Local History at the Old Stone Fort - Trench Art and Church Bible

Written By The Mountain Eagle on 8/8/25 | 8/8/25

Trench Art from World War I

The Old Stone Fort’s Clay Edmunds sent us this vase made from a 75mm shell casing, a classic example of a souvenir made from materials found on the battlefield. Lt. George Hanson crimped and decorated an artillery shell with the initials "AEF" (American Expeditionary Force) and engraved the name of a battle he was in, Belleau Wood. Given in memory of Albert H. Hanson by Leonard Hanson.

Church Bible

1726, German

This is the original Bible used in this High Dutch (German) Reformed Church of Foxesdorf, organized around the year 1724. When the Old Stone Fort (at that time a church) was erected in 1772, this bible became the pulpit fixture, and was used as such until the services were rendered in English, instead of German.