From the Pennsylvania Conservation Heritage Project

“Henry W. Shoemaker, born in 1880, was an American Folklorist, historian, diplomat, writer, publisher, and conservationist. While born in New York City, he spent his summers in McElhattan, Pennsylvania, at Restless Oaks Estate owned by his mother’s family. Later he wrote that this experience influenced his lifelong devotion to folklore, legend, hunting heritage, and historical and environmental preservation. He later moved to McElhattan. In 1903, he published a small volume from his collection of stories called “Wild Life in Western Pennsylvania” which ran through two editions.”

[One of the stories in Shoemaker’s book describes a visit to Muncy in which he examined a ring made by the Seneca Chief Ki-On-Twog-Ky (also known as Cornplanter) who, according to Shoemaker, spent part of his youth in the Muncy Valley and made the ring on the last visit there before his death.]

CORNPLANTER'S RING

While inspecting the wonderful collection of Indian and other relics in the possession of Dr. Gurnard of Muncy, I was shown a curious ring made by Chief Cornplanter on the occasion of his last visit to the Muncy Valley. For a long while after his relegation to a New York State Reservation, the famous Indian was in the habit of paying a yearly visit to the Muncy Valley, where he was well treated by the descendants of the first settlers. Among these were the Stover family, who did everything in their power to make his sojourns comfortable.

In 1835, Cornplanter, being over ninety years of age and growing feeble, felt that he would probably never be able to repeat his annual pilgrimage, and wished to remember the people who had entertained him so hospitably. The day before he started for the Reservation he asked Mr. Stover for two new twenty-five cent pieces, which were fortunately provided. From one he cut out the center, forming a ring, on which he soldered the other quarter, soas to show the face and date, "1835."

The aged chief's prediction proved true, for he died before the year was out. The ring has since passed through various hands, but in the appreciative ownership of Dr. Gurnard it remains as an interesting proof of the date of Cornplanter's last visit to the scenes of his youth.

Attribution:

By Frederick Bartoli - http://www.nyhistory.org/exhibits/category/about/57/table/paged/title, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=435490