Page 69 - 4093-BOOK2

James R. Gregory
LOT 1061
Historic “Soft Shipped” New York Engraved and Gold and
Silver Plated Colt First Generation Single Action Army
Revolver with Eagle Carved Grip and “J.R.G.” Inscription
Identified as a Gift from President Theodore Roosevelt to
His Friend James R. Gregory with Silver Mounted Holster
Rig, Colorado Springs Police Badge, Factory Letter, and
Documentation - Serial no. 259642, 45 Colt cal., 4 3/4 inch round
bbl., gold/silver finish, pearl grips. This revolver manufactured
in 1904 has a fascinating history. It is featured on page 160 in
“Theodore Roosevelt: Hunter-Conservationist” by R.L. Wilson and
noted on page 161 as believed to be monogrammed “J.R.G., as a
gift from TR to James R. Gregory, Chief of Colorado Police, and a
favored hunting companion.” The included factory letter is dated
January 5, 1983, and is addressed to Don Fallis of Colorado. It
indicates this revolver was shipped on March 3, 1906, to H&D
Folsom Arms Co. in New York City in .45 caliber with a 4 3/4
inch barrel, “soft” finish, and the type of stocks not listed. The
remarks note that the revolver was shipped not casehardened
for engraving outside of the factory. It features extensive scroll
engraving with beaded backgrounds, a gadroon border on the
rear of the cylinder, fan and shell accents, wavy line borders down
the back strap as well as entwining lines, and “J.R.G.” inscribed on
the butt. The revolver is finished in gold and silver and has pearl
grips with an eagle perched on a shield with “190[?]” on the right.
The revolver is accompanied by a “COLORADO SPRING/POLICE”
marked round badge with five-pointed star in the middle lightly
inscribed “36”, a “COPHER BRAND” marked cartridge and money
belt with a fancy Navajo style silver buckle, and a double loop
holster with five silver fittings noted in the documentation as
from S.C. Gallup of Pueblo, Colorado.
Provenance:
A notarized statement from Don Fallis provides important
historical provenance for the revolver. He writes, “I moved to
Florissant, Colorado in 1943 at the age of seven. We moved next
door to Vera Marie Gregory. I soon became her good friend as
she was very fond of kids. During the next few years, my family
also met and became close friends with Marie’s sister, Vida
Ellison. Vida was then married to Robert S. Ellison. Their home
was the Briarhurst Mansion in Manitou Springs. Over the years
the friendship between my family and Marie and Vida grew very
strong. Marie was devoted to her mother and father, and related
many stories of her father, Jim Gregory, over the years. One of her
favorites was of when he was Chief of Police in Colorado Springs
and Teddy Roosevelt giving him a pearl handled Colt pistol. I
cannot state for certain that the gift was made while he was Chief
of Police in Colorado Springs or shortly after. But I do remember
that it was tied into his work as police chief.”
Fallis continued, “In 1967 my parents had been retired for several
years and were living with Marie in Canon City, Colorado. When
Vida died, Marie was around 80 years old. This is when she gave
my father her father’s Colt; she said that she did not want to
die without making sure it would be in good hands.” Records
indicate that Kenneth Donald “Don” Fallis (1936-2012) was the
son of Kenneth Fallis (1906-1988). When Vida died, Ken Fallis was
listed as one of her pallbearers. Don Fallis was survived by his son
Charles Gregory Fallis.
In addition to the Fallis statement explaining how the revolver
was retained by Gregory’s daughter until the 1960s, Brig
Pemberton wrote a detailed letter detailing the subsequent
historical background of this revolver as it passed through the
hands of multiple noteworthy firearms collectors and dealers over
the years and explains in detail how the grips became separated
for decades and then were returned to their rightful place on this
historic revolver. He states the revolver with its current grips and
the silver mounted S.C. Gallup holster rig were found by pickers
working for Lang Spraggins in the early 1980s in Colorado and
that Spraggins drove up to Colorado to purchase the set and kept
it for several years. He later sold the set to Jack Slaughter of Santa
Fe with the current grips removed and a different pair installed to
lower the cost. 67