As we try to decide what types of artifacts we want to display at any exhibit, we typically choose artifacts that tell part of the story.  For Johnson's Island Civil War Prison, artifacts like this hard rubber pipe tell us several things.  First, the pipe reflects an activity that the prisoners were very involved with.  We have found both hard rubber and ceramic pipes.  Hard Rubber pipes are more expensive than ceramic pipes, thus this type of pipe demonstrates that the prisoners had access to more expensive items.  This type of pipe was typically made by the Novelty Rubber Company. 

Below, we have placed this artifact at the R. B. Hayes Presidential Museum exhibit. 

Friends of Johnson's Island | Last Update:  3/8/06 DK