A horrifying fire in Old Forge over Memorial Day weekend destroyed everything in a family home except a textbook from Jeremiah Stiles, Commander at the Battle of Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775.

The pictures tell the story of how awful the fire was on Friday, May 27, 2016. The house has been in the family for five generations along Big Moose River. They're planning on rebuilding and are extremely thankful no one was hurt.

The family's most notable ancestor is Jeremiah Stiles, who was in the Revolutionary War, a math teacher, and he had a great talent for drawing and painting. A cherished possession is one of his handwritten math textbooks. The book was kept in a dresser drawer on the second floor. The dresser and everything around it didn't survive. Nothing escaped including collectible guns that were stored in a fireproof safe. When the family went to the dresser to see the fate of the book, there it was, wedged between charred and destroyed objects in almost perfect condition.

Thank you to John Stiles Hornick for showing us this treasure in the midst of a very difficult family situation.

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