Thanks for all the research and replies. I was aware of Alexander Forsyth and his accomplishments but could find no connection to a Thomas Forsyth as, apparently, no connection exists. It seems that the theory that Thomas was a dealer or broker is more likely than that he was a previously unknown gunmaker.
The piece is valuable to me due to its history in my wife's family. As a fairly utilitarian gun, it is just the kind of firearm that a family of farmers in North Dakota in the 1870-1950 time frame would use on a daily basis. I have also inherited an 1920's era Iver Johnson single shot 16 ga. and a Remington Model 6 .22 rifle from around 1915, both well used but reasonably well maintained. These were guns that helped open up the frontier of America, but without the glitz and glory of a Peacemaker or a Winchester - working guns, bringing home food and holding off the varmints. If the gun proves sound, I can think of no better way to honor that homesteading family than to take it out and use it - to keep the memory alive.
