smart join me week do as, for "mornings with maria" right here on fox business, set the top for the day we hope there you are have a great rest of the weekend everybody that will do it for tonight and ♪ >> talk about getting the keys to the city. they walk around like they own the place. >> sounds like you're the unofficial mayor of this town. >> well, that's one of my hats. >> guess what? they do. >> your dad bought the whole neighborhood? >> yes. the whole town. >> it is a real community. very close-knit. >> i was told i was born here, but i was too young to remember. >> they never thought they'd live to see this day. >> makes me sad. i don't want to have to move. >> when is the last time you got a listing for a whole town? >> never. >> will the heirs take the cash and let the bulldozers in? >> if you did sell, where would those people go? [ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ] [ bird caws ]

♪ >> i'm jamie colby in western pennsylvania, turning into the village of reduction. i'm here because a viewer wrote me to say this whole place is his strange inheritance. >> my name is david stawovy. when my parents passed away, my siblings and i inherited a town. >> hi, david. i'm jamie colby. >> hello, jamie. welcome to the town of reduction. >> you wrote me you inherited a town? this is it? >> this is part of it. >> david and his three siblings' inheritance encompasses 75 acres of hills, farmland, and forest nestled along the youghiogheny river. the town, population 60, stretches out along reduction road, which leads into reduction circle, and an area called "the village," a collection of 19 houses. >> and the house right in front of me is the house that my father decided to purchase,

and that's where i lived when i was one year old. he wanted only one, but the people that was selling it asked him if he wanted to buy them all. so he ended up buying them all. >> your dad bought the whole neighborhood? >> yes, the whole town in 1948. >> but david's ahead of our story. it starts some 40 years before his dad became king of this hill. at the turn of the century, the town is owned by the american reduction company, which runs a bustling plant that recycles and reduces garbage shipped in from nearby pittsburgh. >> and the factory was directly behind you, down over the hill. they only had to walk down a set of steps, and they were at work. >> reduction was what was known as a company town, one of more than 2,000 communities wholly owned by one corporation or another that pop up across america in the late 1800s. >> ♪ you load sixteen tons ♪ what do you get?

♪ another day older and deeper in debt ♪ >> a number-one hit, "sixteen tons" by tennessee ernie ford makes company towns sound like woeful places to live. >> ♪ i owe my soul to the company store ♪ ♪ >> but that song topped the charts in 1955, long after almost all the company towns closed, and their story is more nuance than old tennessee ernie is letting on. history professor ed meena. who did it benefit more -- the company or the employees? >> the company had a steady force of workers at their disposal, but it gave the workers an opportunity to find their own life and their own future. >> company towns make it possible for workers to take the jobs in the new post-civil war industries located near natural resources like coal, lumber, iron,

and oil. >> it was you came on the railroad, dropped off, went to work. >> were the people that lived in these company towns proud to work for the company, or is it a little indentured servitude? >> a little bit of both. the company was run for profit, and the workers, in many instances, were very expendable, but some of the company towns were a little bit better, and workers were given the opportunity to have some leisure time. there were activities, religious instruction, athletics. >> reduction, p.a., comes to life in 1910 with the opening of the american reduction plant. it's known as "the town that garbage built." >> all the garbage from pittsburgh, and they brought it out, and they ran it through a processing plant, and they separated the copper, aluminum, or whatever metals. they made soap. they made fertilizer. >> and how many workers did reduction need that it made

sense for them to build a company town? >> well, i think at their heyday, they had 400 people living in reduction. they had three shifts. it worked 24/7. >> in 1920, david's grandparents, polish immigrants valentine and johanna stawovy, settle near reduction and start a dairy farm to supply milk, eggs, cheese, and produce to reduction. they become its company store. is that the farm? >> yes, this is a shot of my grandfather and my grandmother and all the siblings. >> how big was this farm? >> he bought like 100 acres, and then he bought another 100 acres. he bought up a lot of different farms. >> that's a substantial dairy farm. >> well, he had four sons, and his daughter worked there, and so he had his own workforce. >> one member of that workforce, david's father, john stawovy. born in 1922, he grows up milking cows, working the fields, and attending school with the rest of the reduction kids at this

one-room schoolhouse. by then, american workers are starting to enjoy the economic advances that will bring the era of company towns to a close -- rising worker incomes, mass-produced cars, widely available home financing. they get a taste of a better life. >> oh, absolutely. workers have a higher standard of living because of their union contracts. they actually get paid time off. they get a little bit of a pension. >> in 1936, a larger garbage plant opens in pittsburgh. american reduction closes the plant here, and reduction becomes a ghost town. when reduction closed, what happened to the people living in those houses? >> people were devastated. that was their livelihood. >> the stawovy family dairy, nevertheless, thrives. in 1948, david's father is newly married and looking for a starter home.

he approaches the american reduction company to purchase one of the houses in the old neighborhood. >> he said, "what's the price?," and he gave him the price, and then he said to my father, "instead of buying one, why don't you buy them all?" >> how much? >> $10,000. >> did he have the money? >> no. he borrowed it. >> he saw it as an investment? >> oh, yes. >> david's parents rent out the 18 vacant homes and move into this 600-square-foot house just like the others. here they start a family. david is born in 1949, followed by sisters jacque, cheryl, and brother jan. >> it was very close-knit, and, as i recall, it was very happy. >> jacque recalls a childhood spent playing with the other kids in the village. >> we loved to ice-skate on the pond that was right next to the dairy. before we went ice-skating, we would go into the dairy and get hot chocolate. >> time stands still in good

ways and, well, not so good ways. >> all the houses had outhouses. they didn't have indoor plumbing. once a year, they had to be cleaned, and my father would have me going out with him and hold the flashlight when he would do his duty. >> we would do whatever he asked us to do. whether it be painting, scrubbing, we all had a hand in it. >> the kids grow up, move away, and begin their own careers. for the next six decades, with support from their mother, dad runs the old company town from top to bottom. >> my dad did it for years all by himself, and he was incredible. >> but when the landlord, town engineer, and public works chief needs to retire from office, his son david is about to find out that being lord of the manor isn't all it's cracked up to be. >> you get a call 2, 3, 4 o'clock in the morning. it's my responsibility. >> here's a "strange inheritance" quiz question...

the answer after the break.

♪ >> so, a strike begun at what company town led to the creation of labor day? it's "b." in 1894, after their wages were cut in half, workers

at the pullman railcar company in illinois walked out, leading to a nationwide strike. in response, president grover cleveland approved the federal holiday of labor day. ♪ >> hard to believe this beautiful western pennsylvania hamlet is known as "the town that garbage built," but it's true. the village of reduction dates back to 1910, a company town of the american reduction plant, trash processor for nearby pittsburgh. the plant closes in the '30s, but local dairy farmer john stawovy buys the whole spread in 1948 and runs the town, home to about 60 people. >> i was told i was born here, but i was too young to remember. >> walter willie klorczyk grew up in reduction in the 1950s. what was it like living here? >> well, it was country. you're exposed to all kinds of animals and bugs and stuff,

and you get used to living in the country. >> were the neighbors close? >> very close. i mean, close enough where you couldn't do anything wrong without coming home and finding out that everybody knew about it. >> for willie, reduction will always hold a little piece of childhood magic. >> there was never a streetlight here, and i remember one time we laid down and looked up at the sky, and realized there's more than just a few stars up there. >> for the next 60 years into the early 2000's, john stawovy and his wife, amelia, not only run the town, but maintain its characteristic charm. >> when the people would come to pay the rent, it was like a friend arrived. sometimes my mother would invite them in to have tea or coffee or feed them. they were all very kind to my parents. >> but when their father enters his 80s and begins to suffer from dementia, david, now a retired schoolteacher, finds himself more involved

with all the day-to-day duties. was there some point when your dad got ill and you realized you'd have to take over all of the responsibility? >> i was there with my father, helped him throughout all the years, and now, for the last five years, i had to really take care of him. >> in 2014, david's father dies of heart failure. two years later, his mom passes away. david's named executor of the estate. >> my father chose me. it's an honor that my dad thought that much of me for me to be responsible enough to take care of his family. what's in his will i will do. whether i agree with it or not, i will do what my father asked, and that's -- i feel it's an honor. >> for david, it's also an honor to keep the town running just as his parents did for more than 60 years. sounds like you're the unofficial mayor of this town. >> well, that's one of my hats -- one of them.

>> what other things do you have to do? >> sewage officer, plumber, electrician -- you know, i do it all, whatever needs done. >> do you have the expertise to do all that? >> i do probably 98% of the work myself, and my family helps, also. one of the worst things we had recently, one of the main waterlines broke in the middle of the road. >> david's not the only family member on the clock. >> since i retired, it's kind of my job now. my husband and i do the bookwork, and we make all the deposits. i do all of the leases. >> for their work, the siblings earn hourly wages. then at the end of the year, each typically receives an additional $15,000, profit from the rental income. don't you think you should be making more money for all this? >> $15,000 is not a lot of money, but it's something. i'm happy with that. >> david and his siblings are happy about something else, too -- the community that they've helped to perpetuate.

tight-knit? >> oh, yeah. >> what kind of things do they do for each other? >> well, like sometimes when they have to leave, they'll watch their children or they'll say, "pick up my child when they get off the bus till i get off work." >> kate and larry blasko have lived in reduction for two years. you came and looked at it... >> came and looked at it, and we said, "we want to rent it." >> and why not? these homes are perfect for a couple of empty-nesters. ♪ look at this kitchen, okay? i could totally make magic here. you got the sink, you got a beautiful stove, you have this huge refrigerator -- it all fits -- and if you want to have breakfast in the house? right here. you got a whole seating arrangement, storage. isn't it darling? it's such a cute house. you guys like living here? >> we love it. >> love it. >> what's the best part? >> just being alone and the wildlife and quiet. >> quiet. >> what are you missing? >> nothing. >> traffic. >> yeah. >> missing traffic.

>> it's a pretty friendly and quiet little town, but maybe not for much longer. when is the last time you got a listing for a whole town? >> never. >> what's david asking? >> here's another quiz question for you... the answer when we return. ♪ do you recall, not long ago ♪ we would walk on the sidewalk ♪ ♪ all around the wind blows ♪ we would only hold on to let go ♪ ♪ blow a kiss into the sun ♪ we need someone to lean on ♪ blow a kiss into the sun

♪ we needed somebody to lean on ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ all we need is someone to lean on ♪

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a hotel, water spa, and championship golf course. ♪ >> after inheriting the old company town of reduction, pennsylvania, from their parents in 2016, retired schoolteacher david stawovy and his siblings have been busy keeping the town up and running. but heavy are the heads that share the town. so as they reach retirement age, they decide to put the entire village up for sale. what was it that finally made you say, "out"? >> my wife and i want to travel. my sisters want to travel. you're tied down. you're never at peace. >> when is the last time you got a listing for a whole town? >> never. [ both laugh ] >> debbie dattalo is the listing agent. what's david asking? >> 1.5. >> 1.5...? >> million. >> is that a good price? >> i believe it's a fair price, and everything's negotiable.

>> how would you describe this property? >> it's unbelievable land, and the history of it, i think, is even more amazing. >> what do properties around here sell for? >> the market is growing, so my expectations are only going up because of the growth that will be happening in the next couple of years here. >> if the heirs get their asking price, split four ways, they'd each receive 375k. where's the value -- where we're standing right now, in these houses, in the river, the neighborhood? >> i believe it's the land. this is very difficult to find this amount of land in a parcel like this. >> other than what it is right now, what could this property become? >> i think it could be a housing development. i still have in my mind that it could be a recreational space. >> news travels fast in a small town, so it's no secret to the residents that their time

in reduction, p.a., could be dwindling away. >> makes me sad. >> i don't want to have to move. >> it's a decision the residents may be forced to make sooner than they'd like. >> i did have an offer already. >> what's your "strange inheritance" story? we'd love to tell it. send me an e-mail or go to our website, strangeinheritance.com. 2,000 fence posts. 900 acres. 48 bales. all before lunch,

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♪ >> now back to "strange inheritance." ♪ >> david stawovy and his three siblings have just put up for sale the tiny former company town, reduction, p.a., that their family has owned and run for 70 years. while they're excited about the prospect of selling, they're uncomfortable with the thought of uprooting the town's 60 residents. >> why do you care so much? >> i just like people, that's all. i try to give them a good -- you know, it's a reasonable place to live. i try to give that to them. >> if you did sell,

where would those people go? >> well, i promised them if i sold that i would give them one year to find a place to live. >> not everybody's going to agree. they may want to take possession and tear them down immediately. >> i know, but i told them. i made a promise. i'm a man of my word. >> i don't want to have to move. >> you know that he is looking for a buyer, but only a buyer that would be willing to let people stay here for a period of time? >> yes. >> that seems pretty unusual in america. >> well, it is. >> everybody's after that buck. you're right. i give him a lot of respect for that. >> we're hoping that someone will come along and run it just the way we did and maybe even make it better. >> just a month after putting the town on the market in october 2016, david gets a call from a prospective buyer. what would they do with the property? >> there's a big mound that's a high point where you could see for miles. he wanted to build a mansion up on top of it. >> ooh. the offer comes in at $800,000, well below the $1.5 million

asking price. but the real deal-breaker for the family is that reduction would be reduced to nothing. what's it like to have a client who's a little bit hesitant to sell? >> i think my business is about emotions, and sometimes people are emotionally tied to their real estate, and i understand that. this property is still important to them, and i think that will be important when we find the right buyer to know the love that went into the houses and also the people that lived here. >> walking around reduction, i realize that while houses, roads, street signs, and water mains can put a town on the map, it's people that make it a community, like larry, kate, and willie, and all the others who've lived in these brick houses and populated the old company town with plain old good company. it's no wonder that even with big money on the table, david and his siblings

say they're determined not to let the people of reduction down. where are you going to find somebody that will buy this property and treat these people with the respect that you have? >> i hope there's somebody out there. >> what's the upside for them? >> to want to take care of people and for the love of man. ♪ >> remember how the stawovy family dairy provided the residents and workers of reduction with food and supplies? well, it turns out there was one popular farm product old grandpa valentine sold on the side -- moonshine. david tells me his gramps ran a secret still right on the farm -- even did a little time behind bars when he was caught. of course, after a long day in the garbage factory, i can understand the workers in the old company town wanting a little cocktail. i'm jamie colby. thanks for watching

"strange inheritance." and remember -- you can't take it with you. >> i have been called to lead my people from bondage. >> a preacher slave unleashes holy hell. >> he felt that his purpose was to be a redeemer. >> their ancestors nearly wiped out... >> did you know of the connection to nat turner? >> it was just something that we kind of talked about quietly. >> their strange inheritance? a piece of history. >> did you think to yourself there's any chance this really could be nat turner's bible? >> my first reaction was one of, "is this a crank call?" >> what do you think it's worth? >> i was told several millions of dollars. >> what will the family do? >> it wasn't the proper place and time to really talk about it. [ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ]

[ bird caws ] ♪ >> i'm jamie colby in southampton county, virginia. i'm here to visit a family, some of whose ancestors were murdered in the nat turner slave revolt. their strange inheritance? a powerful and some would say holy relic of that bloody and historic rampage. >> my name is wendy creekmore-porter. my stepfather inherited a bible with a controversial past. he's 88, and his memory's going, so he asked me to tell our family's story. >> hi, wendy. i'm jamie colby. so nice to meet you. i meet wendy at persons methodist church. the forebearers of her stepfather, maurice person, started the church in 1838, seven years after the family is nearly decimated in nat turner's slave rebellion. i can't think of a more appropriate place to learn about

an old bible that survives from that bloody day. what did the bible look like? >> tattered. it's missing the cover, very small. it was obviously something that you could carry on you. >> and, according to person family lore, the centuries' old book belonged to the uprising's leader. >> we all kind of talked about it here on these grounds at the family reunion. i knew it was significant. we grow up here knowing the story of nat turner. >> after all, nat turner's story begins in southampton county before it reverberates across the country and through the ages till today. >> till then, we remain steadfast, ready to strike at the moment of the lord's call. we'll destroy them all. >> he probably had a genius iq, but it was encased within a body that was supposed to be nothing. >> bruce turner is a great-great-great grandson of

nat turner. he says nat, born in 1800, learns to read the bible and by his teens is preaching to his fellow slaves. >> he had a very loud, commanding, and fiery voice to where he could mesmerize them when he would stare at them with his eyes. ♪ >> it's around this time turner is baptized in a pond on the person family property. did he know your family? >> he knew the family. my great-great-grandfather, john person, owned the land. >> mark person is maurice's cousin. your family, they were slave owners. >> yeah. they did own slaves. but a lot of the neighbors didn't like john person 'cause he was too kind to the slaves sometimes. but he said, "hey, it's my land. everybody's welcome." and nat turner approached him and said, "i'd like to be baptized here." >> after the baptism, nat becomes inspired by the story of moses leading the israelites to

freedom and by the fiery visions in the book of revelations. >> and nat became, in his own words, a free man to god at that time. he felt that his purpose was to be a redeemer. and he felt that slavery was a moral wrong, and so, therefore, he was entitled to seek revenge for that. >> he slowly came to the idea that he was chosen by god to engage in a rebellion against slavery. the end of the world being near, he would kill everybody. >> historian kenneth greenberg tells me a series of visions and voices that turner thinks are from god only reinforce his beliefs. >> he sees blood on the corn. he sees christ's arms stretched out across the heavens. >> then, in 1831, turner's awed by a solar eclipse. >> nat saw that as an absolute sign that he was now being given directions from god to go ahead

and start putting the insurrection into motion. >> and he says that christ had laid down the yoke he had born for the sins of men, and now nat turner was gonna pick that yoke up. >> august 21, nat turner's moment arrives. >> he suddenly shows up at a farm and asks african-americans on that farm to join him in a rebellion. everybody knows how dangerous this is. you're certain to be killed. >> the slaves had become so enamored into nat and respectable of him that they felt that he would not lead them wrong. they felt that their liberty was just as dear to them as it was to him and that they were willing to give up their lives. >> it's a scene harrowingly depicted in the sundance-winning film, "the birth of a nation." around 2:00 a.m., turner leads his group, armed with axes, hatchets, and knives, to a nearby slaveholder. nat strikes the first blow. >> then, his confederate

finished him off with a blow over the head with his bigger ax. >> the mob moves from farm to farm, including the persons'. lost a lot of family members. >> yeah. there were families killed, some of my ancestors. and it's very tragic. >> but maurice persons' great-grandmother, lavinia francis, survives the raid. >> maurice's great-grandmother was home alone. she was pregnant at the time. and a slave next door, he had gotten word what was happening, and he ran next door and warned everybody. >> nat turner's on his way. >> he's on his way, and another slave, red nelson, gets word of it. they hide her in the cubbyhole and put blankets on her, and they saved her life. >> the slaves? >> the slaves did. >> so, if it wasn't for the kindheartedness of these wonderful people, who could have easily have given her up, we wouldn't be here to tell this story, for sure. >> all told, the rebel slaves kill at least 55 white men, women, and children.

nat turner himself eludes capture. most-wanted man in the area. >> most-wanted man probably in u.s. history at that time. everybody's out looking for him. >> and on the run, the preacher holds fast to the book whose words inspired his rampage, a bible that will become a relic of history and maurice person's strange inheritance. >> apparently, when they found nat turner, he had it on him. >> but first, our "strange inheritance" quiz question... which of the following hymns was used to signal an escape attempt by the underground railroad? the answer after the break. i wanted more that's why i've got the power of 1 2 3 medicines with trelegy. the only fda-approved 3-in-1 copd treatment.

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you might not notice. but new or changing symptoms can mean your pv is changing. let's change the way we see pv. you track and discuss blood counts with your doctor. but it's just as vital to discuss changing symptoms as well. take notice and take action. discuss counts and symptoms with your doctor. visit takeactionpv.com [ door creaks ] ♪ >> so, which of these hymns did the underground railroad use to signal an escape attempt? if a slave heard this song, the underground railroad, the sweet chariot, was coming south, swinging low, to take him north to freedom. >> in 1831, nat turner leads the deadliest slave revolt in u.s. history, killing more than 50 whites in southampton county, virginia. he eludes capture, as whites

send their own violent message, killing an estimated 120 blacks. >> there were quite a number of slaves who were beheaded or gutted open and left on tree trunks as a warning to all slaves that they should not rebel. >> turner surrenders after two months on the run. >> it's clear he doesn't feel that he's guilty because he believes he's chosen by god. and the bible is the key to his certainty. >> so, turner's bible is an exhibit at his trial for conspiring to rebel and making insurrection. he's found guilty, and on november 11, 1831, he is hanged and decapitated. but his name lives on. does the rest of the country react, as well? >> yeah the white abolitionist leaders condemn nat turner. what they would say was that nat turner is a result of slavery. "unless you end slavery, there

will be more nat turners." >> the south learns a different lesson. >> the states all pass laws to prohibit slaves from gathering. the slaves could be summarily killed if they could read and write. by the time the civil war happened 30 years later, you were still having the effects of nat turner's actions. >> as one generation gives way to the next, the person family, nearly wiped out in the turner revolt, doesn't dwell on their role in history. >> how open do you think the family was about talking about what had happened to your family? >> there was a significant part of our past, and it was kind of like out of sight, out of mind. you just don't talk about those things. >> then, out of the blue, in 1912, the local courthouse contacts maurice's father, walter person. >> they were just cleaning out the vault there, and they had this bible. >> not just any bible. they say it's the personal copy

of nat turner, which had been locked away in the evidence room for the past eight decades. >> they knew that since walter person had ties to nat turner, they said, "here. would you like the bible that nat turner left behind?" >> walter person not only accepts, he displays the bible in the living room, on the family piano, for the next 30 years. some people would be shocked that the bible was given not to nat turner's family but to a white family who wasn't the only family that lost people. >> right. >> didn't you ever feel you should give it to the turner family? >> well, the times were very different. slavery's still a very sensitive issue. >> walter dies in 1945. that's when his son maurice inherits the old, tattered bible. unlike his dad, maurice moves it out of plain sight. >> it just sat in a closet in the dark, wrapped in a cotton towel.

>> was it because he was ashamed, or he felt it was a private matter? >> it wasn't the proper place and time to really talk about it. i just don't think he knew what to do with it. >> you'd ask him a question, and he might change the subject or just didn't elaborate. >> it takes decades more before the person family is ready to talk about it. >> it's still a very sensitive subject, but i think we're opening up now. >> so, you're able, even though you lost so many family members, to talk to me about it very openly. but how does that make you feel, telling this story? it's your story. >> no hard feelings against nat turner. i think it was real difficult time for the slaves, and he needed a way out. >> does maurice feel the same? >> i think he does. >> is he as forgiving? >> i think maurice is very forgiving. the fact that he held onto that bible so long, he knew the significance of it. >> and he's about to learn its value. >> i was told by a very reliable

source, who could have written a check. he said several millions of dollars. >> coming up... >> i must admit my first reaction was one of, "is this for real?" >> here's another quiz question for you... the gutenberg bible, printed in the 1450s, was the first mass-produced book in europe. what language was it printed in? the answer when we return. i've always been fascinated by what's next. and still going for my best, even though i live with a higher risk of stroke due to afib not caused by a heart valve problem. so if there's a better treatment than warfarin... i want that too. eliquis. eliquis is proven to reduce stroke risk better than warfarin. plus has significantly less major bleeding than warfarin. eliquis is fda-approved and has both. what's next?

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♪ >> so, what language was the gutenberg bible printed in? only 21 complete copies of the gutenberg bible still exist

today. each is valued at around $30 million. >> in 1831, ancestors of maurice person are slaughtered in nat turner's infamous slave rebellion. but maurice's great-grandmother survives. eighty years later, in 1912, virginia court workers discover a bible in the turner evidence file. they give it to maurice's father, who dies in 1945. the bible is maurice's strange inheritance and a valuable one, too. >> what do you think it's worth? mark person is maurice's cousin. >> i was told by a very reliable source, who could have written a check. he said several millions of dollars. >> we could have sold it, certainly. but it never crossed our mind. >> you've walked away from millions of dollars. >> i know, but i'm not gonna earn money off of slavery. that would be wrong, and i still see it that way. >> and she says her stepfather,

maurice, agrees. >> he said, "it belongs to history. it belongs to the world." >> so, maurice entrusts wendy and mark to find it an appropriate home. >> i wanted him to be able to not worry about it anymore. it was something that was always on his mind, about having this bible. >> but finding that new home is harder and more time-consuming than they ever imagine. they take the bible to a traveling appraisal show in 2009 to see if the experts can give them some guidance. >> i said, "this is the bible that was on nat turner when he was captured in southampton county." >> and they say? >> "okay. next?" >> that's it? >> that's pretty much it. they were very nice, but they didn't seem very interested. >> were you concerned people wouldn't believe you? >> it never crossed my mind, 'cause i have always heard, since i was a little child, this bible was on nat turner when he was captured. >> wendy doesn't give up. she e-mails the smithsonian in washington, d.c. surely, someone there will show some interest...right?

>> i got the standard, "should we be interested, we'll contact you." and i didn't hear anything. >> but unbeknownst to wendy, someone is interested at the smithsonian, and he's thinking maybe, just maybe, he's onto the discovery of a lifetime. >> it began to convince me that what i was looking at was something that could be authentic. >> putting the bible to the test, next. what's your "strange inheritance" story? we'd love to tell it. send me an e-mail or go to our website, strangeinheritance.com. 2,000 fence posts. 900 acres. 48 bales. all before lunch, which we caught last saturday. we earn our scars. we wear our work ethic. we work until the work's done. and when it is, a few hours of shuteye to rest up for tomorrow, the day we'll finally get something done.

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we're the rivera family... we're the kirby family, and we are usaa members for life. get your auto insurance quote today. ♪ do you recall, not long ago ♪ we would walk on the sidewalk ♪ ♪ all around the wind blows ♪ we would only hold on to let go ♪ ♪ blow a kiss into the sun ♪ we need someone to lean on ♪ blow a kiss into the sun ♪ we needed somebody to lean on ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ all we need is someone to lean on ♪ ♪ >> now back to "strange inheritance." >> it's 2011, and rex ellis, an associate director of the smithsonian institution, has just been given a tip. a virginia woman is claiming her stepdad inherited the bible that slave preacher nat turner carried on his bloody rebellion. did you think to yourself

there's any chance this really could be nat turner's bible? >> i must admit, my first reaction was one of, "is this a crank call?" >> but ellis wants to know more. so, he takes a trip to southampton county to see the bible for himself. he's surprised when wendy creekmore-porter hands him a dish towel, and underneath is a pocket-sized bible. pocket-sized -- did that mean something to you? >> well, to me, it meant that it was portable. to me, it even legitimized the fact that someone like nat turner could own it. >> that's because turner is rumored to have carried the bible with him at all times. >> it began to convince me that what i was looking at was something that could be authentic. >> wendy allows rex to take the bible back to washington, where a team of researchers will put it to the test. step one -- evaluate the bible's

age. they do so by tracking down one that was printed by the same publisher in the same city on the same date. how old was that bible? >> it was published in 1782. >> which fits turner's timeline perfectly, as he was born in 1800. next, they uncover this photograph of a bible authenticated as turner's in the university of virginia archives. they learn it was taken by an historian in 1900 and donated to the school. when the picture is enhanced, paper experts are able to match a page in the photo to a page in the bible itself via a pattern of stains and markings. that's a eureka moment. >> yes, ma'am. >> their conclusion? the bible really belonged to nat turner. how significant is this find for

you personally? >> i don't know of anything i was involved with that is as significant and as important as this bible. >> the smithsonian wants to make it a centerpiece of its african-american history and culture museum, being built in washington, d.c. >> i had always said since i was a little girl, "this bible belongs in the smithsonian." it's an amazing artifact. it all just made sense. and i was so honored to be able to help the bible live on. >> the family's donation is worth millions. and it pays off in vip treatment, when the museum opens its doors in september 2016. >> i had an invite, and i'm sitting there, and it's like 20,000 people. president obama comes on stage. then, george w. bush mentions nat turner. >> for centuries, slavery and segregation seemed permanent parts of our national life. but not to nat turner or

frederick douglass. >> a day i'll never forget. >> may god bless us all. >> since then, millions have come to the museum. add me to the list. i could understand that this could be one of the greatest discoveries you've made in your career. >> it is so important. this bible indicates the faith and the hope that one day african-americans would be free. >> and right below the display, forever tied to turner and his bible, the name maurice person. >> he's not able to travel, due to his health, but he's seen pictures. so, he knows. he's happy to have it there. what do you think of this bible being in the most famous museum in america? >> i guess it's all right, yeah. >> it's all right. it's pretty cool, huh? >> that bible is now where it belongs. it's very important for people to understand that some of the principles that he stood for -- equality, freedom -- those are the same principles regardless

of what your nationality or ethnicity is. >> we see this bible as an act of reconciliation from our family. that bible, it's very powerful. it's a healer. >> it's powerful stuff. >> very powerful. >> a month after the museum opening, the descendants of nat turner had another reckoning with the past. a skull, believed to be that of nat turner himself, was returned to the family. it seems that after turner was hanged and decapitated, his skull was given to local physicians. at the time, doctors and scientists studied craniums to prove theories about the racial superiority of whites. the turner descendants have handed the skull over to the smithsonian for dna testing. assuming it's proven to be their famous ancestor, the family says they will give the skull the proper burial it deserves.

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