Help with an Antique Lehigh Valley Rifle

[smd189]

Hello:

This is my first post to this forum.  I just inherited a a rifle that has been passed down through my family since the Civil War.  My Great Great Great Great grandfather who lived in central PA purchased the gun during the Civil War to protect his home a family if the war made it to his area.  He had 11 children and did not join up to fight for this reason.  I know everything about the rifle after it came into my family, but what I don't know is who made it. 

I know it is in the Lehigh Valley style.  I know it use to be a flintlock.  I know the lock says James Golcher.  On the top of the barrel there are initials that appear to be JPJ or JPJr.  The P could be a B that is worn off.  I am including pictures.  Any help would be greatly appreciated. 

I am currently having a rifle built by Brad Emig.  He took a look at it, and didn't recognize the initials.  In addition, we found a rifle many years ago at Landisvalley Farm Museum in Lancaster, PA that had the same initials on the barrel.  We talked to the curator, and he told us that it was the only rifle in their collection they didn't know who made it.  Thanks.

I have several pictures I can add or send, but I don't know how to attach.  Tell me how to attach or provide and email address and I will send.  Thanks.

[nord]

SMD -

Have a look at our Long Rifle Library. If you like what you see, then simply send a Email with photos attached to: <parifles@earthlink.net> or <nordata@earthlink.net>

Your mail may appear to be blocked because of security settings, but we'll get your message and allow it to be added to our address book. Send as good a bio as possible, along with as complete a description as you can and attempt to emulate the photos you see in the library.

Don't hesitate to call me at (888) 330-9610 if you need help or if your mail doesn't appear to have been received.

Best,

B.

[nord]

SMD -

Look under Library - Unknown - (Ref. 090105-5)

Your little gun has gotten lots of attention.

[Hurricane ( of Virginia)]

Here is the URL to this gun.

Click here:

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=2643.0

[C. Cash]

Wow...congratulations on that rifle.  What a treasure to have inherited.

[smd189]

Thank you.  I love having it.  As I mentioned, the relative who owned the rifle bought it to protect his family.  They had 11 children.  I also have the rocking chair his wife sat in to rock those 11 children.  I have to admit.  I like the gun a little more!.  I just wish I could figure out who made the rifle.  It has been the family mystery for many years.  Thanks again.

[Spotz]

With 99% certainty, I know who made this rifle.  This is a John Parks, Jr.  rifle made in Snyder County.  I have to admit that the stock profile is pretty pronounced for the Upper Susquehanna school, but note the football sideplate, which is consistent with other products of the region, including those rifles built by Joe Long, the Spechts, Baum, Laudenslager, St. Clair and others.  Of course, these makers do not always use the football side plate, but they built rifles with this feature frequently enough to almost elevate the football sideplate to a signature for this region. 

Both John Parks, Sr. and Jr. worked near present day Selinsgrove, Snyder County, Pennsylvania.  I do not know the exact location of their shop, but I have been told that they lived south of Selinsgrove.  This is mere speculation as to their exact location, but most books, including Sellers (relying on earlier work completed by Ewing and Gabel), place the Parks family in the Selinsgrove area.  Other sources (and I don't have the exact cite in front of me) indicate that Parks, Jr. moved west to Huntingdon and possibly to Ohio (and further west) later in his career, but you definitely have an Upper Susquehanna rifle, here, not a product of the Lehigh Valley. 

Please contribute to my educated guess.  I suspect that Mr. Getz will confirm my post.  Thank you for sharing your family "mystery," which is now solved (at least for me).

Jeff Spotts

[Spotz]

The more I look at this rifle and the signature, I am not sure that I can definitely say this is a John Parks, Jr.  It is quite possible that this is a Sr.  I cannot tell from the pictures, but the angle on the second "J" looks a lot like a "S."  Thus this could just as easily be a John Parks, Sr.  I would be curious to hear others' opinions.  I would need to see this in person to make a final determination.

Another point of interest is the engraving on the hammer, which is identical to engraving used by other makers in the region, including Joe Long.  The engraving often appears on sideplates and the classic moon cheek inlay, which is not present on this rifle.  This engraving is obvisouly from the percussion period and may lend support to this being a John Parks, Jr. rifle.  The rifle was originally a flintlock and this would lend support to the rifle being a product of "Sr."  The early look to this rifle may add support to this rifle being a product of Sr.  I suspect that the rifle barrel was shorted and traditional barrel pins were replaced with hooked lugs.  This is a frequent feature of regional conversions that is observed elsewhere, but was frequently completed in this region to recycle the present pin holes (which were usually in the middle of inlays
). With that said, I would like to qualify my previous post--you have a John Parks rifle, which is probably a product of Jr., but could as easily be a Sr.

[smd189]

That is awesome.  Thank you so much.  I think I mentioned it somewhere, that my relative lived in Berrysburg, PA.  This is just 26 miles from Selinsgrove, PA.  I know 26 miles back then is a little further then it is now, but still not bad.  Once again thank you.  We have had this gun to several museums and I don't know how much time I have spent searching the net for PA gunmakers with those initials. 

Now to the next question.  I just quickly searched for John Parks online and found nothing.  Where can I go to learn about Jr. and Sr?  I would love to know when they lived, when they built, how many rifles are known to be by them?  Were they well known?  (I'm guessing no Beck).  Is there a website or a book that list this father and son?  Thanks again.  I can't wait to call my dad tomorrow. 

Shawn

[Spotz]

Unfortunately, there are few books focused on rifles built in the Upper Susquehanna Valley.  I have been encouraged to write one, but have not yet been moved to do it (although I did write about 50 pages out of boredom one day).  There are a number of books out there, but most fall short on this region and don't correctly identify the makers or their location.  Cooper's The Kentucky Rifle and Me is about as close as you can get, but for the type of information you are requesting, Joe Long is the only Upper Susquehanna maker discussed in detail.  I do not believe there are any Parks rifles in the Cooper book.  A picture of a patchbox can be found in the Second Volume of Chandler and Whisker's Patchbox book.  Off the top of my head, I cannot think of any other photographs, but the earlier Kentucky Rifle Association books may have pictures.  Parks is mentioned as a maker in Seller's American Gunsmiths and the Upper Susquehanna makers list compiled by Gabel (based mostly on the deed and tax list work completed by Dallas Ewing of Selinsgrove).  Kauffman's The Pennsylvania-Kentucky Rifle also lists Parks.

The Parks are certainly documented makers, but I would not call them famous.  Because they worked over a long span of time, there are numerous rifles, but I would call them "rare" in that I have probably had my hands on only two or so in about 15 years of studying, collecting and drooling, when appropriate. 

I would encourage you to contact the Snyder County Historical Society.  I know that Union County will perform research services for a nominal fee, and Snyder County may do the same.  They would get you a more definitive time range and possibly estate information from John Parks, Sr., if he died in Snyder County after 1855.  I would also direct you to run a few searches for "Parks Snyder County."  I have discovered that there is a wealth of genealogy out there by folks who have never tied their family members to their trade.  You obviously have to be careful when assessing someone else's work. 

Please do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail and I may be able to put you in touch with people who can perform searches for a reasonable fee, but I try to stay away from the Snyder County Courthouse because the technology and organization is pretty shaky.  Of course, between 1813 and 1855, Snyder County was part of Union County.  Most of the work on John Parks, Sr. could probably be completed in the present day Union County Courthouse (Lewisburg).  This may warrant making a contact to the Union County Historical Society. 

I am a member of the Union County Historical Society and I know that we have projects underway to accurately organize (and search) obituaries and cemeteries.  An obituary for John Parks Sr. could help immensely. 

[smd189]

Thank you for all of the great information.  I spent most of the day researching John Parks.  I didn't find much, but here is what I got. 

John Parks Sr. was Married to Elizabeth Parks.  She was born in 1787 in PA.  It is thought that he was born in Northern Ireland.  They had at least 4 sons.  (John, James, Robert, and Levi)

John Parks Jr.  was born February 23, 1816 and died January 9, 1894 in Snyder Co. PA.  He married Lydia Gemberling (1824-1906) on May 9th 1843.  They had 4 children.  The family is listed on the 1860, 1870, and 1880 census of Snyder Co.  They are both interred in Union Cemetery.

Thanks again.

[JTR]

Here's a somewhat fuzzy picture of John Parks Sr. barrel JP signature, to compare to your JPJr. signature.
A lot of similiarities between the two, but would be if Jr learned gunmaking and engraving from Sr.
John

[Spotz]

Could I trouble you to post additional pictures of your Parks rifle?  We have a good discussion going, here, and I am curious as whether your "JP" signed rifle was/is a flintlock?  If the rifle we were originally discussing in this post  is a Sr., then perhaps he added the "Sr" label only after "JR" was at work.

[JTR]

I only have a few pictures with me, but will be happy to post them. I’m out of town aboard the ship I work on, with a poor internet connection right now, but hopefully things will improve in a day or two.
I just recently bought the rifle, in less than good condition and needing some restoration. I realize that’s a nasty word to some, but the rifle has been completely broken in half through the lock area, and is held together with a bunch of nails and screws and a couple of strips of thin tin plated sheet metal. The tang has also been extended down into the wrist area for added support, so possibly the rifle was used to some degree in this condition.
It was probably flint originally, but the original lock has been replaced with a single screw percussion lock that is about ½” too short for the lock inlet. I say probably flint only because the butt is about 1 ¾” thick, and doubt it would have been that thick if made originally as a percussion.
Stylistically, the rifle would be typical upper Susquehanna. It has a decent patchbox and a nice bit of incised carving behind the cheekpiece, and a bit ahead of it too. It also has a nice, typically fancy, side plate.
Hopefully I can add this rifle to the Library, as a restoration in progress, and show pictures of it as the work progresses.

John