Stick, Walking

Walking Stick. A walking stick made from wood from the Independence, the first steamship on Lake Superior, which sank following a boiler explosion in 1845. The ornate knob-shaped metal handle includes a band inscribed with, "Wood of the Independence first boat sailed L. Superior" among its cast scrollwork. The initials "I. M." are engraved into the top of the handle in a blackletter typeface. "Gold roll plate" is also inscribed at the base of the handle suggesting it is made of brass laminated with gold. A metal cleat is attached to the foot of the stick.