This remnant trigger guard was once part of a Kentucky Rifle owned and used by James Butler Bonham (1807-1836) at the siege of the Alamo in which he lost his life along with 189 other defenders on March 6, 1836. Bonham met his death defending the east wall of the old mission. He was 29 […]

This key which is listed in the Museum inventory list, appears in original family photos of the collection, and described in other family narratives was supposedly one of the jail keys to the first "calaboose" in Henrietta which was built in 1878 and ultimately replaced by the 1890 jail building, home to the Clay County […]

This small coin purse was once the property of the outlaw Jesse James. The purse was given personally to Harrison Schwend by Frank James along with a note from Frank with his compliments dated May 8, 1914, less than a year before Frank's death. The bag portion of the purse was burned away in the […]

These "Epaulets" as they were known were worn on the shoulders as a decoration to a military uniform. Many were made from fabric and very ornate. Boards such as these would probably have been worn as battle dress since they are made from metal and might afford some meager protection, especially from a sword strike. […]

This is all that remains of a beautiful knife and scabbard. Family records state that "the knife is heavy. The blade has a carved ebony hilt, studded with brass and bound at the bottom with heavy silver bands. In the top of the hilt is a large empty socket, possibly the setting for ball of […]

Here is the gold badge Harrison Schwend wore while a detective in Henrietta, Clay County, Texas around 1900. The calling card above the badge is a personal signature card that was signed by him reading "H.H. Schwend". It is signed in ink.

These scales were part of the original Schwend Collection. They were used to weigh animal skins in order to establish a price to be paid by fur traders. These scales were manufactured in Germany and were used in the area of Henrietta, Clay County, Texas to weigh Buffalo hides in the mid to late 1870's. […]

Neck Irons Manufactured circa 1850's This set of irons was used to chain a group of men together. The large loops were placed around the necks of two men, locked and then were linked together with another pair of unfortunate souls by a central chain that passed though the linking loop in the center. This […]

EMGE Model III, Gas Pistol, Caliber .6 mm Rimfire This diminutive double barrel Over/Under pistol could prove to be a deadly adversary. It was capable of firing both bullets and tear gas shells. Its original cost at the time of its WWII introduction was listed in a catalog at $1.06. The pistol was manufactured by […]

World War I Captured War Trophy This 1918 vintage Maxim Machine gun was brought back to the states by a returning serviceman who captured it while on duty in Europe fighting the Germans in World War I. It is surmised that the gun was given to Harrison Schwend to add to his collection around 1920. […]