I found this at a park construction project. When first dug I thought it looked like some similarly shaped Civil War items due to the shield shape, perhaps it was a badge? I quickly dismissed both those as possibilities, with the bent corners and very sharp edges decided it was probably copper scrap.
I forgot all about it until I dumped my junk bucket at the end of the week. I gave it a little scrub and was excited to see some writing on it. More cleaning and it appears to be a plaque that was attached to an award presented in 1909.
My research doesn't find any information on the Gitit Tennis Club which could be in Kentucky or Columbus or even somewhere else, but I found out a little about John S. McFarland.
John Sargent McFarland was born December 31, 1883 in Owensboro, Kentucky, son of William Ewing and Sallie May (Ewing) McFarland. McFarland and his brother Ridley Ewing McFarland came to Columbus about 1908-1910. John was the purchasing agent and assistant superintendent of the Ohio Carriage Company. He married Margaret Louise Krebs in Franklin County, Ohio on October 15, 1913. Margaret was born April 2, 1890 in Dubois, Pennsylvania, daughter of Philip and Annie M. Krebs. In 1914 they lived at 172 S. Ohio Avenue in Columbus. In January 1915, McFarland took a job with an automobile dealer, the Cole Sales Company in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 1918 the company become The Lathrop-McFarland Company. He seems to have been quite successful, owning a fine home in Indianapolis. John died there February 26, 1927. Margaret eventually returned to Columbus, living at 3389 East Broad Street in 1947. She died at the Cleveland Clinic on October 3, 1947.
I'm curious how this piece ended up where it finally landed, what it might have been attached to (probably a tennis racket, is my guess) and more about the Gitit Tennis Club. This predates the area of the park by quite a bit. The mysteries of the objects we find...
I forgot all about it until I dumped my junk bucket at the end of the week. I gave it a little scrub and was excited to see some writing on it. More cleaning and it appears to be a plaque that was attached to an award presented in 1909.
My research doesn't find any information on the Gitit Tennis Club which could be in Kentucky or Columbus or even somewhere else, but I found out a little about John S. McFarland.
John Sargent McFarland was born December 31, 1883 in Owensboro, Kentucky, son of William Ewing and Sallie May (Ewing) McFarland. McFarland and his brother Ridley Ewing McFarland came to Columbus about 1908-1910. John was the purchasing agent and assistant superintendent of the Ohio Carriage Company. He married Margaret Louise Krebs in Franklin County, Ohio on October 15, 1913. Margaret was born April 2, 1890 in Dubois, Pennsylvania, daughter of Philip and Annie M. Krebs. In 1914 they lived at 172 S. Ohio Avenue in Columbus. In January 1915, McFarland took a job with an automobile dealer, the Cole Sales Company in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 1918 the company become The Lathrop-McFarland Company. He seems to have been quite successful, owning a fine home in Indianapolis. John died there February 26, 1927. Margaret eventually returned to Columbus, living at 3389 East Broad Street in 1947. She died at the Cleveland Clinic on October 3, 1947.
I'm curious how this piece ended up where it finally landed, what it might have been attached to (probably a tennis racket, is my guess) and more about the Gitit Tennis Club. This predates the area of the park by quite a bit. The mysteries of the objects we find...
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