Auctioning the Old West to Help a City in the East
DALLAS — Prospective bidders looking to buy a piece of the Old West here over the weekend were greeted by an intimidating view straight down the barrel of a Model 1883 Gatling gun. Behind the weapon, an exhibit hall at a hotel was filled with rows of exquisitely beaded moccasins, revolvers and well-oiled Western saddles.
The items were included in auctions of more than 800 artifacts from a trove of period photographs, Indian artifacts and historic memorabilia acquired by Mayor Stephen R. Reed of Harrisburg, Pa. His dream was to establish a tribute — the National Museum of the Old West — to his city’s role as a supply point for those bound for the West. But with the city’s budget in the red, the idea was scratched and the collection was put up for sale.
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The items were included in auctions of more than 800 artifacts from a trove of period photographs, Indian artifacts and historic memorabilia acquired by Mayor Stephen R. Reed of Harrisburg, Pa. His dream was to establish a tribute — the National Museum of the Old West — to his city’s role as a supply point for those bound for the West. But with the city’s budget in the red, the idea was scratched and the collection was put up for sale.