This past September event at Friendship was my second encounter with this pistol and I remembered it when it was new.
Tom Dawson and I became instant friends in 1967 when he and John Baird showed up at Bill Large;s shop about 10 minutes before I did and that was for me,a "red letter day" that lasted until that sad day in 1989 when I got a call telling me Tom had a heart attack and did not survive.His work set standards that have yet to be equaled.In 1972 we bought a new car,a Lincoln Continental and the first road trip was to the Dawson farm in Western Indiana.My wife and Tom's wife Helen became instant friends and our two boys,Rob who was 2 and Eric who was 6 weeks old were there as well.The next morning at 4AM Tom shook me out of bed and after a fast snack and coffee we got in the car and went to St.Louis and visited Art Resell who then owned the Hawken Shop.We also went to the top of the Gateway Arch and a great cafeteria for a meal and then back to the Dawson farm.Thank a lot Mark for reviving memories of a fine man who left way too soon.
The whole family was a fine group and I am more than happy to have known them.
Bob Roller