Elmer Keith--Salmon Idaho

SmithSwede · Nov 22, 2016

Not sure where to post this.

I found myself in Salmon, Idaho recently. Here's a photo of Elmer's house in Salmon. And two photos of his final resting place.

Highhawk1948 · Nov 22, 2016

Enjoyed reading "Hell, I Was There". Would have like to have gone hunting with him.

Guevera · Nov 22, 2016

Think what kind of experience this would have been:

GPerry · Nov 22, 2016

Smithswede, been there myself and took the same photos as you. Really cool and thanks for sharing. I was there in 2002 and actually talked to a few people in town who knew him.

THREEDFLYER · Nov 23, 2016

More fun with Elmer Keith

I have spent a lot of time in Salmon and the surrounding area over the past 15 years. My 80 year old hunting buddy, Dwight Williamson, spent several of his youth years in Salmon and in Lewiston. His father was a physician in Salmon in the 1940's and hunted with Elmer on a few occasions. In fact there is a photo of him with Elmer I believe on page 146 or so of "Hell I Was There". I have had the fortune to meet up with several of those who knew Elmer well in that town.....many of the long time locals were not as fond of old Elmer as some of us are today.

When Dwight's father moved the family to Lewiston, he had the good fortune of meeting up and hunting/shooting with guys like Jack O'Connor and Vernon Speer.......what a fantastic time to be in Idaho!!

The photos below are of the same house, taken in the 40's
by Dwight's father.....you can see from left to right: Lorraine, Dwight, Dwight's mother, Ted and of course Elmer.

The photo of the two hunters with Lorraine and Elmer out behind the house just before heading out on a hunt. Ted took the photo and the hunter on the left is Dwight's father (far right) and his buddy Dick Martindale is with him on the hunt. Look at the photo in "Hell I Was There" and you will see these same two guys wearing the same clothes!!

Big Cholla · Nov 23, 2016

A cousin of mine spent 25 or 26 years in the Marine Corps all the while buying and trading mainly Winchester lever action rifles. He retired and looked for a lesser demanding job in a good hunting/fishing area. He snagged the US Postmaster job in a very small town about 30 or 40 miles north of Salmon. He put his better Winchester rifles on display in the lobby of the post office (It was that kind of town and a different time). He had been in the job about a year when..... One afternoon a short broad shouldered man in a big western hat walked in. He asked for the Postmaster. He introduced himself to my cousin....it was Elmer Keith. He said, "I was told there was a hell of a collection of Winchesters in this Post Office and I wanted to see for myself." They spent the rest of the afternoon taking the majority of the rifles down and talking about the where-fores and why-fores of my cousin's acquisition of each. They struck up quite the friendship and when my cousin moved away he continued to correspond with Elmer via letter. My cousin moved about 100 miles further north to a larger Post Office. He had been in the new home about two years when his house burned down. He lost most of the Winchester collection and all of the Elmer Keith letters and mementos. ... He got discouraged with the North country and moved to Tucson.

tranders · Nov 23, 2016

Great pics. Thanks for posting

Dennis · Nov 23, 2016

I had sent a letter to him and got a letter back from his wife that he had passed. Was a great fan of his.
Honestly, I can understand why some in Salmon would not look on him favorably. Those are/were the kind of people that can't handle honesty and brevity in the same sentence.

chief38 · Nov 23, 2016

Elmer is no different than anyone else - - - - - having his fans & critics. I personally know & knew a few modern day gun guys (won't mention names as we all know who they are) who are so full of themselves it makes one want to puke. I know many would look down upon me for saying something negative about their "idols" and yet some might agree - but better off not to! My point here is even gun guys are human, loved and hated.

I never met or knew Elmer but from all that I have read he was a colorful character that helped shape our hobby. When someone is that outspoken and well known, he will have had to stepped on some toes along the way. At least we can all give the man credit for living his life the way he wanted to.

Texas Star · Nov 23, 2016

Who was Rene Randall Keith? Part of the name is cut off on the headstone pic.

I met Lorraine Keith and Elmer in Dallas in the 1970's, when Elmer addressed an audience of his fans at a hotel. They seemed an affectionate couple. I later met Elmer at the 1979 SHOT show and we had breakfast together courtesy of the Winchester PR man. John Falk was a fine PR guy for the firm in Olin days. That press breakfast was probably the best I ever had. It was in San Antonio and the buffet included a lot of fresh fruit as well as the usual items.

Elmer poured scotch in his tea. Said he picked up the habit from his white hunter in Africa, I think John Lawrence. Many of the older gun writers drank a lot, including Elmer.

He recalled me from our earlier meeting and asked if I'd like to join him. He was very cordial on both occasions, and I got to see him shoot at the Winchester gun range in Dallas. I don't doubt that he performed all the shooting that he mentioned. My only reservation is that famed 600 yard shot on the mule deer with a S&W M-29. But I think he believed that he hit the deer at that distance. I think it more probably succumbed to shots at closer range and to a hit from a .300 H&H rifle.

Anyone interested in guns should have his books, Sixguns and, Shotguns. His other books were good, too, but those are justifiably classics.

CajunBass · Nov 23, 2016

My only contact with Elmer (and any of those other writers) came through the printed word. There were two camps. The O'Connor camp and the Keith camp. For some reason I found myself in the O'connor camp. The fact that I knew NOTHING at all about rifles and such didn't matter. I was a teen-ager. I knew it all. If I didn't, Jack did.

It wasn't until many years later, I learned to appreciate Keith and his writings.

The seller of "Hell I Was There" apologized because "Someone he hunted and fished with has written in it."

SmithSwede · Nov 23, 2016

Wow. Thanks for all the follow-up details and old pictures.

Does anyone know what happened to Elmer's daughter? She is buried next to him, and I recall from the gravestone that she died young. I think 18 years old.

29aholic · Nov 23, 2016

Bonkers
Actually Phil Sharpe gave us the 357 magnum contrary to a lot of printed materials. Elmer and a few others who were known as the 44 Associates scoffed at the 357 because they could do the same and more with the 44 special, and obviously later the 44 magnum.

daddy bear · Nov 23, 2016

I met Elmer and another famous writer at the San Antonio NRA bash. The nameless one was too drunk to communicate. I will give him a pass. I later found out that he had a terminal illness.

Bill Jordan was another of the old timer that I met through an old shooting buddy of his in central Texas. Saw him twice and had nice visits both times. He was the real deal. Could be because we had other mutual friends as well. He was a hunter as well as a renowned pistolero.

Best ,

Jack

Trooperdan · Nov 23, 2016

I was in Rhodesia in the Monomatapa hotel for the world IPSC competition in 1977. I was in the lobby when I heard a discussion about a "big American" in the bar. From the description it had to be Bill Jordan... I ran into the bar looking for him but no joy. I think that was the closest I ever got to Jordan

FWP · Nov 23, 2016

Great stories guys! Thanks for the memories.

El Biblioitecario · Nov 23, 2016

Texas Star said:
...Many of the older gun writers drank a lot, including Elmer.

To paraphase Lincoln's comment on Grant's drinking, someone should find out what brand the older writers favored and send some to the current crew of hacks.

29aholic · Nov 23, 2016

El Biblioitecario said:
To paraphase Lincoln's comment on Grant's drinking, someone should find out what brand the older writers favored and send some to the current crew of hacks.

I know Skeeter favored Henry McKenna for his whiskey. I tend to favor it myself.

Eddie Southgate · Nov 23, 2016

29aholic said:
I know Skeeter favored Henry McKenna for his whiskey. I tend to favor it myself.

I liked it when it came in the little crock jugs but ain't much on it since all I see it in is plastic. Nothing tastes right out of plastic.

The avatar I use is a picture of Elmer when he was 9 .

Eddie

gwpercle · Nov 23, 2016

Awesome thread !
I was a Keith disciple of the 60's and 70's , read his magazine articles,when Sixguns came out I bought and read it before buyin my first handgun ( a Ruger Blackhawk ) , wrote him a letter asking 41 magnum reloading questions when he was with Guns and Ammo .
He was The Man as far as I and revolvers were concerned .
Funny , I never ever remember seeing his middle name , Merrifield ! I would have never guessed that .
Thanks for the photo's ,
Gary

Elmer Keith--Salmon Idaho

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