Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
We've been going through some of several boxes of family geneology and heirloom stuff that came from my wife's parents' house when they passed away many years ago. A few of those boxes have never been opened or explored by us.
Among the boxes I did go through many years ago, because old books fascinate me, I did find an old book entitled "Iowa in War Times". It was in great shape and I thought I had found a book about WWII and/or possibly WWI. It turned out to be well over 100 years old and was about the Civil War. It named apparently every Iowan known to have served, as well as the units sent by Iowa and the battles they fought in, etc. A pretty cool old book.
Yesterday, I found a small box of such things buried in a closet that had never been opened. In it, I found a very old Bible. My wife's ancestors, like my own, came from Germany. The Bible I found is dated 1751 and is written in German (at least I'm pretty sure it is German).
It is leather-covered and very, very thick and once had two leather straps to secure it shut, though those are missing now except for stubs of the straps and the little metal pins they hooked over. The pages are in great shape, though I was very careful not to open the book too far and stress the old spine too much.
Where would a guy take something like that to get the lowdown on exactly what it is?
I have a friend who teaches German at a nearby high school, and I thought I would start with him, but I would like to hear some other suggestions, too.
Among the boxes I did go through many years ago, because old books fascinate me, I did find an old book entitled "Iowa in War Times". It was in great shape and I thought I had found a book about WWII and/or possibly WWI. It turned out to be well over 100 years old and was about the Civil War. It named apparently every Iowan known to have served, as well as the units sent by Iowa and the battles they fought in, etc. A pretty cool old book.
Yesterday, I found a small box of such things buried in a closet that had never been opened. In it, I found a very old Bible. My wife's ancestors, like my own, came from Germany. The Bible I found is dated 1751 and is written in German (at least I'm pretty sure it is German).
It is leather-covered and very, very thick and once had two leather straps to secure it shut, though those are missing now except for stubs of the straps and the little metal pins they hooked over. The pages are in great shape, though I was very careful not to open the book too far and stress the old spine too much.
Where would a guy take something like that to get the lowdown on exactly what it is?
I have a friend who teaches German at a nearby high school, and I thought I would start with him, but I would like to hear some other suggestions, too.
