by Tim Tuttle, Corning, New York
Volume 68, Number 3, July 2021 Central States Archaeological Journal
For those of you not familiar with the archeology of the southern tier of New York State, or have never heard of Painted Post, Big Flats, Spanish Hill or Tioga Point, chances are pretty good that you have never heard of Ellsworth C. Cowels. Mr. Cowels, a local archaeologist, is credited with the discovery of an Owasco Indian village (Carantouan) situated close by today’s Waverly, New York, and a large Lamoka Culture settlement, located between modern day Lamoka and Waneta Lakes in Schuyler County.
The modern story of the Red Bird begins in 1912, when a work party unearthed the relic, while digging a sand trap at the Shepard Hills Golf Course in Waverly, New York. Ellsworth, as a young boy, acquired the stone from the original finder whose name unfortunately has not been recorded. He immediately knew he had a keeper! I believe this may have sparked the beginning of his lifelong passion with local archaeology. Mr. Cowels cared for and cherished the Red Bird up until he reluctantly parted with the artifact on May 18, 1990, the only artifact he ever sold. The story, as relayed to me by Mr. Cowels’ son, Dick (who ironically is my neighbor), claims that Mrs. Cowels was within hearing range of the conversation and heard the amount of money being offered for the bird. Needing a new refrigerator, the bird flew the coup landing in Illinois and the Cowels home had a new refrigerator. Not long after arriving in Illinois, it moved on to reside in central Ohio.
By accident, luck or maybe the Red Bird’s longing to return to its home roost, I stumbled onto it in late 2017. I visited the home of the owner at the time and to my astonishment discovered “the Bird.” The way things transpired were comical. The owner was telling me the story of a New York bird from my region that he owned and I was telling him about a bird from my area that I would love to find. What are the chances that we were describing the same relic? Was it a coincidence or dumb luck? Or, was something else stirring and swirling around that bird?
I’m happy to report that today, 108 years after it was unearthed, the “Ellsworth Cowels’ Red Bird” is back home. The original site of its discovery near Waverly in Tioga County, New York is a mere 30 miles from my house. The popeyed bird is expertly crafted from a brilliant, attractive red banded slate. It measures 4” in length by 1¾” in height.
