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This heavy-duty door latch was recovered from the Pottawatomi Mission in Shawnee County during excavations by Kansas Historical Society archeologists and crew in 1975. The latch was cleaned by electrolysis, which passes an electrical current through a liquid solution to separate the rust from the artifact. The Mission was built in 1850 with the purpose of teaching Potawatomi children reading, writing, and trade skills. After closing in 1861 the building served multiple purposes and this door latch may have been added during the time the building was a horse barn. The building and the surrounding land was purchased by the State of Kansas in 1973 and it remains on the site of the Kansas Historical Society.
Date: 1848-1950
Item Number: 507177
Call Number: 14SH325-1524
KSHS Identifier: DaRT ID: 507177
Collections - Archeology
Objects and Artifacts - Archeological Artifacts
People - American Indians - Tribes - Potawatomi
Places - Counties - Shawnee
Places - Historic sites - Pottawatamie Mission
Thematic Time Period - Immigration and Settlement, 1854 - 1890
http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/507177