Photo(provided): recent find by VVAAA member at Brookview Farm in Chester
Readers, historians and Vietnam veterans join forces in search of the owner of Warwick’s mysterious keepsake
By Lisa Pillivant
WARWICK — When the Warwick Valley Dispatch first shared the story of a tiny silver keepsake unearthed at Masker Orchard, we hoped readers might help identify the person behind three simple engraved initials:
J.J.M.
What happened next exceeded every expectation.
Within hours of publication, readers began combing through old maps, cemetery records, family trees, military pension files, and nineteenth-century census records. Some contacted relatives. Others dug into Revolutionary War archives. The mystery spread far beyond Warwick, becoming a community effort to unlock one forgotten piece of local history.
The Dispatch would like to sincerely thank everyone who offered ideas, conducted research, shared family knowledge, and simply enjoyed joining the hunt.
Whether the mystery is ever solved or not, one thing has already become clear:
Warwick treasures its history.
A remarkable response
Among the most detailed research came from local historian Alan Held, whose investigation traced ownership of the property back long before the Masker family arrived.
Held pointed out that although the Maskers have become closely associated with the orchard, Ora Jacob Masker did not move to what was then known as the Taylor Farm until 1913, making it unlikely that the keepsake originated with the earliest Masker ownership.
Instead, Held followed property ownership back through nineteenth-century maps and proposed another intriguing possibility.
One 1850 Warwick property map appears to identify the landowner simply as “J. McGee,” a spelling often used interchangeably with Magie during that era.
That discovery led him to Revolutionary War veteran John Magie, who settled in Warwick in the 1790s after serving under Captain Jacob Onderdonk during the American Revolution.
John Magie and his wife Sarah Vanderbilt raised six children.
Interestingly, nearly every member of the family shared the letter “J.”
- John Jr.
- James
- Jacob
- Joseph
- Maria
- Sallie
Three of the Magie sons—John Jr., James and Jacob—served during the War of 1812.
Only weeks after returning home, tragedy struck.
John Jr., Joseph and Maria all died from illness believed to have been contracted during military service.
Could J.J.M. represent John Jacob Magie? James J. Magie? Joseph J. Magie?
Nobody knows.
But for the first time, researchers may have identified a family whose initials fit both the artifact and the property’s earliest documented history.
Held cautioned that his findings remain only a theory—but one worthy of further investigation.
Descendants add another chapter
The discussion also attracted Frenchy Falcone, a direct descendant of the Ball family that later owned the farm.
Falcone confirmed family records showing that James Ball (1810–1881) purchased the property during the mid-1800s, likely using money inherited from his father.
That timeline aligns with historical property records showing the transition from the earlier Magie ownership to the Ball family.
Falcone added that if future archaeological work were ever conducted on the old Ball farm, there is no telling what other pieces of Warwick’s history might still lie beneath the soil.
Even Warwick’s railroad entered the conversation
Readers also noted that Dorinda Masker, long associated with the Warwick Valley Railroad operations, remains active locally, suggesting another possible avenue for exploring the Masker family history.
Every suggestion—large or small—added another piece to the puzzle.
Vietnam veterans become historians
Perhaps the most unexpected response came from the Vietnam Veteran Archaeological Association of America (VVAAA).
Far from being casual metal detector hobbyists, members of the organization describe themselves as historians dedicated to preserving America’s past.
Founded approximately 35 years ago by Vietnam combat veterans Bob Graziano (274th Signal Battalion) and John Ramundo (11th Armored Cavalry), the organization has spent decades recovering and documenting historical artifacts throughout New York.
Today, following Graziano’s passing earlier this year, the association continues under the sponsorship of Chief Warrant Officer Matt Ginalick, a highly decorated Vietnam helicopter pilot who survived being shot down four times and earned three Distinguished Flying Crosses, a Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
Members say they have donated artifacts to museums and municipal displays across New York, including Haverstraw Town Hall and the DeWint House Museum in Tappan.
They view discoveries not as collectibles, but as opportunities to reconnect communities with their history.
One recent example involved the return of an engraved Revolutionary War-era silver spoon recovered from the historic Burt Farm to descendants of Lt. James Burt.
Now, they hope the tiny silver keepsake discovered in Warwick might one day find its rightful family as well.
Another Compelling Theory Emerges
As readers continued digging through Warwick’s past, members of the Vietnam Veteran Archaeological Association of America (VVAAA) followed a different trail—one that led not to the earliest owners of the property, but to one of Orange County’s most prominent nineteenth-century citizens.
Their research points to Judge John J. Monell (1813–1885) as another intriguing possibility.
According to the association, Monell was an influential Newburgh attorney, civic leader and Orange County Judge who was elected just before the outbreak of the Civil War. Historical records also identify him as a captain in the local Firemen’s Association, reflecting his extensive involvement in public life.
Perhaps most intriguing, the veterans discovered references connecting J.J. Monell to a historic residence at 52 Ball Road in Warwick—known locally as the J.J. Monell House. The proximity of the Ball property to the area where the silver keepsake was discovered immediately caught their attention.
Their research also uncovered Monell’s close ties to the legendary 124th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, better known as the “Orange Blossoms.” As Orange County Judge during the Civil War, Monell played an important civic role while volunteers from throughout the county—including many from Warwick—joined the famous regiment.
Could the engraved initials simply represent John James Monell?
At this point, no documentary evidence directly connects Judge Monell to the keepsake itself. Nevertheless, the veterans believe his proximity to the Ball property, his prominence in Orange County during the period when the artifact may have been made, and the perfect match of the engraved initials make him a legitimate person of interest deserving further investigation.
Like Alan Held’s Magie theory, the Monell connection remains exactly that—a theory.
But it is another fascinating piece of a puzzle that continues to grow more intriguing with every new lead.
Will we ever know?
The honest answer is…
Maybe.
It is entirely possible the identity of J.J.M. has been lost to time.
Or perhaps not.
Today, there are at least two compelling historical theories. One points toward the early Magie (sometimes spelled Magee) family, whose ownership predates the Ball Farm. Another suggests Judge John J. Monell, one of Orange County’s most distinguished nineteenth-century civic leaders with documented ties to the Ball Road area.
Both are supported by thoughtful historical research.
Neither has yet been proven.
The true answer may still exist inside an old family Bible, a forgotten diary, probate records, church documents, or tucked away inside a box in someone’s attic.
It is even conceivable that descendants of one of the prospective families could someday come forward with letters, photographs, or other heirlooms bearing matching initials. If the keepsake contains preserved hair—as many Victorian mourning brooches did—future scientific testing, including DNA analysis, could theoretically provide clues impossible to uncover today, although such testing would be considerably more complex and would require willing descendants and careful conservation.
For now, however, the mystery remains unsolved.
And perhaps that is part of its charm.
One tiny artifact has reminded us that history is not confined to museums or textbooks.
Sometimes it waits quietly beneath an orchard, waiting for someone to ask the right question.
The initials may still belong to an unknown Warwick resident.
But thanks to hundreds of curious readers, local historians, family descendants and the Vietnam Veteran Archaeological Association of America, J.J.M. is no longer forgotten.
The J.J.M. Investigation — Reader Suggestions
The Warwick Valley Dispatch sincerely thanks everyone who contributed ideas, research and historical insight, including:
- Alan Held — Extensive genealogical and property research pointing toward the Magie family and early Warwick land ownership.
- Frenchy Falcone — Ball family history and property ownership timeline.
- Barbara Green — Encouragement for further archaeological exploration of the Ball Farm.
- Scott Aziza and Cathy Conroy — Information regarding the local Masker family and Dorinda Masker.
- The Vietnam Veteran Archaeological Association of America (VVAAA) — Independent historical research that introduced the compelling theory connecting the initials J.J.M. to Judge John J. Monell, a distinguished Orange County jurist, civic leader, Civil War-era public figure and captain in the Firemen’s Association. The association also shared its own history and mission of preserving local history through responsible artifact recovery, reminding readers that discoveries such as this are about reconnecting communities with their past—not collecting relics.
Do you recognize the initials J.J.M.?
The investigation continues.
Readers with additional information, family records, photographs, or historical leads are encouraged to contact the Warwick Valley Dispatch at editor@wvdispatch.com.
