The only strange owner-named item I found was a S&W .32-20 M&P from the mid-20s. A previous owner had written his name and address on the back side of one grip. His last name was the same as mine, which is not a very common name. I think his address was Denver. I tried to do some research about him, got nowhere.

Some years back, I found at an estate sale a stack of 20 or so issues of the G.A.R. magazine (don't remember the name) from the early 20th Century which I bought. I think I may have paid $2 or so. Fairly interesting, especially the advertisements and pictures in it. Sold them on eBay for a lot more than I paid. I think the G.A.R. as an organization hung on into the 1940s, but I would have expected there were very few Civil War vets alive by then. I remember that back in my old Ohio home town when I was a kid there was a G.A.R. hall, I guess that was where they had their meetings. At that time the building was used for other purposes as the G.A.R. had ceased operating by then.