Personal Effects of J. Otis Bosley

Items belonging to an indvidual can reveal much more than you might expect. For instance, my grandparents believed that my great-great-grandfather, J. Otis Bosley, was just a farmer. The exhibit section Tools of the Trade shows that he did some jobs that a farmer today might not have to do. However, the discovery of a police badge with his name on it suggests that there might be even more to his story. Was he a police officer at some point? No one in my family knows the answer for sure, and my grandparents had absolutely no idea that this police badge existed.

Many objects don't come with all the answers. Take a look at these items that tell you more about J. Otis Bosley. What can you learn from the items kept by your family packrat? Do they tell you more about one person in particular, or maybe reflect something about the culture during the time period?