A size six (6) silver thimble in its hinged leather case. The inside cover is printed “C.R. BURCH, / Cooperstown, N.Y.”. Made in the 1890s.

For more information or to purchase a photograph of this item, view this thimble in our collections database.

An Ojibwe loom-woven and spot-stitched bandolier bag with front pocket. Exhibited at the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893 as part of the Becker County Indian Exhibit and attributed to the “Becker County Indian Industries.” This bandolier bag is shown hanging on the left in a photograph of the “American Indian collection of Mrs. Jessie C. Yeats, Becker County, Minnesota” (#4969) from the Becker County Historical Society. Mrs. Jessie C West (misspelling for photograph) was Becker County’s representative at the Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1893.

For more information or to purchase a photograph of this item, view this bag in our collections database.

A small brass bell worn on the harness of horses pulling streetcars for the Minneapolis Street Railway Company before 1891. It has a rectangular crown that allows it to be attached to a harness.

For more information or to purchase a photograph of this item, view this bell in our collections database.

A Plains, possibly Lakota or Dakota, tobacco pouch with bead and quillwork. The pouch reportedly was a gift from the Lakota chief Sitting Bull to Indian agent Major J. M. Stone, but may also have been used by Yankton Dakota in the vicinity of Yankton, South Dakota, where the pouch was ultimately collected. Made in the late 19th century.

For more information or to purchase a photograph of this item, view this bag in our collections database.

An Ojibwe black velvet and dark blue wool bandolier bag spot-stitched with a rabbit track pattern of multi-color glass seed beads on a white bead background. Probably made in the late 1890s.

For more information or to purchase a photograph of this item, view this bag in our collections database.

A 12-gauge double-barreled side-by-side shotgun made by Frank Novotny of Saint Paul, Minnesota. The gun has Damascus barrels, a double trigger, and a pistol grip stock that is checkered at the grip and fore end. It was owned and used by engineer D. C. Shepard, an associate of James J. Hill who helped construct rail lines including the Great Northern and Canadian Pacific.

For more information or to purchase a photograph of this item, view this shotgun in our collections database.

A North Star Stoneware Company jug made in Red Wing, Minnesota, and used by George Benz and Sons Distillers of Saint Paul in the 1890s.

For more information or to purchase a photograph of this item, view this jug in our collections database.

A beaded and quilled leather bag. Made by the Hidatsa in the 1890s.

For more information or to purchase a photograph of this item, view this bag in our collections database.

A pair of quilled leather men’s shoes, likely Lakota in origin, circa 1880 to 1900. The shoes are quilled in a series of rows using the two-thread, one-quill crossed sewing technique that is unique to the northern Plains. The soles of the moccasins are also fully quilled with the pattern of a cross at the toe, an elk or deer track at the ball, and a pipe at the heel.

For more information or to purchase a photograph of this item, view these moccasins in our collections database.

A black velvet saddle blanket decorated with beadwork. Owned by Frank Herman Kratka of Thief River Falls, Minnesota and dated circa 1890. Possibly Ojibwe.

For more information or to purchase a photograph of this item, view this blanket in our collections database.

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An Ojibwe black velvet bandolier bag featuring spot-stitched pocket, panel and strap decorated with multi-color symmetrical floral and vine motifs. All edges are bound with yellow fabric tape and the bag and strap are lined with tan cotton cloth. There are beaded yarn tassels along the base. Made in the late 1800s.

For more information or to purchase a photograph of this item, view this bag in our collections database.

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A photograph of a construction crew at the James J. Hill House in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1891.

For more information or to purchase a photograph of this item, view this photograph in our collections database.

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A sword and scabbard presented to Dr. Eduard Boeckmann by the staff of Bethesda Hospital, St. Paul. Model 1860 Staff and Field Officer’s sword with rayskin grip and gold bullion sword knot. Gold washed blade etched with “Major Edward Boeckmann from Bethesda Hospital and Staff 1898″. “CHAS F. PUSCH, ST. PAUL, MINN” etched in ricasso.

For more information or to purchase a photograph of this item, view this sword in our collections database.

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A tintype showing Frances Goodman Heilbron and a group of her friends wearing swimming costumes. Made in 1890.

For more information or to purchase a photograph of this item, view this photograph in our collections database.

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A Tiffany Studios “The Twilight” kerosene lamp consisting of (.A) decagonal base of mold blown favrile glass with Tiffany sticker and “2393″ etched into the base, (.B) a cylindrical insert of pearlescent glass and gold-colored kerosene apparatus at top, ‘TIFFANY’ on wick adjustment knob and ‘THE TWILIGHT/PAT MAY 22. 1894′ on shade frame, (.C) a small chimney of amber favrile glass, and (.D) a crenellated glass shade with “2638″ scratched vertically onto the lip. Circa 1894.

For more information or to purchase a photograph of this item, view this lamp in our collections database.

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An Ojibwe bandolier bag with a beaded floral pattern most likely made in the 1890s. It was reportedly obtained through William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody.

For more information or to purchase a photograph of this item, view this bag in our collections database.

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A fly fishing casting spoon and envelope made by G.M. Skinner in Clayton, New York, circa 1894. Used by James J. Hill. The backing card reads “Skinner’s New Casting Spoon, / Used With or Without Bait.”

For more information or to purchase a photograph of this item, view this spoon in our collections database.

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A double-barrel side-by-side 10 gauge cartridge shotgun with two sets of barrels. The shotgun has a checkered walnut pistol grip stock with horn caps on the butt and grip. It also has Damascus barrels, external hammers, double triggers, and foliate and pheasant engravings on the metal mountings. The barrels were made by Thomas Kilby in Birmingham, England to be assembled and retailed by M.F. Kennedy and Brothers in St. Paul, Minnesota.

For more information or to purchase a photograph of this item, view this shotgun in our collections database.

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A beaded calico bandolier bag was made by Becker County Indian Industries and exhibited at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois.

For more information or to purchase a photograph of this item, view this bag in our collections database.

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On this day, November 12 in 1892, Minnesota native Walter “Pudge” Heffelfinger becomes the first professional football player in the country when he signs with the Allegheny Athletic Association and is paid $500 for helping to win a game against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club.

This photograph shows an older Mr. Heffelfinger posing with an old high-wheel bicycle in 1931.

For more information or to purchase a photograph of this item, view this photograph in our collections database.

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A hand-tinted stereoview of Minnehaha Falls during the summer, circa the 1890s.

For more information or to purchase a photograph of this item, view this photograph in our collections database.

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Ojibwe bandolier bag with front pocket. Pocket panel of loomed glass seed beads has geometric motifs, is attached to cloth backing and features integrated tabs finished with wool yarn tassels. Area above the pocket features a spot-stitch embroidered floral motif. Loomed seed bead panels are attached to cloth strap. Associated with the World’s Columbian Exposition and Becker County Indian Industries. Circa 1890s.

For more information or to purchase a photograph of this item, view this bag in our collections database.

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A photograph from around 1890 showing the Yoerg Brewing Company’s delivery wagon in St. Paul. Anthony Yoerg moved to St. Paul in 1848 and started brewing soon thereafter.

For more information or to purchase a photograph of this item, view this photograph in our collections database.

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A stoneware bulldog in Albany Slip glaze likely made by the Red Wing Stoneware Company in the 1890s.

For more information or to purchase a photograph of this item, view this bulldog in our collections database.

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A tintype photograph of J.J. Brechet Cash Store in Glencoe, Minnesota taken around 1890.

For details, view this tintype in our collections database.

Glazed stoneware pig likely made by the Red Wing Stoneware Company in the late 1890s.

For details, view this stoneware figure in our collections database.

Wooden plow made in Sweden circa 1850 and brought to the United States by Swedish immigrants in 1890.  The plow is featured in the podcast “They Chose Minnesota: Immigration to the North Star State.”

For details, view the plow in our online collections database.

Three-ounce bag of Arbuckle’s Ariosa coffee beans. Manufactured by Arbuckle Brothers in New York, New York between 1891 and 1900.

For details, view the bag in our online collections database.

Chromolithographed paper valentine created between 1890 and 1900.

For details, view the valentine in our online collections database.

Learn more:

• Believe Me True: Victorian Valentines, 1840–1900.
• Valentine’s Day collections

Horse-drawn delivery wagon adapted for use by Dr. Peter Mark, a manufacturer and purveyor of patent medicines active during the 1890s. All four sides of the wagon are decorated with faded stenciled or painted designs advertising Dr. Mark’s patent medicines, including “Sarsaparilla for the Blood” and “Mark’s Lung Balsam.”

For details, view the wagon in our online collections database.

Bobbin lace-making pillow and wooden stand.  Used during the 1890s by an Austrian immigrant to the United States.

Coat owned and worn during the 1890s by Martha Aurelia Langdon Truesdale, daughter of Minnesota engineer Robert Bruce Langdon (1826-1895) and wife of Arizona Territory Supreme Court Justice Hiram C. Truesdale (1860-1897).  The silk winter coat is lined with angora wool and features a paisley-like motif popular during the Aesthetic Movement.

To celebrate this year’s Minnesota State Fair, the Item of the Day blog is offering  a series of posts featuring artifacts, art and photographs from fairs past. Look for a new post every weekday beginning today and ending on August 31. The 2012 fair opens today (August 23) in Falcon Heights.

Otto Norquist, Minnesota State Fair (1890).  Oil on canvas.  Collection Minnesota Historical Society. Gift of Mabel Norquist, Mrs. Frances Ogren and Elbert Norquist.

For details, view the painting in our online collections database.

Shoes worn by aviator and stunt pilot Charles “Speed” Holman of Minneapolis during his babyhood and early childhood, 1898-1903.  The shoes have leather uppers and soles and close with metal buttons.   Holman died in an air show accident in Omaha, Nebraska in 1931.

For details, view the shoes in our online collections database.

Pocket watch taken from the hand of a victim of the Great Hinckley Fire of 1894 in Hinckley, Minnesota.  The watch has a silver alloy case and a white porcelain face and was manufactured in 1884 by the Elgin National Watch Company of Elgin, Illinois.

For details, view the watch in our online collections database.

Fold-out souvenir photo album purchased in Japan by John W. Schmidt of the United States Army 21st Infantry Band during the Spanish-American War (1898-99). The covers are of lacquered wood and are painted with an image of a boating party in a mountain landscape. Opened from one side, the images are colorized scenes of Nagasaki, Japan. Opened from the other, the photos show geishas in various domestic scenes.

For details, view the album in our online collections database.

Hammond brand Multiplex typewriter with a removable metal cover japanned in a glossy black finish.   The typewriter is made of an unidentified white metal (perhaps nickel or tin-plated brass) and other metal parts that are japanned with a matte black finish.  A stamped serial number (234081G2) is visible on the left rear corner of the typewriter. Purportedly used by William Watts Folwell to write his book Minnesota History.  Made in the 1890s.

Hood and gloves issued to John W. Schmidt of the United States Army 21st Infantry Band during the Spanish-American War (1898-99).  The hood has a visor and ear-flaps and is lined with brown fabric.  The gloves have leather-covered palms, felt interior lining, and felt wrist lining.  Both the hood and gloves are made of fur, possibly muskrat.

For details, view the hood, gloves, and matching collar in our online collections database.

Japanese souvenir sword and scabbard.  The sword has a straight, single-edged blade and a handle made of antler or bone carved with human figures. The scabbard is composed of three sections of antler or bone, also carved with human figures.  Created in the 1890s (no later than 1899).

Ostrich feather fan made in 1890.  The fan consists of multiple dyed quills attached to a handle with a circular bracelet.  Owned and used by Mahala Fisk Pillsbury, wife of Minnesota governor John Pillsbury.

Leather bag with hinged metal closure and padlock used by Bishop Henry Benjamin Whipple on his travels in the late 1880s and 1890s.  Whipple served as Episcopalian bishop of Minnesota from 1858 until his death in 1901 and was distinguished by his missionary and humanitarian work, particularly during the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862.  He was born 190 years ago today on February 15, 1822.

Earring and brooch set dating to 1890. The brooch has a central onyx or French jet oval ornamented by a gold star and a tiny pearl in its center. Around the oval piece are paisley-shaped onyx pieces set in gold. Running along the outside of the paisley shapes are small ornamental gold balls. From the center piece of the brooch dangle three diamond-cut pieces of onyx. Its reverse has a hinged bar pin with “C” clasp closure. The matching earrings are of a similar design and have a gold fish hook ear finding that is fastened on the reverse with a “C” closure. The accompanying brown leather case is lined in blue satin and velvet. The jewelry maker, Evans and Manning of Binghamton, N.Y., is printed on the fabric inside the case.

Watercolor paint set housed in a hinged, varnished wooden box.  The box has fitted compartments with paints, brushes, pens and two porcelain water cups.  Manufactured circa 1890-1900.

Ornate wicker baby carriage. The carriage has a reeded body, turned wood knobs, and bentwood handles. The curved and tufted back is upholstered in a blue plush fabric originally trimmed with a lace ruffle. The interior has a Brussels carpet in red, white and yellow and features a removable, plush-covered wood seat cushion.  Circa 1890-1899.

The Spanish-American War ended 113 years ago today on August 12, 1898. This silver cornet and its original case were used during that war by Arthur W. Riches, principal musician in the 13th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment.  The locking leather case has a carrying handle and a large front flap covering a pocket.

Cast-iron, multi-purpose press used for processing lard, fruit, sausage and vegetables. Used by the family of James J. Hill at their home in Saint Paul, Minnesota, circa 1891-1916.

Presented to Alexander Ramsey, the First Governor of the Territory and Second Governor of the State of Minnesota by his fellow citizens as testimonial of affection and respect. With this trowel the corner stone of the new state capitol was laid at St. Paul, Minnesota, July 27, A.D. 1898.

Ladies high lace-up bicycle boots. The boots are made of leather and black fabric with metal hooks and buckles. The leather sole of each boot is stamped with the manufacturer’s logo:  “HEFFELFINGER” over three intersecting bicycle wheels. Made by the North Star Shoe Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the 1890s and worn by Miss Vivian Grace Gibson of Saint Paul, Minnesota. Miss Gibson became an attorney in 1929, practiced law (by griffiths at dress head), ran for City Council and became a land patent attorney for the State of Minnesota in 1943.

Water pitcher set includes a tilting stand, pitcher, two goblets and a slop dish. It was presented to George A. Brackett, Chairman of the Citizen Committee, for use at the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on June 7, 1892. Manufactured by the Wilcox Silverplate Company in Meriden, Connecticut.

Toy horse-drawn cart carrying a set of twelve blocks, each piece made of flat wood stock to which is glued printed paper. The blocks form a picture of ‘Santa Claus’ on one side, while the other may be arranged to show the letters A to X in sequence (block “YZ” excluded), each block showing a pair of letters below a picture of a child or an animal engaged in child’s activity. Manufacturer unknown, circa 1895.

This round metal “Alarm Ball” was designed by L.S. BUFFINGTON and the patent for it was approved in 1894. The bell was designed to warn homeowners of intruders. When placed against a door or a window, the ball’s weight pushes its three small legs down and stills the bell within the device. The movement of the door or window upsets the device, causing the legs to thrust outward, ringing the bell and warning the homeowner of an intruder. This Alarm Ball is not in working condition.

These hand-fashioned brass knuckles were used in a lumber camp near the settlement that in 1893 became incorporated as Rutledge in Pine County, Minnesota. The knuckles have four copper studs set in the front of the oblong band through which the hand fits. There is also a curved piece of metal in the back to secure the wearer’s thumb. Brass knuckles can serve as a deadly weapon when used in hand-to-hand combat.