And today im in birmingham, alabama, which is in the rolling foothills of the appalachians. They say that wars are fought to change maps, and this episode of strange inheritance is actually about a map, a very old map, and one that survives in a family whose history spans from texas to virginia and then back here to alabama. My name is Patrick Martin. My parents died in 1999, and my sister and i inherited the house and contents. We were surprised when we figured out what it contained. The house that patrick and his sister, peggy, inherited here in birmingham is now their home. Patrick, thank you so much for having me over. Its our pleasure. Patricks parents moved to alabama from maryland and bought the house in the 1960s. Patrick, an architect, returns to take care of his ill parents in 1994 but then has his own health scare. I had a quintuple bypass surgery here. Patricks heart trouble leads him to an early retirement at age 47. With lots of time on his hands, he starts rummaging through the house, including the attic. Its here that he comes across a box he remembers from his childhood. This looks very, very old, just right from the start. The box contains family letters and legal documents, some going back to the 18th century. This packet is letters from the 1780s. Patrick also discovers an old u. S. Army muster book, an official ledger listing soldiers and keeping track of their pay. The writing is unbelievable. I cant believe its in such good shape. This book is put into two sections the war of 1812 and then the mexican war. Patricks family has a long history of military service. In 1846, his greatgreatgrandfather, nicholas martin, leads a virginia battalion in the mexicanamerican war, one of the most controversial in u. S. History. Although the war is very little known among americans, its actually the most important war fought between two neighbors in the western hemisphere. In 1845, texas is annexed by the United States, but the texas Boundary Claim now becomes an american problem. And, it turns out, an opportunity for president james k. Polk, a slaveholding tennessee democrat who believes god has ordained the United States to expand across the continent. Many opponents of war with mexico condemn this idea of manifest destiny as simply the conquest of territory for new slave states including a freshfaced freshman congressman from illinois. Abraham lincoln is an opponent of this war. He gives a series of speeches blasting the polk administration. The war the first in history documented with photographs breaks out in april 1846. Mexico surrenders in 1848, losing half its national domain. The United States acquires not just the american southwest, but also california. Left unresolved where slavery will be allowed in those territories. The debate over whether those territories are going to be slave or free is going to be so contentious and so divisive that its ultimately going to lead to the civil war in 1861. Patricks box contains a number of civil war items, too cool stuff like some certificates from the confederate postal service. He cant be sure how all those items came to his family. Some most likely are from that greatgreatgrandfather who fought in mexico. The other possibility is his son hudson, who was a lawyer, and he represented soldiers. The artifacts are passed down through the generations, ultimately making their way to the family estate in virginia. When patricks grandfather dies in 1956 and the family is clearing out the house, his father winds up with the historical items by chance. On a whim, he just said, well take those six boxes. The boxes end up in the basement of patricks childhood home outside washington, d. C. They become a way to kill boredom for a curious 12yearold boy. Patrick, did you really play with all this stuff as a kid . I did. I did. I loved the boxes. Youd find letters from the civil war talking about troop movements or political discussions just before lincolns election. And you felt a connection to family and a fun connection to history, so your imagination could run wild. Absolutely. One of his favorite items an old map of texas. It was a fun toy. I just enjoyed the fact that texas was so different. It had indian villages, it had forts it had all kinds of interesting things for a 10 or a 12yearold. Somehow, the map avoids being used to make a fort or a halloween mask. I showed it to my parents, and they knew i was playing with it, and that was fine because it was just the old texas map. As patrick grows up, the map and the other items in the boxes become distant childhood memories. In 1967, his parents move to birmingham, where the boxes are stored and forgotten once again that is until patrick moves here to take care of his folks and rediscovers them. His parents pass away in 1999 within 10 days of each other. The family home and those timeworn boxes are now patrick and his sister, peggys, inheritance. Proud of his family heritage, he shows off the heirlooms during dinner parties. Im crazy about history, and this was a resource that i wanted to share with people. He even brings them out to the thanksgiving table. So, this thanksgiving dinner, literally between the gravy bowl and the turkey, you bring the map out and put it on the table, this table . Thats true. It was the end of dinner, so it was mostly messy plates, and that probably made it worse, you know, as far as danger to the map. At the time, its value was the joy it would give you looking at the thing. But by 2013, patrick wonders if he might reap another kind of joy from his strange inheritance. To be blunt, he could use the money. Since retiring early at age 47, patrick has accumulated substantial creditcard debt not to mention a homeequity loan that he and his sister, peggy, took out. The creditcard debt is monumental. We have a small homeequity loan that this potentially could pay off. Patrick notices than an auction house is holding an appraisal fair in birmingham. I thought, ill throw a box of stuff together and see if anythings worth anything. At the fair, patrick cautiously breaks out the old family war stuff. Did you feel like one would be worth more than the others . I actually thought the muster book was gonna be of more significant monetary value. As it turned out, he says he thinks the muster book probably would be a couple of thousand dollars. And i thought, well, thats nice, you know, but its not lifechanging. Patrick shows a few more heirlooms and gets the same tepid response. Down to his final item, he unfolds his childhood plaything, that old texas map. What happened when you pulled the map out . You could tell his demeanor changed. I mean, his face lit up. He was very excited. Whats your heart doing at that point . Its beating very well. [ laughs ] what had been sitting in the attic all this time . Id never seen one before, and i dont expect to see one again. Thats next. But first, our strange inheritance quiz question. Which war saw the most combat veterans go on to become u. S. President . Is it the revolutionary war, the mexicanamerican war, the civil war, or world war ii . The answer when we return. Copd makes it hard to breathe. So to breathe better, i go with anoro. Go your own way copd tries to say, go this way. I say, ill go my own way with anoro. Go your own way oncedaily anoro contains two medicines called bronchodilators, that Work Together to significantly improve lung function all day and all night. Anoro is not for asthma. It contains a type of medicine that increases risk of death in people with asthma. 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Clearly better money management. So, which war saw the most combat veterans go on to become u. S. President . Its c, the civil war. Five future president s grant, hayes, garfield, harrison, and mckinley saw combat during the civil war. In birmingham, alabama, in may 2013, Patrick Martin visits a traveling appraisal fair, hoping some of his familys old military artifacts can pay off his growing debts. Its not going well that is until he pulls out an old map of texas for heritage auctions appraiser joe fay. I had seen this map before, but i had only seen reprints of it. Joe instantly recognizes the print as apparently the work of jacob de cordova, who commissioned the first maps in 1849, right after the u. S. Won the mexicanamerican war. De cordova used the map as a promotional tool to lure adventurous immigrants to the state. He was a land agent who helped settle people in texas, and he wanted a document that showed them the vastness of the land that was available for them to settle. De cordova obtained official signature endorsements from famous texans, including sam houston, to further his cause. Sam houston, on the floor of the u. S. Senate, referred to this as the most accurate depiction of texas that anyone had ever compiled. With patricks copy, joe is excited but skeptical. He knows such a famous map has countless reprints and forgeries. I noticed that the paper was right, consistent with the period, but still it could be a reprint. Fortunately for joe, de cordova himself left a vital clue. Theres a printed notice that basically says, without my signature, this map is fraudulently obtained. Patricks map includes a signature that appears to match de cordovas, but is it handsigned or printed . Another clue. I could see the ink bleeding through to the back of the map, which only happens if its authentically signed with ink. Once i saw this, really, nothing else mattered that weekend. The map is no doubt the find of the appraisal fair. He said, we had this auction last year, and the second edition sold for 44,000. A First Edition from 1849 would be worth even more. Only a few are known to still exist. Joe suspects that patricks map could be a First Edition. Geography will tell the tale. There are several features of this map that wouldnt be recognizable to somebody looking at the state of texas today. You see, the republic of texas once stretched as far north as wyoming and as far west as santa fe. Over the years, those boundaries are chipped away. The biggest Land Transfer comes in 1850, when texas gives up vast tracts of western land to the federal government in exchange for debt relief. Come to think of it, thats the same outcome patricks aiming for. The end result the texas shape we know today. So, what version of texas did patricks map show . Just north of the state line of texas is an area thats referred to on the map as indian territory, which we know today as oklahoma. Theres a strip on the left side of the map thats santa fe territory. So at that point, that was that eureka moment of, this is actually an 1849 de cordova map. Joe ups his initial appraisal. He said, yours is a First Edition. Therefore, we think it would be 60,000 to 80,000. So i called my sister and decided to sell the map. Joe tells patrick the value could go up or down depending on the maps condition and previous sales. He wants to hold on to the heirloom for more research. Joe gets on a plane to dallas to show the map to sandra palomino, who specializes in texana artifacts. All she needs is one look. What kind of condition was the map in when you got it . Thats next on strange inheritance. Heres another quiz question. What role did future army general and u. S. President ulysses s. Grant play in the mexicanamerican war . Was it quartermaster, sniper, or medic . The answer when we return. [vo] progress is an unstoppable force. The season of audi sales event is here. Audi will cover your first months lease payment on select models during the season of audi sales event. I am totally blind. And non24 can throw my days and nights out of sync, keeping me from the things i love to do. Talk to your doctor, and call 8442142424. So, what role did future army general and u. S. President ulysses s. Grant play in the mexicanamerican war . The answer is a, quartermaster. Grant was in charge of distributing supplies and provisions to the 4th infantry regiment. In birmingham, alabama, Patrick Martin is eagerly awaiting the latest appraisal of his strange inheritance an 1849 firstedition map of the new state of texas. Joe fay has pegged its value at 80,000. If hes right, that would go a long way to wiping out the debt patrick has run up since retiring after quintuple bypass surgery. Although the map meant a lot to me, when you put a dollar value on it that can change your financial base, youre thinking, i can get rid of this debt, but you dont want to buy into it yet. After all, patrick knows his map hasnt exactly been treated like a museum exhibit, and its condition can have a major impact on its sale price. Thats why joe fay brings the map to dallas to get a Second Opinion from sandra palomino. Its why dallas is my next stop, as well. What kind of condition was the map in when you got it . It was in wonderful condition. It was just amazing to us that there were no separations along any of the folds. Condition is everything, and value is just rising with literally every fold that were opening. Did you know, as an expert in maps and documents and other historical artifacts, that it existed . This particular map is newly discovered because it was on nobodys radar. Now big is the market for maps . For collectors in general, they love that period from 1834, 1835, up through the late 1850s. Thats because so many families trace their texan roots back to the immigration boom of that period. Texans are very, very prideful of their roots, and they see it almost as a responsibility to preserve the history and pass it on. And many of those early texans were influenced by de cordova and his map. Its a treasured piece of history, and thats what this map is to texana collectors. A few days after the original appraisal, patrick receives a call from heritage auctions. Joe fay calls, and joe says, i missed the estimate on the map. Oh. So, i think hes overpriced it. Instead, fay says it could be more than 80,000 a lot more, six figures easy. So, you know, right away, im ecstatic. On march 15, 2014, Patrick Martins firstedition map of texas goes up on the Auction Block in dallas. Patrick monitors the auction by computer from his home in birmingham. Things are not off to a smooth start. The auction actually was going slow generally. Things werent reaching their auction estimate, so as my map came up, i was trepidatious. The map opens at 75,000, and it appears only two bidders will be competing for it. The amount slowly creeps higher from 75 to 85 grand, then to 97,000. Patrick knows he should be ecstatic, but you know how it goes. When youre told six figures, its six figures you want. This time, it stopped long enough that the auctioneer said, fair warning, and so i thought, its gonna go at 97,000. Is he right . Thats next on strange inheritance. siren blaring working as an emt in a small town usually means hospitals arent very close by. When you have a really traumatic injury, we have a short amount of time to get our patient to the hospital with good results. We call that the golden hour. Theres nothing worse than when were responding to the hospital, and the hospital doesnt have the right specialist. Evaluating patients remotely, by an expert, is where i think we have a potential to make a difference. Robots can do a lot in medicine these days, but they cant think. Theyre still machines. For nuanced decision making, we still need humans. We would save a lot of lives if we could bring the doctor to the patient. Verizon is racing to build the first and most powerful 5g network that will enable Breakthrough Innovations to take place. As we get faster and faster wireless connections, itll be possible to bring those capabilities to more remote sites, and be able to operate on a patient in a way that was just not possible before. When you think about underserved areas, you tend to think of remote locations. But the reality is, an underserved area is anywhere where the person that you need, who has the expertise for the problem that you have, is nowhere near you. Low latency is crucial for things like surgery, because the Response Time has to be immediate, it has to be real. I could put on vr goggles like these, and when i move my hand, the robot on the other side will mimic the movement, with almost no delay. Who knew a scalpel could work thousands of miles away . dr. Vasquez its going to be lifechanging, and lifesaving. Now back to strange inheritance. After being passed down through five generations of Patrick Martins family, a rare firstedition map from the early days of texas statehood goes on the Auction Block in dallas in march 2014. The bidders push the price up from 75,000 to 85,000. Its a lot of money, but patrick has been led to believe this strange inheritance would fetch a lot more than that. The bidding jumps to 97,000, then stalls again. I had a little momentary roller coaster there of letdown, euphoric, letdown. Then, after what seems to be ages, the bidding picks up again. Soon, it passes the 100,000 mark and keeps on climbing. The final sale price, including a premium the buyer pays to the auctioneer a whopping 149,000. After paying seller fees, patrick and his sister take home 96,000 48 grand each. They can finally get rid of all their debt every penny of it. Immediately, within a day, we had paid off the homeequity loan and the creditcard loans, so it was great. Its admirable that you paid off debt with the money you got from the map, much more money than you expected, but come on, patrick. You mustve bought a little splurge here or there for you or your sister, peggy. Well, actually, we both still have a chunk thats waiting to splurge. Were trying to figure out what the splurge will be. A map somehow ends up in the hands of a distant an