The Owl, the Deer, and the Eagle
(Originally appeared in the Spring/Summer 2005, HSM Newsletter)

This is a story that made us all happy, and it's (still) not over yet. Stories like this make working at the Museum worthwhile, meaningful and fun!

One day staff member Katie Stone received a phone call from Mr. Senour Reed of Georgia, he wanted to know if we had a photo of the Charley Curlin. A quick look at Way's Packet Directory showed that the Charley Curlin was a Howard-built, sternwheel, wood hull, packet, 88x18x3 and that it had been built as a pleasure boat in 1895 for Seth Curlin, a naturalist and taxidermist from Louisville. The cost was $5000.00 and it had 16 staterooms. Seth Curlin was Mr. Reed's great-grandfather. Way's Directory continues..." Seth Curlin, who invented a canvas folding duck decoy, manufactured them, and the sales paid for the steamboat. The boat was named for his son. Mr. Curlin Sr. had a pilot's license, hired an engineer, and otherwise the crew was composed of the family." [ Way #0969.] When we called Mr. Reed back with the information and the news that we had no photographs he began to tell us about his amazing ancestor who had many patents in his name. He also mentioned the fact (as Capt.Way had noted) that his great-grandfather was a taxidermist. We mentioned to Mr. Reed that we have some taxidermied specimens from that time period on display in the Museum including an elk, a deer and an eagle and one fire damaged owl in the attic. Mr. Reed went on to describe the type of work his great-grandfather did- shadow boxes, with the animals displayed in natural settings, his wife painted the backgrounds on silk screens & that really began to sound like our owl in the attic.

Meanwhile, volunteers Lowell Smith, Betsy See and Joni Trusner continued the research, checking articles in the S&D Reflectors and Clyde Howard's shipyard log. They found a few references and even a photograph in one of the Reflector articles. Joni found the prize quote in the March 1972 issue of the Reflector " & Mr. Curlin presented Ed J Howard with a golden eagle, a deer head and a great horned owl which he had stuffed." The Curlin/Reed family is very happy with our find and is considering restoring the owl.