Independence, California: Coyote-Tooth Dentures

The curator for this museum is full of knowledge. She told us the history behind the relocation camps very close to here; there is an absolutely amazing exhibit on it located here. The coyote teeth are just the tip of the iceberg (so to speak).

Off kilter kid.

A good friend of mine drove US 395 last summer, cruising from Death Valley up to Reno. In the small town of Independence, CA he found the Eastern California Museum which featured, among other things, a set of human dentures made of coyote teeth. As this was unconfirmed, I did not see fit to report it to you at the time. However, the official publication of the CA State Auto Assoc., Via, published an article in their May/June 2005 issue that highlights this gem. I quote from the article below, as written by Jennifer Reese:

"And then there was the set of coyote dentures. In the early 1900s, a local man who had lost his teeth melted some celluloid toothbrush handles, shaped them to his gums, and then pressed the scraggly, yellow teeth of a dead coyote into the mixture. This bizarre artifact ultimately found its way here [the museum]. You'll never see anything else like it in your life."

Of course, the last statement shows that the writer is not familiar with RoadsideAmerica.com, but she does confirm the coyote dentures report.