlie Parker's Saxophone? The Place: Oakland, California A woman owns a beautiful old alto saxophone that belonged to her father and according to family legend was once owned by the legendary jazz musician Charlie ""Bird"" Parker. Her late father, a white musician, told her that when they lived in Portland, Oregon, Charlie Parker came to a practice session without his horn. The story goes that when her father chided Parker for selling his instrument, Bird said, ""If you want the horn so much, here's the pawn ticket."" Is the story true? Did these two musicians ever meet? Would troubled musical genius Charlie Parker abandon his horn? Prison Plaque The Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania In the heart of Philadelphia stands the abandoned Eastern State Penitentiary building. Founded by Quakers in 1829, this castle-like structure set new standards for prisons across the country with its progressive ideas for rehabilitation. Recently, a group in charge of preserving this historic structu

Lost Gold Ship The Place: Alaska Environmentalist Gabriel Scott was working in the Copper River Delta near Cordova, Alaska, when he came across the wreckage of an old ship. According to locals, these are the remains of the SS Portland, the famous steamship that carried 68 miners and nearly two tons of gold from the Klondike River to Seattle harbor and began the great Klondike Gold Rush of 1897. The History Detectives team mixes maritime history and forensic science to reveal the dramatic story of the SS Portland and confirm that the remains are of this legendary ship. John Hunt Morgan Saddle The Place: Paris, Kentucky A Kentucky man owns a beautifully preserved, Western-style saddle, believed to have been used by Confederate General John Hunt Morgan on his audacious raid into Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio in July 1863. History Detective Wes Cowan has a surprising personal connection to the case - his great-grandfather was actually one of ""Morgan's Raiders"" and was captured alongsi

Ventriloquist Dummy The Place: Brooklyn, New York An African American woman in Brooklyn, New York, has her father's black ventriloquist dummy, ""Sam."" Her father, John Cooper, was the first famous African American ventriloquist. In a time of minstrel stereotypes, did ""Sam"" help transform how Americans viewed race in the early 20th century? How was this dummy created and was it meant to be a protest against racial prejudice? Witch's House? The Place: Essex County, Massachusetts Did this house once belong to an accused witch? History Detectives heads to New England to research the likelihood with local historians and a descendant of the accused witch, Martha Carrier, who was executed by hanging in 1692 during the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Migrant Poems The Place: San Francisco, California In the first half of the 20th century, nearly 250,000 Chinese immigrants attempted to enter the United States. Because of discrimination against Chinese and laws meant to impede their pass

Dueling Pistols The Place: San Francisco, California A San Francisco bank owns two antique pistols, allegedly used in the last great duel on U.S. soil. Fought in 1856, the duel was between abolitionist Senator David Broderick and California Supreme Court Justice David Terry. 150 years later, a bank employee wants to know if these guns are authentic - and more about the duel. What really happened? Was it about slavery or honor? Did it influence the outcome of the Civil War? Evelyn Nesbit Portrait The Place: New Jersey A woman owns a portrait she believes is a lost masterpiece by one of America's greatest illustrators and artists, Howard Chandler Christy. The painting's subject is claimed to be Evelyn Nesbit, the actress and model who rose to fame in 1906 when her husband killed a famous architect accused of ""taking advantage"" of her. The resulting scandal rocked New York in the early 1900's and became the ""trial of the century"". But is the painting authentic? Little Big Horn Bay

World War II Landing Craft The Place: Bayfield, Wisconsin A craft used for dredging and hauling rocks in Bayfield's harbor could hold a dramatic secret. A local man whose father fought in the Second World War claims that, 60 years ago, the vessel played a vital role in the D-Day landings, when it transported American tanks on to the beaches of Normandy. Could this ship really be one of the 1500 LCT103 ""Landing Craft Tanks"" designed and built to support the amphibious landings of World War II, and did it really see action off the beaches of France? The Abolitionist Flag The Place: Michigan What two Michigan brothers believed was an old sheet in a family trunk may have contributed to the end of slavery in America. Was the sheet a flag an ancestor may have used to campaign for the creation of Free States? Or was it used as propaganda in a pivotal pre-Civil War campaign? History Detectives explores the politically charged abolition movement to reveal the surprising past of this fam

Civil War-Era Submarine The Place: New Orleans, Louisiana In Louisiana's bustling French Quarter sits a surprising remnant of American warfare - a Civil War-era submarine. Salvaged from the depths of a New Orleans lake, the origin of this vessel remains a murky mystery. Now a New Orleans man wants to know if his great-grandfather helped build the iron-clad wonder. Red Cloud's Peace Pipe? The Place: Livermore, California Was this peace pipe given to a Californian woman's ancestor by the famous warrior Chief Red Cloud? The ancestor was the Indian agent who moved the Oglala Lakota to a Reservation in South Dakota. Would Chief Red Cloud have given such a gift to a U.S. government official? The History Detectives go back to the turbulent days of the 1870s and a battle of wills and political scandal that reached the highest levels of government. Thomas Edison's House? The Place: Union, New Jersey This strange house is said to have been designed and built by Thomas Edison. Did the

Sheridan's House? The Place: Grand Ronde, Oregon Although the locals have little interest in this abandoned Dutch Colonial Style home, new research suggests the house may originally have been built as officer quarters for the Union Army by a young Philip Sheridan, before he became a famous general. Mark Twain Watch? The Place: Oregon The grandson of prominent Oregonian Captain Ainsworth wants to know if his watch was a gift from noted American author Samuel Clemens. Prisoner Poem The Place: Salem, Oregon Where did this Revolutionary War poem, recently discovered in an antique trunk, come from? Did the author, an American prisoner of war in England, write it there? If so, where was it for over two centuries, and how did it end up in Oregon?

The Depot That Made Dallas The Place: Dallas, Texas A local historian calls in the History Detectives to find out if a disused depot was the first railroad station in Texas and if it was responsible for putting Dallas on the map. Mexico Peso The Place: San Antonio, Texas Searching through his great-grandfather's belongings, a San Antonio man finds Mexican currency and suspects a link to infamous bandits Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa. Did this money play a part in the Mexican revolution in the 1910s and how did it end up in the hands of a quiet family man? Pirate Spyglass The Place: Texas City, Texas Jean Lafitte was a fearsome pirate, an ingenious privateer, and a war hero. A Texas library is donated a spyglass said to be handed down from Lafitte to his ship captain. Was it?

Lee's Last Orders The Place: Beech Island, South Carolina Is the Beech Island Agricultural Club's copy of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's farewell address the original? Natchez House The Place: Natchez, Mississippi How could Robert Smith, a former slave, afford to build this magnificent home for himself in 1851? Napoleonic Sword The Place: St. Martinville, Louisiana A family legend has it that when a doctor treated Napoleon at the Battle of Wagram in Austria, the great General was so grateful he rewarded him with a fine sword, which has been kept in the family ever since.

Morgan Whaling Ship The Place: Mystic, Connecticut Did this Charles W. Morgan whaling ship smuggle slaves out of the south as part of the Underground Railroad? The History Detectives are called in to find out. Witch's House? The Place: Essex County, Massachusetts Did Martha Carrier, who was hanged as a witch, once own Benjamin Abbot's house? The History Detectives must rely on historical research, Martha's descendents and even experts from around the world to solve the case. 1909 Jigsaw Puzzle The Place: Worcester, Massachusetts A quirky jigsaw puzzle of women playing football in the 1800s puzzles the History Detectives. A jigsaw expert, sport historian, magazine collector and antiquities society help solve the riddle.

Face Artifact The Place: Mantoloking, New Jersey Found on the beach, a pebble in the sand with sculpted human features. To unlock this riddle, the team must travel through time, across borders and between cultures. Fire Station The Place: Morristown, New Jersey The evidence suggests that President Ulysses S. Grant celebrated America's centennial at this old firehouse. The History Detectives try to prove it. "Pop" Lloyd's Baseball Field The Place: Atlantic City, New Jersey Black ball players, white politicians, prejudice and patrimony. All of these threads appear when the History Detectives begin to unravel the origins of a historic memorial to black ballplayer John Henry Lloyd.