Buffalo at Sunny Bank Mills

July 22nd, 2020

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The mysteries of the buffalo boxes.  Well,  maybe not real live buffalo at Sunny Bank Mills but these boxes are made out of them. Sturdy and very long lasting they would have been used to carry an array of objects around the Mill.  Keeping the Mill going and industrious.

Before the invention of plastic more sustainable materials were used to transport everything.  From wicker woven objects like this waste paper bin and skep for transporting cloth and wool around the Mill site.

   

To these card and metal containers

The mystery is, why buffalo in Farsley?  This would have been a long and arduous journey, unless buffalo were used in Farsley in the late 1800’s? or there was some trade with the North American plains in the Leeds area? W C Gaunt, known as Billy Gaunt did do trade with America but we do not know if he brought them over or if it was someone else.

If you have any ideas or thoughts please contact me at [email protected]

 

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