Updated: Thursday, 11 Aug 2011, 7:53 AM EDT
Published : Thursday, 11 Aug 2011, 5:08 AM EDT
By: Gil Simmons
Milford, Conn. (WTNH) - The Milford Historical Society is a shoreline treasure that shows how life once was.
"I think this society is so lucky to get this," Bill Hoagland from the Historical Society explained. "There is so much you can talk about, show and explain."
The Claude C. Coffin Indian Artifacts Collection on display at the Milford Historical Society shows visitors bones, arrowheads and clay pots put together like puzzle pieces."The estimate I got about 4,000 pieces or a little more," Hoagland said.
Hoagland says some of those pieces date back to over ten thousand years ago. This is a unique collection and was handed over to the society back in 1967 from Mr. Coffin, a local award winning archaeologist, two years before he died.
"He had originally planned on sending it up to New Haven, but they had planned to sell part of it and he wanted it kept intact."
Many of the items were found in Milford. Others were unearthed at locations around Connecticut. He started back around 1900 when he was just 14 years old.
"He gave it to us with the understanding we would keep it intact, which we have done."
His original log books are on display and they show Claude's organization skills and artistic ability.
"Every cotton picking piece of goods we have here from him has an identification number on it," Hoagland said. "In those books somewhere you will find a descripter of where he found it and so forth."
From display case to display case, the presentation has a lot to offer when is comes to learning.
"I am always amazed at the kids," Hagland said. "... anywhere from second grade to third fourth and fifth grade sometimes, and even the little kids are amazed."
Something that would surely make Claude proud if he was here today; A historical treasure that will teach for many years in the future.
The Milford Historical Society is at 34 High Street. For more information on the collections visit milfordhistoricalsociety.angelfire.com
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