Owego Part II – Tioga County, NY Historical Society Gun Exhibit

[Dale Campbell]

The local Pennysaver has an article on this exhibit opening March 2 and ending in mid-June.  More than 30 guns, including some used by the early settlers in the area.  Also includes a gun presented to naturalist Todd Loring by Teddy Roosevelt after their safari in Africa (by the way, TR and Loring specifically started the Boy Scouts here).  Also includes rifles by the Ogden bros.
I saw the Ogden rifles as a teenager, when the owner was our county clerk, Carl Saddlemire.  He had them in the clerk’s office.  He let me handle them (!).  There is a typical percussion over and under.  Also, there are two Ogden rifles that are twins.  Same patchbox (cast(?) brass, with a daisy motif), same identical architecture and hardware.  One is original flint, full length.  The other was crudely hacked at the muzzle and crudely converted to percussion.  Mr. Saddlemire said their gunshop was the next block over (we don’t have that many) where the Episcopal Church now sits (which has the oldest Scout troop in town, see the connections?). Mr. Saddlemire bequeathed his collection to the Historical Society, and I have seen the guns there a couple times since. I don’t know if there will be any McCormick rifles. There was also a short smooth bore (trade type?) gun with a little carving that was associated with a Jennie McRae type incident during the Revolutionary War.
I can’t say this exhibition will rival the Berks Co. one .  But if you’re in the area, please stop and see it.  The more people that seem interested, the better.
P.S. Somewhere in their collection the museum has a rare photo of Lincoln, overpainted for color.  They also have the coat of a man sitting with him at the time of his assassination, which has drops of his blood.
The museum is left off the bridge from Rt 17/86 into downtown. Let your wife shop in the quaint village...
I can supply the article to anyone interested, or better directions, or contact info.  Just let me know.

[Steve Collward]

Dale:
  Would appreciate getting the article on the gun exhibit.
Thanks,
SC

[billd]

http://www.owegopennysaver.com/news/the-tioga-county-historical-society-is-going-great-guns-1.633816

[Dale Campbell]

I went to the exhibition Sat morning.  Pictures are allowed.  I need to get the handout.

Interesting pieces:
Owego made swivel breech percussion
McCormick rifle percussion conversion (the twin flint rifle is not in the museum collection) - museum believes he apprenticed in Lancaster
Ogden bros rifles.  There were three of them (brothers, there were more rifles than that)
Ogden percussion pistol
Rev war (?) short fowler (?) with a modified Tulle lock, and nice carving (forearm along the ramrod replacement) is stated to have a Model 1803 barrel (I don't think so from the bore size)
Pennsylvania over and under percussion.
Left handed percussion
Ordinary Civil War musket carried by a local Medal of Honor recipient
A number early breech loaders
Other interesting configurations

1758 F&I scrimshawed powder horn.  British coat of arms, location Lake George. Belonged to an ancestor of local settlers.  I suggested putting a mirror behind to see both sides.

George Eister, probably unpublished. Engraved and relief carved, though it was heavily used.  Converted to percussion. Carving is worn.  There was a break or large crack though the breech, which has been held together with twine. Came into the area with early settler family and was used.  A lot.

Rifles are laying in cases.  I know the chairman of the board of directors, so I'm pretty sure I/we (ALR members) could have the cases opened for photos of the backs.  The person there, although not knowledgeable about the guns, was interested in what I could tell them.  They welcome any information anyone can

I talked up ALR as a better source of information than myself.  Nord had already called ahead, and they told me they remembered hearing from him as part of ALR.