The Real Thing

For years I have been searching for evidence of Jacob Orth’s life, and the nature of the evidence I have found has been all in the form of documents.  So imagine my delight when my sister gifted me with two knives, in a chamois bag, that belonged to Jacob Orth. My mother had given them to my sister in 1974.

The knives are multi-tool knives. Each is about 4 inches long and has a collection of knife blades, saw blades and other useful looking attachments. I can only imagine how he used them on his years in the Pike’s Peak gold rush. I will do some research to see what I can discover about when and where the knives were made. They are both contained in a dirty but remarkably soft, hand-sewn, chamois bag. They must have had meaning for him to keep them his entire life.

These knives, along with two photos of Jacob Orth (also recently located), are the only pieces of tangible evidence of Jacob that I know of.

The Orth Family Bible was inadvertently discarded when my Uncle moved out of his family house.  Luckily, in 1963, my aunt transcribed what was written in the Bible, at the request of my mother. As luck would have it, I have found that transcription.