Stateside Ground Dug Objects from Historic Airfield, Pre-WWI 1st. Aero Sqdn. Texas City, Texas

[Steven M]

Hello all, the objects pictured in this thread were removed from the mentioned sight below many years ago. In fact, when they were unearthed, the area was forgotton to history and badly overgrown. Today, the site has received national and state historical recognition as the birthplace of the US Air Force, snd id s nationsl landmark thst is well-maintained. I am very happy to be the conservator of the items shown.

Before posting the items, I would like to offer a brief history for you. I hope you enjoy.

From the Texas City Library:

The First Aeronautical Division of the U.S. Army was established in August of 1907. The
Wright Brothers designed and tested the first military plane delivered to the Army, which met
specifications of being able to fly 40 miles per hour, remain aloft for one hour with a crew of
two, and be transportable in a four-wheeled, mule driven wagon. The contract with the Wrights
also included training of two officers in the "handling and operation of this flying machine."
Although an aviation school was established in College Park, Maryland, and experimental flights
were conducted in west Texas, Georgia, Virginia, Ohio, California, and the Philippines, the
Signal Corps did not establish the First Aero Squadron until the spring of 1913, when the Second
Division was encamped at Texas City.
Here, on an airfield located on the land now part of Bay Street Park, the early aviators with the
U.S Army experimented with nine of the Army's Planes for a period of ten months (March 2
through November 28th, 1913.) Eight flying officers, one doctor, and twenty-one enlisted men
composed the Aero Squadron, commanded by Captain Charles Deforest Chandler.
Here, flight records for speed and distance were set. Among those young officers assigned to
Texas City was Lieutenant Eric Ellington, for whom Ellington Air force Base, south of Houston,
is named.

[Steven M]

Also very near the airfield, the 2nd. Infantry Divison was called into service. Today, this area is now home to a school, and occasionally, one can find various nails and fragments of horse shoes from the former stable area.

Also from the Texas City, Library:

With the political upheaval in Mexico beginning in 1910, President William Howard Taft ordered the strengthening of the Army border patrols and the readying of troops to support these patrols. In1913, the newly incorporated city of Texas City became the home for nearly 10,000 soldiers of the Second Infantry Division for a period of thirty months. The temporary encampment swelled the population of the fledgling city and brought prosperity to many of the town's 2,000 citizens, as new businesses, streetcar transportation, and places of entertainment were established. The townspeople benefited from the $450,000 monthly payroll. The camp was located north of present day Twelfth Avenue, from the Bay extending westward. Some permanent buildings were constructed for housing officers and for kitchen, laundry and entertainment facilities, but soldiers were housed in tents, most of which were furnished with electricity. Corrals were built for the horses, and tennis courts and baseball diamonds were laid out. Rows of streets divided the camp into individual regiments. Commentaries printed in local newspapers praised the cleanliness of the camp and the general health of the soldiers, in spite of mosquitoes and drainage problems during heavy rains.

Commanding the Second Division in February 1913 was Major General William H. Carter. His command headquarters was temporarily located in the office building of the Texas City Terminal Railway Company. A. B. Wolvin and Hugh B. Moore, both of whom had been instrumental in convincing the War Department to locate the troops here, accommodated the officers, even providing sea transportation for the troops when they invaded Vera Cruz in April of 1914.

[Steven M]

And now for the focus of this thread.

As you can see, the items found are quite varied. These represent only a very small portion of what was discovered in the area over twenty years ago. A few of my older metal detecting hobiest found everything from rifles, to ammunition (huge amounts). The 1915 hurricane is the one of the main reasons that so many items were lost or unaccounted for in this area, the other is the sheer volume of traffic over the years in this small concentrated area.

First, an overall shot of some of my items.

[Steven M]

Here is a close up shot of the interior of the silver watch case shown above. It was once a very nice pocket watch in silver, with scroll engraving and owners initials. All that remains of the watch is what you see here.

[Steven M]

A delicate piece of military-themed jewelry for the ladies. Note the little dangling bullet projectiles. I believe this was for a pierced ear.

[Steven M]

Metal size tag for a military saddle...11.5 in. seat.

[Steven M]

Lastly, a personal, delicate piece that probably once hung from a charm bracelet or necklace..."Beverly".

[ironcross1]

Awesome stuff mate , some nice relic finds there , and interesting history , cheers Raymond

[Steven M]

Awesome stuff mate , some nice relic finds there , and interesting history , cheers Raymond

Raymond,

Thank you for the comments. It isn't very often that one finds ground dug items from the Great War in the US, so these are kind of special to me. Some of the items that were dug at this site are truly amazing. A few of these items I found my self, but nothing as spectacular as what was found in the 1960's.

[CThomas]

Metal size tag for a military saddle...11.5 in. seat.

Steve-

There's nothing more than I like actually digging up these fascinating pieces of history. That's wonderful that you have the history behind where they were found.

I thought you'd like to see this auction which shows how the above saddle shield was used:

MCclellan army saddle world war 1 used in good shape - eBay (item 130321610438 end time Aug-04-09 18:47:22 PDT)

If it doesn't work, just search for item #130321610438

-Chuck