Axe head era?

[USNFLYR]

Hello all,

I found this item while beach combing a wharf site along the Columbia River that was built on a beach that had a large Indian/trapper presence in the 1800s. Often I find modern things from the wharf period and also I find very old metal (trade items), etc. this sat in my iron pile for years as I thought it was just a mass of rusting iron. Today I took screw drivers and hammers to remove the chunks, and I believe this is an axe head. Pictures below show the before and after. Any axe/hatchet experts out there?

 

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[smallfoot]

It does appear to be an axe, but it's pretty toasted and incomplete to get a good id on imo. Looks to be hand forged. The bit was pretty warn before it was used as a wedge and broken. It's a neat find still. I always appreciate tool finds. Relic hunters get thrilled by things found that had close ties to earlier people. Personal things like buttons, watches, and things worn on the person get you thinking of how it was back then. Tools? anybody that ever had to use an axe knows how close you can get to a tool. I think it's as interesting a find as many. There's a tool that the owner got his money's worth...

 

[USNFLYR]

Smallfoot, Thanks! I agree. I have many items...broken...corroded...that date to the early times. Those things mean a lot to me. The items that were hand made, or traded for/bartered for are at the top of my list for cool finds.

 

[Fat]

..... that sounds like a good spot to hunt...
.....I’m off track here but I like your ID. Thanks for your service. I would like to hear about what aircraft your where in ,on, or around. Thanks and have a great day!

 

[USNFLYR]

Thanks Fat! I started my career in LC-130s (Antarctica), then EP-3s (Spain) and finished up flying C9Bs in Whidbey Island. Just a fancy way to say I operated a Naval aircraft in all 7 continents. "Join the Navy, see the world" was a recruiting poster that turned out to be true!

 

[islamoradamark]

It looks like it used to chop a long time ago nice find

 

[sphillips]

Thanks Fat! I started my career in LC-130s (Antarctica), then EP-3s (Spain) and finished up flying C9Bs in Whidbey Island. Just a fancy way to say I operated a Naval aircraft in all 7 continents. "Join the Navy, see the world" was a recruiting poster that turned out to be true!

Hey Naval aviator, great finds. When I find a coin or anything old, I wonder who lost it, when, and what were they doing. It?s the history. Also, my son was an aviator at NAS Lemoore, last job there was CO of VFA 25. Now they have him driving surface ships, Naval Station Norfolk.

Keep diggin,

Steve

 

[Robot]

A Treasure Find?...Maybe Not!...Unless History Is The Treasure!

What I believe you may have found is what was a common Axe sold by Stanley during the 19th Century.

During this period the British Hudson Bay Company sold many of these Axes to Hunters, Trappers, Farmers...alike!

"In 1849 the Hudson's Bay Company transfered its headquarters from Fort Vancouver north to Fort Victoria in Canada, leaving behind a small contingent of men. A U.S. Army post was established in May 1849 next to the Hudson Bay Company "fort". This new Army Post was called "Columbia Barracks" until 1853 when it was renamed "Fort Vancouver". In 1879 the Army Post was again renamed, this time to "Vancouver Barracks".
In June 1860 the British totally abandoned the Fort Vancouver and moved, leaving the fort and village to the Americans. The Army occupied some of the buildings, but fire destroyed all visible traces of the establishment by 1866."

1829-1846:
"Another Columbia River island, about six miles east of Fort Vancouver, was utilized by the Company post. According to William Crate, who built sawmills for the post during this period on a site opposite the island, Fort Vancouver's employees gathered grass on the island to feed to oxen stabled near the mills. The island, referred to as Goose Grass Island during this period, was later mentioned in the Company's claims for compensation from the United States Government as the "Saw-Mill Island." It was referred to as Miller's Island when the U.S. Army reserved its use for raising hay in 1850; by 1867 it was referred to by its present name, Government Island."