These ornamental pieces may have once decorated luggage or a trunk. They were recovered during the 2002 Kansas Archeology Training Program field school at the Cottonwood Ranch in Sheridan County. The round brass piece has a floral decoration with a raised boss in the center and a series of dots and lines around the edge. The iron Fleur de Lis piece has three holes used for attachment. The sheep ranch was established by Abraham Pratt, from Yorkshire, England, in 1878. Pratt's son, John Fenton Pratt and his family continued to raise sheep at the ranch until 1904. Cottonwood Ranch is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Kansas Memory
Kansas Historical Society
Ornamental Pieces from Cottonwood Ranch, 14SD327 - 2