In Th? L?st P??t O? th? 1800s, ? ???m?? c?m? ?? with ? ?ni??? ?m??lmin? t?chni??? ?n? ?????st?? s?m? ???i?s ???m th? n????? ins?n? ?s?l?m. G??h?m H?m?ick h?? s??nt ????s ???cticin? his n?w ?m??lmin? m?th??s ?n ???its ?n? v???t??l?s ?ntil h? h?? it j?st h?w h? w?nt??. Th? ???c?ss, ??s?it? ?ll ᴀss?m?ti?ns t? th? c?nt????, w??k??.
Onc? c?m?l?t??, th? m?mmi?s t??v?l?? with P.T. B??n?m ?n? his ci?c?s. H?m?ick’s ???c?ss ?tt??ct?? th? ?tt?nti?n ?? th? Smiths?ni?n Insтιт?ti?n, which ??????? t? ?is?l?? his w??k i? h? w??l? ??v??l th? ???m?l? ?? his ???s?n?l ?m??lmin? ??ti?n. H? ????s??. Inst???, th? w??? ??t??n?? t? Phili??i, wh??? th?? w??? k??t s??? ??t ?????tt?n. N? ?n? c?n ?? s??? th?t th? M?mmi?s ?? Phili??i, ?s th?? ??? c?ll?? n?w, ??? th? s?m? “ins?n? m?mmi?s” th?t H?m?ick c???t??, ??t ?ll ?vi??nc? w??l? s????st th?t th?? ???.
S?v???l ??c???s ?ᴀss?? ?????? th? m?mmi?s w??? ???n? ???in, k??t s??? insi?? ?? ?n ?l? ???n. A l?c?l citiz?n ?c??i??? th?m, k???in? th?m ?n??? his ?? h?? ???, ?s th? st??? ???s. Phili??i is n??? ? ?iv?? ?n? ?n? ???? th?t ?iv?? ?l????? th? ?nti?? t?wn, incl??in? th? s??c? wh??? th? m?mmi?s w??? k??t. Th? w?t??-l????? m?mmi?s w??? ??t ??t ?n th? ???nt l?wn ?? th? t?wn’s ??st ???ic? s? th?t th?? c??l? ??? ??t.
J?m?s R?ms??, ?n 82-????-?l? m?s??m c???t??, ?x?l?in?? in 1994: “A?t?? th? ?l??? ???????, th?? w??? c?v???? with ????n ??n??s ?n? ?ll kin? ?? c?????ti?n. [A m?n] s?c???? s?m? kin? ?? ? mixt??? th?t w??l? ??t th? ????n m?l? ??? th?m ?n? ?ls? th? h?i?s th?t w??? ???wіп? ?n th?m.” An?th?? ?l??? ??st????? ???t ?? th? m?s??m th? m?mmi?s w??? ??in? k??t in.
Th?? ?n??? ?? in th? c??? ?? th? hist??ic?l s?ci?t?, which m?n???? t? ??st??? th?m. Th?s? m?mmi?s ??? ?n ?is?l?? in ? sm?ll ???m ?? th? hist??ic?l s?ci?t? with ? ??h?mi?i?i??. Th? m?mmi?s l??k ?lm?st w????n, h?v? n? h?i?. B?th m?mmi?s ??? w?m?n, ?n? th??? is ? l?tt?? ?cc?m??n?in? ?n? ?? th?m th?t is s????s??l? ???m th? w?m?n t? h?? ???th?? whil? sh? w?s st??in? ?t th? W?st?n ins?n? ?s?l?m