Twain at auction

FORT RECOVERY –– An original Mark Twain book will be sold next month.

A first state edition of Twain’s “Life on the Mississippi” from 1883 will be auctioned off at the One-of-a-Kind Auction on Oct. 17 in the Fort Recovery Elementary/Middle School auditeria.

“It’s part of our history, it’s part of our culture,” said Nancy Knapke, director of Fort Recovery State Museum. “There’s nothing that’s much more indicative of old America than Mark Twain and ‘Life on the Mississippi.’”

Knapke explained the book’s value varies anywhere from $700 to $5,000, mainly depending on its condition. As a first state edition — the earliest run of a first edition — it includes a few items changed or removed in later editions. (One such example, she said, includes a depiction of Mark Twain’s head above a cremation fire. It was removed in later editions at the request of Twain’s wife, Olivia Clemens.)

The book’s interior is complete with illustrations, and its outer shell is covered in brown cloth and decorated with gilt pictorial vignettes and lettering.

Since the early 1960s, it had been sitting on a shelf in the late Betty Heiby’s home. Paul Heiby discovered it while going through his mother’s estate in 2019.

“It’s been a family book for who knows how long,” Heiby said. He explained it was given to his mother by his grandfather, who lived in New Orleans. He wasn’t sure where it came from before then.

He noted that although it is a rare piece of literature, it’s not in pristine condition. The 138-year-old book’s spine has been worn down over the years, and the pages are weathered and spotting. Still, Heiby thought it might be a great item for the auction. He said it may attract collectors, and he suggested someone might be able to restore it.

“This is just a little piece of history from the past,” Heiby said.

He donated the book following the One-of-a-Kind Auction in 2019. (Because of the coronavirus pandemic, there was no auction in 2020.)

Heiby’s father, Ernest, was proud of Fort Recovery and their ties with it. His family’s roots in the village date back to 1870. Although most of Paul Heiby’s relatives have died or moved away –– he resides in Virginia –– his aunt Catherine Heiby still lives just outside of Portland.

Paul Heiby, 60, visits every year for the week of the Tri-State Antique Engine and Tractor Show in Portland and has been attending the show since 1966. He noted he owns land north of St. Joe’s Road and has debated retiring and building a house on the property.

Ernest Heiby’s commitment to supporting the community has continued in Paul, who hopes to keep the history of Fort Recovery alive. He has found and donated several historic items in the past to the auction, Knapke noted.

Another set of antique reading materials — textbooks printed by John Deere from the early 1900s about farm equipment care and repair — will also be on sale at the auction.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of Fort Recovery Historical Society, as well as 20 years of One-of-a-Kind Auctions. A wide variety of items will be offered, with everything from weeklong vacations and art pieces to children’s toys and sports tickets to a restored vintage Shell gas pump. There will also be more than 40 items up for a silent auction.

“When we say we probably have something for everyone, we probably do,” Knapke said.

Doors open for the auction at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 17. Tickets can be purchased for $10 at Kaup Pharmacy, from any member of Fort Recovery Historical Society or Project Recovery or at the door.

For more information on the upcoming auction, those interested can check the Fort Recovery State Museum and Fort Recovery Historical Society’s Facebook page or call Knapke at (419) 375-4384.