Belated thanks

[Forty Rod]

Once upon a time, about 1955, Knott's Berry Farm was still a real farm with some rides and an old town.  It cost nothing to get in the place and the rides cost very little.  They had great chicken dinners, gun fights, and a fellow named Rod Redwing who did fancy stuff with pistols, knives, and whips.

In the old town was a real, live gun shop run by a man named Harry Durrant.  The shop sold guns, ammo, souveniers, leather goods, etc.  No modern stuff to speak of, and some very nice original antique Colts, Remingtons, S&Ws, etc.

Into this store walked a thirteen year old kid who had a love for guns.  He looked around for a bit, then walked up to Harry and commented that the six shooter in the man's cross draw holster wasn't a Colt.  Harry looked  around the store, and not seeing anyone else, pulled the gun from the holster, unloaded it, and gave the kid a short lesson on the 1875 Remington, letting him handle the gun.  He answered all of the kids questions, commented on how good the questions were, and encouraged the boy to stydy western historry and keep his love for guns alive.

The kid went back every day for the week that his family was vacationing in California.



Fast forward to 1975.  The kid is now a 33 year old Marine Staff Sergeant stationed at Seal beach and is working in his off time at The Flintlock In Hobby City, a store specializing in muzzle loading guns in Anaheim.

One day an 80-something year old man walks into the store and pours himself a cup of coffee and sits down by the stove.  The 'kid' walks over and introduces himself to the old gent.  Before the man can respond, the 'kid' recognizes him and sits down to tell him the story.  Harry smiles and finishes the story...he remembers, too.  Says he recalls the kid's questions and how impressed he'd been by how informed the boy already was and his knowlege of guns. 

They become friends and the kid learns more, a lot more, from Harry Durrant.  He goes to Harry's house on occassion and sees the autogyro that Harry built using a VW engine for power.  He helps Harry, who is a more than adequate gunsmith on older guns, and learns even more.  His love for guns and all things western grows along with his knowlege.

Harry Durrant is long gone now, but his lessons remain.

Rest in peace, Harry.  Thanks for the lessons, and for the friendship.  I hope I haven't been a disappointment.

"The Kid"

[PWDFR POSSE]

A touching story!  Thanks for sharin' pard!

[Micheal Fortune]

I remember that berry farm, started going there around 63 or so. 

Most of those old western buildings came from the Calico ghost town, which old man Knott pull most of best buildings out of for the berry farm when the county started taxing him too much he just donated what was left of the ghost town to San Bernardino county.

Wasn't much going on in those days, a stage and a train that always gets held up.  A few buildings, one made out of old whiskey bottles, one that slanted on the inside.....soviner shop were you could get all kinds of stuff like little Sheriff's badges, wanted posters with your name on them............Hey, when you are a little kid, a wanted poster with your name on it was much more appealing than it is today......

I don't recall Harry or the gun shop, but I was quite little then, sorry I missed that part.

Thanks for making me think about it again Forty-Rod

[Four-Eyed Buck]

I enjoyed that, Forty.........Buck

[El Peludo]

Nice piece of reminiscing there, Forty Rod.  I don't remember the gun shop, but my family went to "the farm" quite often in the early fifties.  But by '55 (I, too, was 13), we were in the throes of changing family dynamics, and I didn't go back until some years after I got married; that was in '64, so it was probably in the late '60s or early '70s.  I discovered The Flintlock about '75; used to drop in for a visit and a drool, and a cuppa once in a while, when I had a day off to go wandering.  I was working in El Toro at the time, and going to school at Saddleback, too, so my time was pretty used up.  I always enjoyed the place; went to a few of those small "rondevoos" that they put on, and dreamed.  We might have met, there.

[Forty Rod]

EP, we must've crossed paths a few times.  i worked at The Flintlock part time and full time from 1975 until 1986.

You might remember me...I was the strikingly handsome one.

[El Peludo]

Strikingly handsome ---- sort of like I was (still am) the strikingly "hairy" one.   Yeah, I know we've crossed paths a few times, but I sure couldn't recall a single one.  In The Flintlock, I didn't ever feel out of place, like I did in most of the rest of the "OC".  I tried on a coyote skin hat and cape at one of those affairs that they put on, and my face disappeared - except for the eyes, I just blended right in with the rest of the pelt.  The trader who was peddling the skins got a good laugh out of that.

[Maryland Marshal]

Heck of a memory!  Sometime progress ain't.  Most kids today won't have those kinds of storys to pass on.

[Silent Joe]

Touching story, F.R. I wish I had some memories. I like this very much. Greetings to Shawna.

[Forty Rod]

Joe, if you can't have those memories you can create some for some kid who has no one else to give them to him (or her).

Become a memory.  I'm hoping I can be one for just one kid.

Wouldn't that look great on a gravestone?

[Silent Joe]

Joe, if you can't have those memories you can create some for some kid who has no one else to give them to him (or her).

Become a memory.  I'm hoping I can be one for just one kid.

Wouldn't that look great on a gravestone?

Yeah, You're richt F.R. But I think You can wait for a couple of years before it's setting on Your gravestone. We are much too Young for "Riding Away". 

[jessicanfly]

Hello Forty Rod I read your belated thanks and it brought such a smile to my face. I never got to meet Harry, but heard about him my entire life. From my mother, my uncle, my grandmother, and my great uncle. He died before my mother got married, but she never grows tired of telling us stories about my great grandfather. She told us about the autogyro and what Knott's used to be like. She also told me about how much she lived him - see, my uncle was my grandmother's favorite and my great grandfather always made my mother feel just as special. She always tells me about how wonderful he was, marrying a woman who already had a daughter and raising said daughter even though it wasn't common practice at the time. He always seemed like a super hero to me growing up.

For most of her adult life, Knott's has denied Harry Durant's involvement in the gun shop. My mother was beginning to doubt what my great grandfather had exposed her to, even questioning her own childhood in Buena Park. But then she stumbled upon his picture on Flickr and I swear - I've never seen my mother break out into tears so suddenly. She was ecstatic.

Now, I don't know if you met my mother when you visited Harry, but my mother lived with him for a while. My mother is Laura. Her mother is Harry's adopted daughter Lorraine. His biological son, my grandmother's half-brother, never actually had kids. Lorraine died in 2006. Dick died in 2008. But his family still goes on.

If you're still in the area and/or remember my mother, I'd love to get in contact and set up a meeting. I don't know much about guns or western things. I don't even know how much my mom knows or if she would even remember you, but I do know she would enjoy reminiscing about her grandfather if you were interested.

[jessicanfly]

Also: I'm sorry if my post above broke rules. I signed up here just to post what I did. I really do find your story incredible and I am so proud of a man I will never know, but can only wish I did, for being such an inspiration to 13-year old you.

[Danny Bear Claw]

I seriously doubt he'd consider you a disappointment.  Blessings to you and to him Forty Rod.   

[Forty Rod]

Also: I'm sorry if my post above broke rules. I signed up here just to post what I did. I really do find your story incredible and I am so proud of a man I will never know, but can only wish I did, for being such an inspiration to 13-year old you.

Jessica, I don't remember your mom, but I'd be happy to meet her some time and discuss Harry. 

He came into the store one day and sat staring at the coffee pot and muttering about getting old.  I asked him what was wrong and he told me he couldn't get permission to fly the autogyro at any of the local airports, so he flew it out of the street...and got caught.  The FAA was going to pull his license.  (IIRC, Harry had the first commercial pilot's license ever issued in the U. S.)

Harry had a friend named Roscoe...I wish I could remember his last name...and they used to sit by that coffee pot and tell stories about chasing Pancho Villa before WWI, Harry flying a "linen covered kite" and Roscoe running a string of pack mules.

I'll forever regret not recording their stories in some way.

Let me know how to contact you and we can all get together for a visit.

[Curley Cole]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ocarchives/5685877950/

Here is a link to the pix in flikker

I loved Knotts and the old Calico. (I first went to Calico in 1956)

Knotts was my second home after a day surfing at Huntington. also probably crossed sabers with 4T at Flintlock a couple of times.

more to come

curley

[GunClick Rick]

Wow what a story,that had to be cool hangin with that guy!!! Thanks for the pics Curley..Boy the stories you could hear,ole Panchy Villa huh,woo hooo~

[jessicanfly]

I'll ask my mom about Pancho Villa. She doesn't get off work until after I get off work I remember hearing stories of the gun shop, and the archery range (my mom boasted that she and my uncle were the best because they practiced there all the time), and that his house had a lot of land (practically a farm), and that he had a pet panther. I didn't believe my mom on that one until she showed me pictures. We have pictures all over the place of 'Grandpa Durant'. He was very loved.

We have his guns too, as well as a shooting trophy in my brother's room (it was given to him when my brother was little). I will definitely have to ask her about Roscoe and more adventures. I'll update you as to how to contact her. Until then, you can email me at jessie.pndrgst@gmail.com

I'll see if she'll let me scan some photos for you too. We seriously have tons. I remember having a semi-large portrait of him on our piano growing up. My grandmother's father left her and her mother when my grandmother was a baby and Harry officially adopted her (after being married to her mother some time) when she was graduating high school. She loved him a lot. I wish she could see this thread, I wish I'd known about it before 2006 when she died. She would have been so happy.

[jessicanfly]

Update: I just called my mom who I found out is on lunch. She doesn't remember Roscoe (though at the time she would have been a teenager/young adult and possibly not as involved as she was at a younger age), but she remembered the Pancho Villa stories and was ecstatic that you knew about the autogyro. She says Grandpa Durant died at 85.

She would be very interested in having you contact her. I have her permission to post her email address here. pndrgst@yahoo.com

Thank you for posting this story about my great grandfather. It really brought a lot of joy to my mother.

[GunClick Rick]

I wanna watch this on tv