HISTORIC & EXCEPTIONAL AMERICAN ANTEBELLUM BOWIE KNIFE WITH EXTRAORDINARY ORIGINAL FRONTIERSMAN BELT, DESCENDED IN FAMILY OF AMASA LYMAN, ORIGINAL MORMON APOSTLE WHO MIGRATED FROM NAUVOO TO SALT LAKE CITY 1848

HISTORIC & EXCEPTIONAL AMERICAN ANTEBELLUM BOWIE KNIFE WITH EXTRAORDINARY ORIGINAL FRONTIERSMAN BELT, DESCENDED IN FAMILY OF AMASA LYMAN, ORIGINAL MORMON APOSTLE WHO MIGRATED FROM NAUVOO TO SALT LAKE CITY 1848

02-21293

This Bowie knife and its original red Moroccan triple iron buckle belt with sheath and implement pouch has survived in remarkably fine condition. Its style is reminiscent of other known bowies of the Gold Rush era and quite possibly was carried by Amasa Lyman, Sr on the journey from Nauvoo to Salt Lake Valley in 1848 with his 7 wives and Amasa Lyman, Jr who was only 2 years old. Amasa Jr would have quite an historical life himself traveling through California & Utah in 1850s & 60s and known as early Utah pioneer.

This exceptional quality knife and belt were made by a true craftsman or group of craftsman who excelled at cutlery, woodworking, metal working, and leather craft. Knife is 17″ overall with 12.5″ blade with 3″ sharpened clip point, saber ground, beveled top edge. Blade is .26″ thick, 1.5″ at ricasso widening to 1.75″ at widest sweeping to point. Sculpted elegant 6″ forged iron cross guard has flat guard to protect hand when held and long tapering arm with rounded quillon. Bird’s beak shaped grip is tiger stripe maple finely enclosed with well fit pinned brass edging.

Amasa Mason Lyman (1813-1877) Mormon Church Religious Leader. Apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Joseph Smith told him, “Brother Amasa, the Lord requires your labors in the vinyard”. He replied, “I will go”. This kind of dedication characterized his life, nearly fulfilling one hundred missions in thirty-five years. He marched with Zions Camp, stood in defense at Far West, and served jail time with Joseph Smith. He was called to the Twelve following the apostasy of Orson Pratt who had been excommunicated. When Elder Pratt had been reinstated to the Church and his former position, Joseph called him as counselor replacing Sidney Rigdon. While on a mission to Europe with Charles C. Rich, he was accused of preaching heresy and repented, however, a few weeks later he again began preaching such and was released from the Quorum of the Twelve and excommunicated. He later associated himself with the Godbeites, a Mormon splinter group, and died having never returned to the cause in which he sacrificed so much.

Amasa Mason Lyman, Jr (1846-1937) Utah pioneer and South Utah colonizer. His family settled in little Cottonwood Canyon Utah in 1848, move to San Bernardino CA in 1851, return to Utah in 1855, only a year later in 1856 moved back to California settling in Cedar City. In 1862 Lyman assisted a company of immigrants to Utah and served in the Black Hawk Indian war. 1883 he moved to Boulder UT and lived there till 1900 returning to Teasdale where he died in 1937. Upon his death, Lyman had nine children surviving, 62 grandchildren, 104 great grandchildren, in 17 great great grandchildren.

UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: great granddaughter of Amasa Mason Lyman wrote a letter to Dave Kleiner telling of the genealogy of this knife in her family.

PROVENANCE: direct family descent from Amasa Mason Lyman. Knife was brought into the Antiques Roadshow when it was filming in Salt Lake City in 2000. Dave Kleiner purchased direct from descendent.