Life and Times of a Western PA Musket and Its Erie Connection - Fairview
The lineage of what President Eisenhower termed the military-industrial
complex can be traced to the mid-1790s when Congress authorized the
development of our national armories and arms purchases from private
contractors. With France and Britain continually at odds, and with our
burgeoning two-party system likewise maligned, it became apparent that a
continued dependency on foreign militia arms would be folly. The Melchor
Baker musket is a product of that time, manufactured in Western Pennsylvania
ca. 1799 under the auspices of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Arms
Procurement Act of 1797. More than a decade later, this musket would
finally be called into active service. While the Erie shipyard was protected
from direct bombardment, Perry was fearful that a British infantry invasion
would destroy his fleet before it ever put to sea. For protection he called upon
Mead's16th Division of Pennsylvania Militia. The M:Baker musket is rare or
unique in several noteworthy aspects, but perhaps most significantly, it is
one of the few artifacts extant, and the only known firearm, with provenance
to one of Mead's regiments sent to Erie to both protect Perry's fleet during
construction and to help his ships over the bar. Some of Mead's division also
voluntarily served aboard ship to supplement the marines and saw action
in the Battle of Lake Erie. So this is not a story about a musket, but about a
musket that tells a story of its life and times.
– David Hanes, B.S.
Fairview event will be held at the Lincoln Community Center Library (1255 Manchester
Rd, Erie, PA 16505)
Jefferson Satellite Programs at Fairview are in Partnership with
David H. Hanes, B.S., is a lifelong Erie resident with a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Management from Gannon University and advanced studies at the American Military University. In addition to his career at GE Transportation, David served 11 years in the U.S. Army Special Forces in both the enlisted and officer ranks, and was adjunct professor at Penn State Behrend in Statistical Quality Control for Engineers. David has spent many years in research and study of American military history and, combined with his interest in invention and manufacturing techniques, has acquired a historically significant firearms collection that depicts the advancement in technology and tactics through the 18th and 19th centuries. He is an active member in the Company of Military Historians, the Society for Military History, the American Society of Arms Collectors, and Mensa.
