The oldest item found, pre 1800, was a native American tool. The item is called a “scraper,” and was constructed from flint. They were used chiefly for the preparation of hides and skins for clothing and bedding but were also used for the working of wood, bone, or softer materials.This tool was found, on the surface, in a plowed field several hundred feet west of the house. Dr. Martha Semposki, a Research Fellow at the Rochester Museum and Science Center, identified the item. Martha said that it was not possible to date the item because most scrapers looked alike, and were used over hundreds of years with little change. She also said that if we had looked close by we probably would have found an arrowhead that would have help date the scrapper, for flint arrowheads progressed in style over the years and can be dated. This tool measures one & three quarters inch long and one and a quarter inch wide. This historical link to a previous century and Woodlands culture was very exciting, and unexpected. The retreat of the ice sheets to the north began about 10,000 years ago allowed plants to grow and woodlands to develop inviting forest hunters to inhabit the area. This land, called Brighton, was their land,………… what a neat historical reminder!

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