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Clark500 · May 31, 2010, 05:47 PM

Thanks for the info guys. I had no idea where to start looking, but the info you gave me got me pointed in the right direction.

I found the exact rifle in the 1895 Montgomery Ward catalog for a whopping $3.25!

This rifle's story goes like this... The rifle originally belonged to a man named John F. Morgan, whose claim to fame was that he was the last man publicly hanged in the state of WV. This hanging was attended by my great grandmother (she was only 9 or 10 at the time). I am not exactly sure how she ended up with the rifle, but I assume her parents purchased it and passed it on to her. It has been in the family ever since. Another interesting bit is that the judge who sentenced Morgan to hang (Reese Blizzard) lived only about 2 blocks from my home. Unfortunately, his home (known locally as the Blizzard Mansion) was demolished a year or two ago. The road leading to his home is still known as Blizzard Drive.

May 31, 2010, 05:47 PM	#6
Clark500 Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2010 Posts: 168	Thanks for the info guys. I had no idea where to start looking, but the info you gave me got me pointed in the right direction. I found the exact rifle in the 1895 Montgomery Ward catalog for a whopping $3.25! This rifle's story goes like this... The rifle originally belonged to a man named John F. Morgan, whose claim to fame was that he was the last man publicly hanged in the state of WV. This hanging was attended by my great grandmother (she was only 9 or 10 at the time). I am not exactly sure how she ended up with the rifle, but I assume her parents purchased it and passed it on to her. It has been in the family ever since. Another interesting bit is that the judge who sentenced Morgan to hang (Reese Blizzard) lived only about 2 blocks from my home. Unfortunately, his home (known locally as the Blizzard Mansion) was demolished a year or two ago. The road leading to his home is still known as Blizzard Drive. Last edited by Clark500; May 31, 2010 at 08:33 PM.