Objects 2012.512.1-.3 are from an unknown donor. They are made of wood and metal, and tie into the rich biodiversity that can be found here in Des Moines County. They were added to the Collection in 2012, with few details given in the accession book.
The objects are likely well over 100 years old, and were used for the fishing industry in the myriad of waterways here in Des Moines County. The oval shaped object is a wooden float, that was attached to a fishing net, to help it float. The long piece with the eye in it, is sort of a long needle used to weave fishing nets, and we are honestly not sure what the metal spike is for. It could be anything from an anchor point for a net, to a weight, to who knows what (note* it is not uncommon to find unrelated objects bundled together in museum collections, or objects whose purpose is unknown).
Because of the unique topography and geology in Des Moines County, we are uniquely situated to have a hyper abundance of natural resources. Not only are the local waterways useful for transportation, they are also a rich source of food.
Fishing nets date to the dawn of humanity. The oldest known fishing net was found in Finland, is made of willow, and is at least 10,300 years old. Older still are some stone net weights that date to about 27,000 from Korea. Unfortunately for us, the first people to inhabit Des Moines County didn’t leave any traces of fishing equipment behind, but their descendants did. Indigenous cultures, up to the present day have long relied on the river and other waterways for things like waterfowl, fish, mollusks, and crustaceans to add variety and protein to their diet.
With the arrival of the Colonizers, the tradition of looking to the water for food continued with fishermen working the river to this day. One can bait a hook, cast your line, and wait for some passing fish to get hungry enough to bite, or you can cast a net, which has the added advantage of usually bringing in more than one fish with each toss.
Are you interested in seeing objects that are featured in Out of the Attic, From the Archives, or Ask an Expert? Come on down to the Heritage Museum, where we have a display case dedicated to a rotating display!
Photo Credit: Don Weiss