Today we are going to be looking at a walking stick we believe belonged to William Swetland. This is a hardwood wooden walking stick, simple in it’s design, but still very effective.
So, who is William Swetland? William was born in CT in 1784. He attended Middlebury College in 1804, with an emphasis on literature and History. He graduated in 1808, and by 1811 he had moved to Plattsburgh. He was a very prominent lawyer, who married Betsey Delord four years after Henry Delord passed away. He moved into our home with his two daughters following his marriage to Betsey.
Prior to Betsey marrying William, they had moved in the same social circles. Henry Delord and William Swetland were both prominent citizens in Plattsburgh, and Henry even retained William Swetland’s legal help. Henry and William were both patriots of our young nation, and established a celebratory dinner for Thomas McDonough following the Battle of Plattsburgh.
William lived in our home for the rest of his life, practicing law in Plattsburgh until 1857. William passed away in January of 1864.
You can see that this stick is pretty simple. It’s made of wood, and likely turned on a lathe. The tip shows the wear that the user put it through. Canes or walking sticks were an essential part of every mans attire for over three centuries, and no well to do man would be caught in public without one. Canes could be plain or intricately decorated, depending on their intended use. Because of how simple this walking stick is, it was likely one for walking around the property, or for going for a walk in the woods. This is just another great artifact from our collection. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Music: Acoustic Breeze by Benjamin Tissot
www.bensound.com