By BOB SHRALUKA
Decatur Daily Democrat
Mike Busse and Kyle Roe will be special guests as the Adams County Historical Museum in Decatur holds an Open House this Saturday during Downtown Decatur Day.
Hours will be 1 to 4 p.m. No admission will be charged. Any donations will go to the Dugan home which houses the museum.
Museum officials said Busse will display his collection of Indian artifacts which he has compiled over the years from the surrounding area.
Both he and his wife enjoy searching the fields and river banks for arrowheads, ax heads and hammer stones, such as tomahawks, museum officials said.
“When they happen across any that are unique, they commit to research and study,: the officials said. “Fascination and wonder lead to many questions when they discover weapons and consider that out of necessity and need, the maker had chosen the stone, chipped with practiced pressure and gave it life and purpose.”
Roe began his collection about four years ago when back surgery limited his activities.
In search of a new hobby that would be enjoyable and still keep him active, a coworker suggested metal detecting. Since he always loved history, especially local history, he gave it a try and discovered he really enjoyed the new hobby.
Roe said he started by researching and reviewing historical plat maps and comparing them to current GIS maps. He was able to identify several former homesteads and roads. He then reached out to farmers for permission to search their properties.
Roe says some of his favorite finds are civil war uniform buttons, coins, jewelry, suspender clips, and general store tokens.
He has also found many crotal bells from horse tackle and many lead bullets. In addition, he has been able to remove several hundred pounds of scrap that helps prevent damage to farmers equipment.
According to Roe, while he has ventured out to parks and beaches, his favorite sites are still the farm fields where homes once stood.
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