Art Doc
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
The destination for my 1928 3rd Model 44 says Wolf & Klar...in Houston. I think of Ft. Worth when I think of W&K. Did they have a Houston store in 1928?
Is the letter correct?
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Any chance you have a 3rd model that went to Houston PD?
EarlB
Member
As far as I know it would be a typo. They are human and make them from time to time in the letters. I was reading thru mine the other day and noticed they called my 10-8 a 10-6...oh well...it's obviously a 10-8 
Like Muley I was thinking maybe they got confused on the wording if it was a 3rd Model 44 HE that went to the HPD...looking for one of those that I can afford myself.
Earl
Like Muley I was thinking maybe they got confused on the wording if it was a 3rd Model 44 HE that went to the HPD...looking for one of those that I can afford myself.
Earl
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OP
Art Doc
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
It says Wolf & Klar in Houston, TX with no mention of the PD. Would the HPD order a nickel 3rd Model? Would the gun be marked in any way? I see no markings for a PD.
EarlB
Member
Art Doc the ones I'm familiar with are blued 3rd models and have HPD and an issue number stamped on their back straps. That's not to say they didn't have others and some being nickel, but the blued ones with the HPD stampings are what I'm familiar with. The letters on the HPD guns to my knowledge usually state that they were ordered thru W&K for HPD.
Earl
Earl
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DWalt
Member
There is a Facebook site on Fort Worth history. This is one of the more interesting postings about W&K from someone in the family, but it says nothing specific about a Houston location:
====================================
I don't know the complete history of Wolf and Klar, but I can provide some basic information. The business had origins in Dallas at the Klar and Winterman store located in Deep Ellum in the late 1890s. Jacob Winterman, the Winterman partner was the older brother of several sisters, and Herman Klar was married to one of those sisters. In the early 1900s, Lena Winterman married Herman Klar's younger brother, Jacob. A third Winterman sister (Fanny) married a fellow named Alex Wolf. A few years later, fourth Winterman sister (Sophia, my grandmother) married a fellow named Herman Miller. I guess the Dallas business was not big enough to provide this growing family with jobs and income because in the early 1900s Jacob Klar/Lena Klar, Fanny Wolf/Alex Wolf, and Sophia Miller/Herman Miller relocated to Fort Worth and opened a branch of the Dallas store. Sometime afterwards the name of the FW store was changed to Wolf and Klar. Wolf and Klar operated very much like the Dallas store, a high end pawn shop with a large sporting goods and gun department. The Fort Worth business prospered during the boom years of WW1 and the 1920s. Wolf and Klar also operated stores at locations in the oil boom towns of Texas and Oklahoma during the 1920s and 30s. By the mid 1930s, Wolf and Klar also owned other credit jewelry/pawn operations in downtown Fort Worth. In 1937, Jacob Klar died of a heart attack. One week later Herman Miller was killed in a car accident in Arizona. A bit of a family struggle for control of the business ensued. As a result, a decision was made to break up the businesses. The Klar and Miller interests took control of various smaller stores in downtown Fort Worth (NC Hall, Peacock's) and maintained partial ownership interest in stores in Oklahoma and Lousiana. The Wolf/Lang family took sole control of the Wolf and Klar stores and also operated a considerable wholesale operation. Wolf and Klar operated the old store on lower Main Street until the 1960s. I think the sporting good/gun operation continued until the end. Dick Lang, a Wolf son in law, operated a Wolf and Klar wholesale business into the 1980s. The Wolf, Klar, and Miller families continued to be a close knit extended family (well almost, two second generation brothers in law refused to speak to each other after the split) in spite of the disagreement that brought an end to the partnership. It came as a big surprise to me to learn that Wolf and Klar had such a "celebrity" clientele for some of its firearms. You would think that the Machine Gun Kelly saga would be part of family lore. It appears that Jacob Klar even testified at some court proceeding that he sold the original machine gun to Kelly's wife back in the 1933. There is extensive documentation about Wolf and Klar's gun business to be found with a simple Google search. Who knew?
A picture of W&K's location in Fort Worth
====================================
I don't know the complete history of Wolf and Klar, but I can provide some basic information. The business had origins in Dallas at the Klar and Winterman store located in Deep Ellum in the late 1890s. Jacob Winterman, the Winterman partner was the older brother of several sisters, and Herman Klar was married to one of those sisters. In the early 1900s, Lena Winterman married Herman Klar's younger brother, Jacob. A third Winterman sister (Fanny) married a fellow named Alex Wolf. A few years later, fourth Winterman sister (Sophia, my grandmother) married a fellow named Herman Miller. I guess the Dallas business was not big enough to provide this growing family with jobs and income because in the early 1900s Jacob Klar/Lena Klar, Fanny Wolf/Alex Wolf, and Sophia Miller/Herman Miller relocated to Fort Worth and opened a branch of the Dallas store. Sometime afterwards the name of the FW store was changed to Wolf and Klar. Wolf and Klar operated very much like the Dallas store, a high end pawn shop with a large sporting goods and gun department. The Fort Worth business prospered during the boom years of WW1 and the 1920s. Wolf and Klar also operated stores at locations in the oil boom towns of Texas and Oklahoma during the 1920s and 30s. By the mid 1930s, Wolf and Klar also owned other credit jewelry/pawn operations in downtown Fort Worth. In 1937, Jacob Klar died of a heart attack. One week later Herman Miller was killed in a car accident in Arizona. A bit of a family struggle for control of the business ensued. As a result, a decision was made to break up the businesses. The Klar and Miller interests took control of various smaller stores in downtown Fort Worth (NC Hall, Peacock's) and maintained partial ownership interest in stores in Oklahoma and Lousiana. The Wolf/Lang family took sole control of the Wolf and Klar stores and also operated a considerable wholesale operation. Wolf and Klar operated the old store on lower Main Street until the 1960s. I think the sporting good/gun operation continued until the end. Dick Lang, a Wolf son in law, operated a Wolf and Klar wholesale business into the 1980s. The Wolf, Klar, and Miller families continued to be a close knit extended family (well almost, two second generation brothers in law refused to speak to each other after the split) in spite of the disagreement that brought an end to the partnership. It came as a big surprise to me to learn that Wolf and Klar had such a "celebrity" clientele for some of its firearms. You would think that the Machine Gun Kelly saga would be part of family lore. It appears that Jacob Klar even testified at some court proceeding that he sold the original machine gun to Kelly's wife back in the 1933. There is extensive documentation about Wolf and Klar's gun business to be found with a simple Google search. Who knew?
A picture of W&K's location in Fort Worth
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EarlB
Member
Thanks for that info DWalt! I'm a 5th generation Texan but they were long gone by the time I started buying guns. Too bad as man I bet it would have been a great place to go. Earl
Absalom
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
I'd make a photocopy of the letter, highlight the "Houston", and send it back to the SWHF with a note, asking Roy or Don to doublecheck. More than likely, you'll get a corrected letter back.
DWalt
Member
I worked in FW and lived just west of town back in the 1979-84 period. I don't remember anything about W&K when I was there, but I suppose I wouldn't have had any reason to. There were several large and pretty good gun stores in FW at that time. The gun show at the Will Rogers coliseum was pretty good back then. Not so much the last time I was there back around 2012.
EarlB
Member
DWalt I THINK W&K went out of business in the mid 60's so when I was still a runt running around Lubbock. The Will Rogers show is now the best show in D/FW. Sadly it's easily 2-3 times the size of the Market Hall show now. The DACA show at Market Hall is going on this weekend and for the first time only takes up 1/2 of the main hall. It's sad really. It used to fill both halls and the 2nd floor of the main hall as well back in the 90's.
Earl
Earl
OP
Art Doc
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
Not worth the bother. I know it should be Ft. Worth.
But I do wonder about the 10-5 letter that says it shipped to Haywood, CA. I grew up in CA and never heard of Haywood and can't find it now. I did live in Hayward for a few years...
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