Ft Riley Spencer's

[Pinkerton Agent]

While channel surfing during halftime of some ho-hum football games came upon a program about Ft Riley in Kansas. Interesting program about the early years of the fort and they included quite a bit of info about Geronimo. He spent his last years at Ft. Riley as a POW and is buried there (with appropriate "props"). They included a tour of a 1870's barracks that is maintained like a time capsule. Included was a gun rack full of Spencer Carbines which they discussed as being the favorite weapon of troopers of the era.

Anybody been there? Are they original Spencers?

[St. George]

Fort Riley, Kansas wasn't connected with Geronimo - but Fort Sill, Oklahoma was.

On September 4, 1886, Geronimo surrendered to United States Army General Nelson A. Miles at Skeleton Canyon, Arizona.

Geronimo was sent as a prisoner to Fort Pickens, Florida, and was moved to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in 1894.

In his old age, Geronimo became something of a celebrity, appearing at fairs, including the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, and selling souvenirs and photographs of himself.

He even rode in President Theodore Roosevelt's 1905 inaugural parade.

He died of pneumonia at Fort Sill in 1909, and was buried at the Apache Indian Prisoner of War Cemetery there.

The rack was filled with original Sharps Carbines the last time I was at Sill.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Pinkerton Agent]

Glad you know where it's at!  Okay, so what I was watching was Ft. Sill (Oklahoma?), not Ft Riley Kansas. That's where Geronimo is buried (Ft. Sill)?

Thanks in advance.

[Bow View Haymaker]

Fort Riley does have a neat Calvary museum though.  at least they did last time I was there 10 years ago.

[St. George]

Geronimo is indeed buried at Fort Sill, Oklahoma - in the Apache Prisoner of War Cemetary.

Fort Sill was the Field Artillery School and has some interesting cannon displayed, along with some great relics of the Indian Wars.

Long ago - Fort Riley was the School of Cavalry and houses the U.S.Army's Cavalry Museum, along with the First Infantry Division Museum.

Both are located in the 'lower' part of the Fort - the old, original part where the old limestone riding arenas and stables still can be seen, as well as the 'Old Bill' statue and Libby Custer's quarters.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[2 Hatchet]

 Hello SSS members,  Just saw this and thought I'd see if I could add alittle to the info!  While visiting with the curator of the Ft. Sill Ok. Museum awhile back I asked about the Spencers in some of the various displays. He is a friend of mine and my family so I get to sometimes look behind the scenes at some of the great stuff they have at the museum. The Spencers in most of the displays are fake!!! The curator told me that the museum had a mold made of an original Spencer carbine. The mold was sent to a model making shop on post and was used to make the non-firing solid plastic display models. They look pretty real and I was interseted in trying to find out if it would be possible to purchase or have one made. I was told that the shop on post that made the original models had been closed and the molds were destoyed or lost.
I will be going to Lawton in a week so I'll drop by the Old post and take some pictures of the racks of Spencers in the old guard house and I'll see about the ones in the restored barracks. last time I was on the post in April the barracks was closed.   
  Yes Ft. Sill is where Geronimo's grave is!!!  I've heard that his head may not still be with the remains though!!!!!  Some story that a group at a eastern college use it in there secret ceremonies!!!!!!      2 Hatchet

[St. George]

The 'model making shop' was TAS-C - Training Aids Support Center.

They closed down quite some time ago - their shelf stock being moved to a civilian-contracted operation.

Did the Spencers move with them?

No.

They made excellent molds of small arms, mines, grenades and various Training Aids used for instruction and for display.

They were 1-1 scale, and in the case of a particular AK-47 - still featured a fingerprint that was rusted on to the receiver.

Judging from the examples of weaponry I've seen over time - they started building them around the post-Korean War era.

They were never available for sale - being an accountable item, and thus - signed for and periodically inventoried.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!