I have some bad news for the Hawken enthusists.
Back in the late 70's or the early 80's I went to the Colorado State History museum to find the Modena Hawken. It was not on exhibit at the time. A nice gentleman of the museum ask why I wanted to see it and I told him I would like to build a reproduction of it. He said just a minute, and in about 2 minutes he came back with the rifle and handed it to me. I was able to examine the piece for as long as I wanted which caught me off guard because I did not have any measuring tools or anything to write with. I asked him if I could come back later, better prepared, to examine it again. He then told me that a researcher had been in sometime before me and had traced/blue printed the Modena. He said I could have a full scale copy of the drawings for printing costs. A very good day for me.
From time to time I would visit the museum and the Hawken was always something I would just have to see.
Today I called the Colorado State Historical Society to see if the rifle was on exhibit. Much to my heart breaking disappointment they told me the rifle was no longer in the possession of the museum.
Modena gave the rifle to an army officer, told him to "keep it clean General" or something to that order. I dont know if it was the officers family who owned the gun all these years or not. The museum told me today the owners asked for the piece of history back and have taken the gun out of state. New Mexico was guess from the museum. :cry:
It really saddens me to know something that spoke so much of Colorado's history to be allowed to leave like that.
Does anyone know what happened to Mariano Modena's Hawken rifle?
Joe Yanta
Back in the late 70's or the early 80's I went to the Colorado State History museum to find the Modena Hawken. It was not on exhibit at the time. A nice gentleman of the museum ask why I wanted to see it and I told him I would like to build a reproduction of it. He said just a minute, and in about 2 minutes he came back with the rifle and handed it to me. I was able to examine the piece for as long as I wanted which caught me off guard because I did not have any measuring tools or anything to write with. I asked him if I could come back later, better prepared, to examine it again. He then told me that a researcher had been in sometime before me and had traced/blue printed the Modena. He said I could have a full scale copy of the drawings for printing costs. A very good day for me.
From time to time I would visit the museum and the Hawken was always something I would just have to see.
Today I called the Colorado State Historical Society to see if the rifle was on exhibit. Much to my heart breaking disappointment they told me the rifle was no longer in the possession of the museum.
Modena gave the rifle to an army officer, told him to "keep it clean General" or something to that order. I dont know if it was the officers family who owned the gun all these years or not. The museum told me today the owners asked for the piece of history back and have taken the gun out of state. New Mexico was guess from the museum. :cry:
It really saddens me to know something that spoke so much of Colorado's history to be allowed to leave like that.
Does anyone know what happened to Mariano Modena's Hawken rifle?
Joe Yanta
