J. M Davis Museum in trouble

[Roger B]

No action to be done on this by us as far as I know, but the J.M. Davis Museum in Claremore, OK may lose their collection.  The trust that actually owns the collection has sued the museum to regain posession of the firearms.  According to Oklahoma Educational Television from last PM, the trust alleges that the firearms have not been kept in "firing condition" & that off exhibition items have not been well cared for.  There was a major theft from the museum several years back & somewhere over 100 firearms have yet to be found.  This may have been an "inside job".  Many of the trust's allegations are well founded, however they intend to SELL the collection for "infrastructure" improvements to Claremore if they win their suit.  To say that this would be a major loss to the local community as well as the collecting community at large is an understatement.  The museum has been mismanaged for a number of years after poor old Lee Good's death, but I thought that things had improved.
Roger B.

[Mike R]

Wow.  That would be a major loss.  I lived in that museum back in the late 70s- 80s.  I have missed not being near it anymore.  Used to go up to Claremore from east Tulsa and visit the guns, then go fishing at the local lake.  The Will Rogers museum there was nice, too.  My drool is probably still there near the longrifle cases.  I can still hear my kids whine, "Oh dad, not the gun museum again!" 

[G-Man]

Wow.  That would be a major loss.  I lived in that museum back in the late 70s- 80s.  I have missed not being near it anymore.  Used to go up to Claremore from east Tulsa and visit the guns, then go fishing at the local lake.  The Will Rogers museum there was nice, too.  My drool is probably still there near the longrifle cases.  I can still hear my kids whine, "Oh dad, not the gun museum again!" 

 That is a shame about the museum - there are so few places to see a good variety of original guns in one place. 

  I did have to laugh when I read your posting though Mike. It sounds very familiar - I remember standing around booths at Friendship when I was about 4 or 5 while my dad talked to his friends for hours on end and my sisters complained, thinking "when will this end??"   Then when I got a year or two older I couldn't get enough of the place.  I still have to reign myself in now from time to time as my daughters are 9 and 6 and enjoy going to shows, historic sites, etc. but alas, they are young kids and have their limits.  I am sure your kids look back on those trips as good times spent with you though - I seem to have soaked up a lot of what my dad loved about this hobby, and I hope my girls do too. 

Best regards

Guy