Write a commentThe H. Lee White Maritime Museum at Oswego kicks off the 2016 lecture series at the Museum on Saturday, April 9th at 1:30 pm. Join frequent history lecturer and former Oswegonian Steven G. Wapen of Chaplin, CT and H. Lee White Maritime Museum Curator Michael R. Pittavino as they describe the steps involved in verifying the musket’s true provenance.
In mid-August, 1985, local sport diver Walter Ciesla discovered and retrieved a rare aquatically preserved artifact from the mouth of the Little Salmon River, approximately 16 miles east of Oswego on the shores of Lake Ontario. The artifact was a reasonably well preserved colonial era flintlock musket. The entire barrel and firelock of the musket was intact and subsequently donated to the H. Lee White Maritime Museum in mid-September, 1985. Over the last 30 years the true identity - British, French, or American etc. - of the musket was unknown.
Recent collaborative research has finally cracked the mystery and the true identity of the “Oswego Musket” is now reasonably assured. Michael Pittavino, Maritime Museum curator, noted that “Object based research is highly important to the collective understanding of our regional history and frankly, American history as a whole. This eighteen-month process allows us to bring the significance of this musket to light and in doing so educate our community.”
For more information about the program, or other Museum activities, contact the office at (315) 342-0480, or visit: www.hlwmm.org.
