Horn Papers
Encyclopedia
The Horn Papers were a genealogical
hoax
consisting of forged
historical records pertaining to the northeastern United States for the period from 1765 to 1795. They were published by William F. Horn of Topeka, Kansas
between 1933 and 1936, and presented as a transcription of documents of his great-great-great grandfather, Jacob Horn (died 1778), and other members of the Horn family.
The Horn Papers first appeared publicly in 1932 in letters sent from Topeka to the editors of the Washington, Pennsylvania
Observer and the Waynesburg, Pennsylvania
Democrat-Messenger in which their author claimed to possess important historical documents relating to the area. From 1933 to 1936 the newspapers printed excerpts from Horn's manuscripts and diaries. Horn even moved to his ancestral home of Waynesburg and through speeches became well known as an historical expert.
Material in the papers included diaries
, Virginia court records, and maps. They were notable for their great level of detail, especially concerning the lives of the common people. Because the papers appeared to supply information about famous historical figures and to fill gaps in existing historical knowledge, they were received enthusiastically despite some apparent contradictions.
Although a minority opposed William Horn, on August 11, 1936 his claims appeared to have been corroborated when he announced that he had dug up two lead plates dated 1795 in a location predicted by the papers.
The apparent find increased the confidence of members of the Greene County, Pennsylvania
Historical Society, who sponsored the reissuing of the papers in book form. In 1945 the papers were published as a three-volume collection entitled The Horn Papers: Early Western Movement on the Monongahela and Upper Ohio, 1765-1795.
A year later, a report by a committee of representatives of historical societies from the region concluded in The William and Mary Quarterly
that the first two volumes were substantially hoaxes.
There is no conclusive explanation why W. F. Horn devoted such a great effort to the forgeries.
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
hoax
Hoax
A hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth. It is distinguishable from errors in observation or judgment, or rumors, urban legends, pseudosciences or April Fools' Day events that are passed along in good faith by believers or as jokes.-Definition:The British...
consisting of forged
Forgery
Forgery is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents with the intent to deceive. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not considered forgeries, though they may later become forgeries through knowing and willful misrepresentations. Forging money or...
historical records pertaining to the northeastern United States for the period from 1765 to 1795. They were published by William F. Horn of Topeka, Kansas
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
between 1933 and 1936, and presented as a transcription of documents of his great-great-great grandfather, Jacob Horn (died 1778), and other members of the Horn family.
The Horn Papers first appeared publicly in 1932 in letters sent from Topeka to the editors of the Washington, Pennsylvania
Washington, Pennsylvania
Washington is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States, within the Pittsburgh Metro Area in the southwestern part of the state...
Observer and the Waynesburg, Pennsylvania
Waynesburg, Pennsylvania
Waynesburg is a borough in and the county seat of Greene County, Pennsylvania, United States, southwest of Pittsburgh. The population was 4,184 at the 2000 census....
Democrat-Messenger in which their author claimed to possess important historical documents relating to the area. From 1933 to 1936 the newspapers printed excerpts from Horn's manuscripts and diaries. Horn even moved to his ancestral home of Waynesburg and through speeches became well known as an historical expert.
Material in the papers included diaries
Diaries
As a proper noun, Diaries, the plural of diary, can refer to:*Diaries: 1971-1976, an 1981 documentary by Ed Pincus*Diaries 1969–1979: The Python Years, a 2006 book by Michael Palin...
, Virginia court records, and maps. They were notable for their great level of detail, especially concerning the lives of the common people. Because the papers appeared to supply information about famous historical figures and to fill gaps in existing historical knowledge, they were received enthusiastically despite some apparent contradictions.
Although a minority opposed William Horn, on August 11, 1936 his claims appeared to have been corroborated when he announced that he had dug up two lead plates dated 1795 in a location predicted by the papers.
The apparent find increased the confidence of members of the Greene County, Pennsylvania
Greene County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 40,672 people, 15,060 households, and 10,587 families residing in the county. The population density was 71 people per square mile . There were 16,678 housing units at an average density of 29 per square mile...
Historical Society, who sponsored the reissuing of the papers in book form. In 1945 the papers were published as a three-volume collection entitled The Horn Papers: Early Western Movement on the Monongahela and Upper Ohio, 1765-1795.
A year later, a report by a committee of representatives of historical societies from the region concluded in The William and Mary Quarterly
William and Mary Quarterly
The William and Mary Quarterly is a quarterly history journal published by the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture. It covers the history of colonial North America and the "Atlantic world" from the fifteenth to the early nineteenth centuries, including the Caribbean, West...
that the first two volumes were substantially hoaxes.
There is no conclusive explanation why W. F. Horn devoted such a great effort to the forgeries.