Bob Roller's photos of the first Hawken shoot in Friendship Ind circa 1967-68

[Dennis Glazener]

Bob Roller sent me these photos, I scanned them and edited some of them in order to show up online. The captions are from what Bob had written on the back of each photo. If you have questions please address them to Bob, I can not answer anything about them.
Dennis

Bob Roller examining T. K. Dawson's copy of Modena Hawken. --- I (Bob) won 3rd place with this rifle. First shot at 130 Yds offhand was a X-10


Turner Kirkland at the fall shoot 1967 Friendship, IND.


Chet Shoults, Lapeer, MI--Made the first good quality flintlocks from precision cast parts in 1956. This picture was taken at friendship at the fall shoot-1967. Parts for his lock are available today and I have made a lot of them.


Col. Vaughn Goodwin Fullstock J&S copy.


Tom Dawson with Modena copy at moment  of discharge. It was 54 caliber and used 150 grs Dupont 3FG. Tom Swore this was the load it worked best with.


Bob Roller with Modena copy. Bill Large-Right.


First Hawken shoot Friendship Ind - 1967 or 68



First Hawken shoot. Tom Dawson on far right.


Bill Large in the "Sheepshed". Pistol is an 1858 Remington with a 12" barrel Bill made for it. 1967 or 1968.

[Mike Brooks]

Those were the days! Thanks for sharing those Bob....looks like you were about 12 years old back then.

[n stephenson]

VERY COOL!!! Thanks Bob and Dennis

[alyce-james]

Bob Roller; Sir, thanks for sharing the 1967-1968 Friendship early days. Brings back days gone by,a little early for my time. Fun times in the "Sheepshed". Have a great holiday. AJ.

[oldtravler61]

 Dennis an Bob thanks for sharing these photo's. Oldtravler

[Joe S.]

Days of yore indeed,wish I was there.

[David Rase]

Thanks for this great look into our past.  A wee bit early for myself, I got my first muzzleloader in 1976, but what a time we have all had.
David

[mark brier]

Glad people could see these. I have several of these pictures but there are a few here i hadn't see.
Mark Brier

[Bob Roller]

Those were the days! Thanks for sharing those Bob....looks like you were about 12 years old back then.

Mike,
I was about 20 years past my 12th birthday then.I am about 98% sure the Hawken shoot was in 1968
at the Fall Shoot
because of the popularity of Baird's book on these rifles.My copy is autographed by John Baird and it is
dated May,1968.Mine is from the first 30 or so that were printed and it was a gift from John as was Bill
Large's and no doubt,Tom Dawson's.
The pictures of Turner Kirkland and Chet Shoults were from 1967 and it was the only time Chet ever
set up a lock display in a booth at Friendship.

Bob Roller

[Don Stith]

Bob
 Thanks for the memories
  That predates the start of my  unbroken 42 year run at Friendship by 4 years.
 I still have a Dawson copy of the Peterson rifle and know where one of his Medina copies lives. I don't have a clue how many of those he made.

[Mike Brooks]

Those were the days! Thanks for sharing those Bob....looks like you were about 12 years old back then.

Mike,
I was about 20 years past my 12th birthday then.I am about 98% sure the Hawken shoot was in 1968
at the Fall Shoot
because of the popularity of Baird's book on these rifles.My copy is autographed by John Baird and it is
dated May,1968.Mine is from the first 30 or so that were printed and it was a gift from John as was Bill
Large's and no doubt,Tom Dawson's.
The pictures of Turner Kirkland and Chet Shoults were from 1967 and it was the only time Chet ever
set up a lock display in a booth at Friendship.

Bob Roller

I was just pullin your leg Bob, meant no offense. We all looked alot younger back in '68. Any body remember a fella by the name of Roy Gerbsch from the Danville IL area? He was active about that time and had several TK Dawson Hawken rifles. I'll have to look at the pic closer and see if I can find him.

[mark brier]

Yes I remember Roy.
Mark Brier

[Bob Roller]

Those were the days! Thanks for sharing those Bob....looks like you were about 12 years old back then.

Mike,
I was about 20 years past my 12th birthday then.I am about 98% sure the Hawken shoot was in 1968
at the Fall Shoot
because of the popularity of Baird's book on these rifles.My copy is autographed by John Baird and it is
dated May,1968.Mine is from the first 30 or so that were printed and it was a gift from John as was Bill
Large's and no doubt,Tom Dawson's.
The pictures of Turner Kirkland and Chet Shoults were from 1967 and it was the only time Chet ever
set up a lock display in a booth at Friendship.

Bob Roller

I was just pullin your leg Bob, meant no offense. We all looked alot younger back in '68. Any body remember a fella by the name of Roy Gerbsch from the Danville IL area? He was active about that time and had several TK Dawson Hawken rifles. I'll have to look at the pic closer and see if I can find him.

Mike,
 NO offense taken whatever.Even now,some people don't think I'm as old as I say I am.
 I told one of our grandsons I was in grade school with Santa Claus and he asked me if he
had to admit we were related when we travel together.

Bob Roller

[Don Stith]

My favorite Roy Gerbsch story. involved Terry Methe. Terry was a skilled artist who made some great powder horns and other mountain man parafanalia
  One year at Fort Chartres Roy was trying to do some trading with Terry. Terry handed him the item and said just take it;
I'd rather give it to you than feel like I got beat out of it.

[bowkill]

I love this stuff...

[heinz]

There are a number of folks still around who were at Friendship in 1968. I started going in 65. Shot my first Hawken match in 1969 with a Numerich Arms flint 45. Terry Methe is still going strong. He donated a rifle to this years CLA auction that I should get posted in the next day or so. I am not sure when Bob Roller started making his locks but by the early seventies they were well regarded as the best available.   
I still enjoy Freindship but back then it was a very special place.

[flinter49]

Thanks for sharing the pictures Mr. Roller.

[D. Buck Stopshere]

I arrived at Friendship with my late business partner, Lewis B. Sanchez, in '72.  I kept my booth there till '98 in the lambsheads, between Erwin Fagel and Mick Koval. I still remember Lew & I stopping off on our way to or from Friendship to visit Bob Roller.

Glad to hear about Terry Menthe still kicking. I traded a nice hunting bag for one of Terry's wood-frame lanterns back in the '70's. It sits on the mantle next to one of Bill Carter's powder horns.

In my menagerie of B&W photos taken at Friendship, I have a photo of Tom Dawson standing next to his friend, Tony LeGose, admiring some real nice contemporary Hawken rifles.

I consider myself lucky being associated with Lew for the twelve years we were together. He introduced me to a number of legends in gunmaking, Carl Pippert, Jack Haugh, John Bivins, Jerry Kirkland, Fred Riley, Joe Scorsone, Mark Silver, and Bruce LePage, just to name a few.

[iloco]

I arrived at Friendship with my late business partner, Lewis B. Sanchez, in '72.  I kept my booth there till '98 in the lambsheads, between Erwin Fagel and Mick Koval. I still remember Lew & I stopping off on our way to or from Friendship to visit Bob Roller.

Glad to hear about Terry Menthe still kicking. I traded a nice hunting bag for one of Terry's wood-frame lanterns back in the '70's. It sits on the mantle next to one of Bill Carter's powder horns.

In my menagerie of B&W photos taken at Friendship, I have a photo of Tom Dawson standing next to his friend, Tony LeGose, admiring some real nice contemporary Hawken rifles.

I consider myself lucky being associated with Lew for the twelve years we were together. He introduced me to a number of legends in gunmaking, Carl Pippert, Jack Haugh, John Bivins, Jerry Kirkland, Fred Riley, Joe Scorsone, Mark Silver, and Bruce LePage, just to name a few.

D Buck Stophere I still have a 45 caliber SMR that I bought from you and Lew when you had your shop beside of ACE Pawn shop in Fayettville. The year was either 1975 or 76.
 It has a Hadaway lock in it with nice double set triggers.  It was the first true contempary rifle I bought.  I remember when all the craze was Bivens and others you mentioned.  Why I kept the rifle all these years I sometimes wonder.
 Lot of memories back in those years.

[Mick C]

Amazing pictures!!  Nice to see a few folks I have heard/read about.  Plus i'm diggin all the groovy fringe    Thanks, Dennis.

[Hessian]

Thanks Bob/Dennis! I enjoyed those pictures. Although I didn't "discover Friendship" till the early 90's,(after I EASed from the Marine Corps), I have not missed a shoot since. I've had a booth in the sheepshed, camped up in Primative, and now have a camper berthed up by the Education building. I even actually shot a match or two one time! The wife and I are always there, spring and fall. Sometimes are better than others, but it is always an enjoyable time for us to see old friends and make new ones.

[realtorone]

Thanks for the memories.I spent a lot of time in the Sheep shed with George Handcock and Lloyd Gammon just across from Jack Lewis and just past Jim Johnston. Met a lot of good people there in the early to mid 70's.

George Hebling

[hanshi]

Thanks for sharing those old photos; I was in the Army during that time.  Never been to Friendship but it still brings back memories of a different time.

[Smoketown]

Thanks for sharing those old photos; I was in the Army during that time.  Never been to Friendship but it still brings back memories of a different time.

AMEN !!!


Cheers,
Smoketown

[Dphariss]

It was 1968 as I recall. I was in the bunch someplace or not too far away. 18 year old kid.....
Would have to see if I have a Muzzle Blasts for the time and see if its in there.
Dan