262-year-old powder horn stolen in 1952 returned to Michigan museum

Micah Walker
Updated
This 262-year-old powderhorn belonged to John Nowlin, one of the earliest settlers of "Dearbornville," now the city of Dearborn.
This 262-year-old powderhorn belonged to John Nowlin, one of the earliest settlers of "Dearbornville," now the city of Dearborn.

DETROIT – A 262-year-old rare artifact stolen more than 60 years ago from the Dearborn Historical Museum was returned Tuesday.

The artifact, a powder horn on loan from the Detroit Historical Society, went missing in 1952 just before the opening of an exhibit titled "Saga of a Settler."

The powder horn, which was recovered by the FBI's Art Crime Team in Philadelphia, was returned to the historical museum Tuesday at a press conference. FBI Special Agent Jack Archer said the powder horn was used in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.

It was made at Fort No. 4 in Charlestown, New Hampshire, on June 30, 1757, for a soldier by the name of Lt. Abel Prindel. It is engraved with Prindel’s name, rank and the date on which it was made. It also is carved with the following verse:

I powder with my broth ball
Aheroe like do Conquer all
Tis best abrod with foreign foes to fight
And not at home to feel their hateful spite
Where all our friends of every sex and age Will be exposed until their creuel rage

The FBI returns the Nowlin powder horn, a rare 262-year-old stolen Dearborn artifact to the Dearborn historical Museum in Dearborn, Mich., Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019.
The FBI returns the Nowlin powder horn, a rare 262-year-old stolen Dearborn artifact to the Dearborn historical Museum in Dearborn, Mich., Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019.

Prindel’s powder horn was to be one of the most significant artifacts in the “Saga of a Settler” exhibit because it had belonged to John Nowlin – one of the earliest settlers of Dearbornville (now Dearborn).

In 1833, Nowlin came by wagon to Dearbornville from his homestead in New York. It is unclear how Nowlin initially came to possess the powder horn. However, it had been handed down through several generations of the Nowlin family, including John's son, William, and remained in the Nowlin family’s care and possession until June 1947, when it was sold to the Detroit Historical Museum.

"William Nowlin is one of the most boring people I know," joked Jack Tate, acting chief curator of the Dearborn Historical Museum. "He was a farmer, it was big trip for him just to go down to downtown Detroit. But in so many other ways, that's what makes it fascinating because he's the everyman. Not everyone is an astronaut, president, or congressman. He's the salt of the earth kinda guy."

"For it to come back home is really exciting for all of us here in the community."

FBI Special Agent Jack Archer speaks to the media about the Nowlin powder horn, a rare 262-year-old stolen Dearborn artifact as it is returned at the Dearborn historical Museum in Dearborn, Mich., Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019. He said the powder horn was used in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.
FBI Special Agent Jack Archer speaks to the media about the Nowlin powder horn, a rare 262-year-old stolen Dearborn artifact as it is returned at the Dearborn historical Museum in Dearborn, Mich., Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019. He said the powder horn was used in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.

The Dearborn Police Department conducted a theft investigation that initially yielded no clues. In 1991, the powder horn appeared for auction at Christie’s Auction House and was sold to an unknown buyer. In 2017, Dearborn police requested the assistance of the FBI after Tate persuaded the department to reopen the case.

'"It's not a cold case, it's not a cool case, but a frigid case,"' Haddad said regarding his meeting with Tate. '"Where are going to find this powder horn?' But I could see the passion and he felt a great indignity for the community for all these years being around the artifact. So I graciously and politely took his paperwork and turned it over to our detectives."

In November, the FBI were able to recover the powder horn from an auction in Pennsylvania.

The FBI's Art Crime Team was created in 2004. Over its 15-year history, the team has recovered more than 14,850 items valued at more than $165 million.

The Art Crime Team is comprised of 16 agents. The agents assist in art related investigations worldwide, diving into cases such as the theft of Elvis Presley's memorabilia, to pre-Columbian South American artifacts.

The FBI does not plan to charge anyone with the crime, Slater said, as there is little evidence. The person that stole the artifact back in the 1950s may be deceased.

Once it is returned, the Nowlin powder horn will be on short-term display through this Spring at the Detroit Historical Museum. Following that, it will be used in “Frontiers to Factories,” a permanent exhibit that focuses on the city’s early history.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 262-year-old powder horn stolen in 1952 returned to Michigan museum