The Hunt Button Mystery

Details: Hunting Days of Yore; By Gretchen Pelham

m.b.h.button1 It began with a subscriber’s question. Vicki Reeves wrote, “A friend inherited some hunt buttons which have a hunting horn on them and "M.B.H. 1881." How can I find out what hunt they represent or any additional information about the buttons?”

Foxhunting Life was able to identify the buttons as those of the Meadow Brook Hunt (NY). Once that was established, the owner of the buttons, Connie Rhodes West from Tampa, Florida was able to surmise the likely provenance of the buttons back through family history. Her story was so interesting, and the chronicle of the fabled Meadow Brook Hunt is so extravagant, we thought our readers would enjoy a trip back to those bygone days.

Comments

# Frederic Underwood 2013-02-21 09:23

Incidentally, Westbury is in Nassau County, not Queens.

# Gretchen Pelham 2013-02-22 08:37

Thanks for the correction. Is it possible that Westbury was in Queens County in 1881? The Meadow Brook Hunt actually grew out of the Queens County Hunt. Van Urk was quoting another sporting publication when he wrote, "The outcome of the Queens County Hunt was the Meadow Brook Hunt; kennels in East Meadow Brook, located one mile from Westbury Station, Queen's County, L.I."

+1 # John Lovegrove 2013-02-26 08:20

I am not surprised about the Long Island Railroad putting on extra trains, Harriman and Belmont were big investors in the company.

And yes, Nassau County was formed out of Queens County in 1899. In 1881 Westbury would be part of Queens County.

Great story Norm! I love the quote from Teddy, who used to ride a stallion in Rock Creek Park when he was President.

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The Hunt Button Mystery

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