WHAT'S NEW IN ACCESSIONS?
What's the story behind this rusty old gun?
Sometimes items are donated to the museum with a lot of background and history from a donor, so we know all about the item with the who, what, when & why. But not this time…. What DO we know?
In 1953, when Mary Elizabeth Easterwood was 17 years old, she stumped her toe on something as she walked along the banks of the creek where she lived in Lampasas County. Curiosity led her to dig, and dig, until she found something she called "special". Her family kept her special find displayed in this manner until recently. At Mary Elizabeth's request, her cousin, Clayton Gotcher, donated the gun to the Lampasas County Museum.
No, it's not a collector's item in the normal sense. It's an extremely rusted, broken, deteriorated & fragile old gun. However, it certainly sparked our interest, and we're pleased to add it to our collection. It has been identified as a double barrel, muzzle loading, black powder 12-gauge shotgun, made in the 1870's.
What's the story behind Mary Elizabeth's 'special' treasure that she found in 1953? How did the 1870's gun end up buried in the riverbank? And when? That missing "history" is what makes this so special to us at the museum. What a story it could tell! Use your imagination to see where it takes you and share it with us at Contact Us! There are some amazing possibilities from Lampasas County's history to spark your interests.
What's the story behind this rusty old gun?
Sometimes items are donated to the museum with a lot of background and history from a donor, so we know all about the item with the who, what, when & why. But not this time…. What DO we know?
In 1953, when Mary Elizabeth Easterwood was 17 years old, she stumped her toe on something as she walked along the banks of the creek where she lived in Lampasas County. Curiosity led her to dig, and dig, until she found something she called "special". Her family kept her special find displayed in this manner until recently. At Mary Elizabeth's request, her cousin, Clayton Gotcher, donated the gun to the Lampasas County Museum.
No, it's not a collector's item in the normal sense. It's an extremely rusted, broken, deteriorated & fragile old gun. However, it certainly sparked our interest, and we're pleased to add it to our collection. It has been identified as a double barrel, muzzle loading, black powder 12-gauge shotgun, made in the 1870's.
What's the story behind Mary Elizabeth's 'special' treasure that she found in 1953? How did the 1870's gun end up buried in the riverbank? And when? That missing "history" is what makes this so special to us at the museum. What a story it could tell! Use your imagination to see where it takes you and share it with us at Contact Us! There are some amazing possibilities from Lampasas County's history to spark your interests.