Of the original 300 guns, I have reacquired over 100 in varying conditions. Some survived the fire intact with very little damage, while others are just rusted pieces of once beautiful works of the gun-makers' art. Some have been meticulously restored to their original pre-fire condition while others remain just as they were pulled from the rubble. I have exhibited the collection at numerous gun shows, museums, and historic functions in an effort to procure leads on additional missing guns from the original collection. All surviving documentation on the collection are in my possession along with related family papers, photographs, museum inventory lists with serial numbers and accompanying photos. Among the more famous pieces that were once a part of the original collection were guns carried by the likes of Billy the Kid, Bat Masterson, Geronimo, Pancho Villa, Sam Houston, Grat Dalton, Captain Bill McDonald, Bill Tilghman, Wild Bill Hickok, William "Bill" Cook, James B. Bonham, Bill Doolin, Sam Bass, Frank Jackson, Cole Younger, Buffalo Bill Cody, Billy Dixon, Tex Rickard, Belle & Sam Starr, and Frank James. There were also numerous weapons taken from the not-so-famous, petty criminals who were killed in poker games or robbed a bank or store. I have been working for a few years on a book about the collection and the early history of the Clay County, Texas area during the time in which these men lived. I hope to publish it at some point in the near future. This web site was created to assist in the search for pieces still missing from the collection. I've traveled all over Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Mississippi to find these old family treasures and purchase them back. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated!
