"It is the largest known superiorly worked point of red Flintridge chalcedony".---1980, John Baldwin, Pre-Historic Art.

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"THE HOOK'S DOVE"
(ST. CHARLES POINT)
MADISON COUNTY, OHIO
JOHN BALDWIN COLLECTION

   This St. Charles point was found in 1974 by a man who was fishing along Deer Creek near Lake Choctaw in the vicinity of Sommerford, Ohio in Madison County. It's a good example of the Ohio style of "Dovetail" points that have the smaller notched bases. The term "button Base Dove" is sometimes used to describe them. This point has become famous mainly for the rare variety of bright red Flintridge chalcedony it was made from but also for its complete unbroken condition. It's known as the "Hooks Dove" after Jack Hooks who owned it for a number of years. It's considered one of the most beautiful St. Charles "Dovetails" ever found of this type.
   St. Charles points were named by Edward G. Scully in 1951 after St. Charles County, Missouri where many examples have been found. Points like the one illustrated here were most probably hafted onto short handles made of either antler, bone or wood and used as knives. As the edges became dulled or broken from cutting or scrapping they were trimmed by pressure flaking. This resharpening causes the edges to become beveled. The "Hooks Dove" is a knife that wasn't sharpened enough to acquire the beveling along the edges. It measures 5 inches (12.6 cm) long and dates to the Early Archaic period sometime between 7,500 B.C. to 6,000 B.C.