Bill Frost - Wild West Performer

[GAHorn]

The reason I was not at convention was due to a commitment to work. I flew a Hawker from Austin to Jamestown, NY for 5 days.

Just returned late Sunday. The daily temps in NY were about 60-degrees and light showers occur about every 4-hours. Really lush and green up there. LOTS of old tractors on hillside farms with old barns and silos. Had nothing to do but drive around and enjoy the countryside.

Couldn't believe my eyes when I ran across 80-yr-old Bill Frost of "Bills Saddle and Gun Shop and Wild West Show" about 15 miles north of Jamestown near Sinclairsville. Nice old cowboy with a 500-old-saddle collection/museum and large Winchester collection. This ole' boy still jumps in/out of spinning lariat-loops and spins six-guns for the kiddies in his own Wild West Show. His pre-WW-I leather collections are a sight...old saddles, bridles, gun-leather dating back to the mid-1800's.

I gotta tell you, it was surprising to be a Texan in New York state and meet a real Wild West performer who dropped his shovel (he was working the garden) and spent a couple hours showing me his guns, saddles, Wild West town, stagecoach etc. Temps never got above 65.

Flew back to Austin and landed in 100+

Here's a pic of him showing me a favorite six-gun he uses (with blanks) in his show:

Bill Frost aka Wild Bill.jpg

[Zreyn]

Sounds like a fun discovery,especially in NY those discoverys are always more fun when they are unexpected,but you either got the wrong pic or wrong caption George cause that ain't no six gun the gentleman behind the counter is holding in his hand.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Looks like maybe a Colt 1911 semi auto but can't really tell. Bill and his place looks like a nice find.

[GAHorn]

Sounds like a fun discovery,especially in NY those discoverys are always more fun when they are unexpected,but you either got the wrong pic or wrong caption George cause that ain't no six gun the gentleman behind the counter is holding in his hand.

That's correct.... the six-gun is on the counter just out-of-view. The pistol he is holding in the pic is a nickel Colt 1911-A1.

[Zreyn]

Waaay Cool lookin shop & sounds like a nice Guy too. Didja get ya a new six or eight shooter?

[ginbug92b]

Hey George, how about using some of your pull and get a 170 convention near HERE, NY. It's tough to attend when they are so far away and I'm a severe clear VFR pilot, plus full time job.

[jrenwick]

Hey George, how about using some of your pull and get a 170 convention near HERE, NY. It's tough to attend when they are so far away and I'm a severe clear VFR pilot, plus full time job.

It requires someone to work out the major details and submit a proposal to organize and sponsor a convention. I'd also like to see one in the Northeast, especially close to the coast. It really requires that there be someone involved who has a lot of local knowledge, and local friends who can volunteer resources (such as Mark and Sandra Marino in Duluth, who let us use their fine hangar for a day).

[GAHorn]

Sounds like YOU should propose to Host one in 2012? Better hurry before Bruce or someone beats to you it!

[jrenwick]

Sounds like YOU should propose to Host one in 2012? Better hurry before Bruce or someone beats to you it!

Well, I was tempted, until I talked to Julius at some length and realized how much success depends on knowing people locally.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Sounds like YOU should propose to Host one in 2012? Better hurry before Bruce or someone beats to you it!

Looks like we are going to St. Joseph, Michigan, June 21-26 2010. Then Wright Patterson in Ohio in 2011. Glenn and Edna Hetchler are having the 2012 convention near their home in Erie, Colorado. There is another interested host but timing and his location is not working well with the lineup at it stands. So anyone working on a convention is probably looking at 2013 or later.

George like many of us do during a convention I saw a little fire start in Johns eyes and smoke from his ears as he thought about hosting a convention in the northeast. Rest assured he will not be competing with me.

[GAHorn]

...Well, I was tempted, until I talked to Julius at some length and realized how much success depends on knowing people locally.

That is not actually necessary. I don't live anywhere near Galveston and knew no-one there and I believe that convention was called a success by some.

Certainly, Dave Mason knows how to do a convention far away from home. He's hosted a few no-where NEAR his home in east Texas. (Durango, Dearborn, etc.)

Local Chambers and Convention and Travel beaureas are most helpful. Most of the complications are made by the host himself/herself ....in attempting too much activities. ONe of t he most successful conventions was Jennings, LA where folks had plenty of time to be with each other and their planes at a small, out-of-the-way airport. Rumors that it drove the host completely out of his mind overlook the facts of exactly WHO that host was and that mindlessness and lunacy is his norm.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

That is not actually necessary. I don't live anywhere near Galveston and knew no-one there and I believe that convention was called a success by some.

I think that someone was ol Gar as he raced off with the left over St Pauli Girl.

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I don't think it necessary to live right at the location but within the same state or a few hours travel probably helps tremendously. I was planning on fanning that fire I saw in Johns eyes hoping to take some pressure of of me. Sounds like the fire has dwindled to a smoldering ashes though.

[GAHorn]

Bruce, you've got to belly-up and host a convention before I'm too old to walk the battlefields up there!