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"I have owned several One of One Thousands and have examined many more and this is one of the finest and is very typical in every respect." - from included Herb Glass letter, 1967
In 1876, the year he ordered this rifle, he turned his attention from bakeries, brewing, etc. to banking and also purchased Houston’s shares in the Texas Western Narrow Gauge Railway and became its vice president as noted in the Forrest & Stream article. He also held shares in the Houston East & West Texas Railroad Co. Houston was the railroad hub of the state. 1876 was also the year Texas enacted its new state constitution. Towards the end of his life, Floeck owned a sash, window, and door business.
The rifle’s provenance after Floeck’s death is unclear. It may have been passed down to one of his several sons or daughters and remained in the family until it was purchased by collectors after World War II. The documents included with the rifle indicate it was purchased by Larry Sheerin and Herb Glass at a gun show in California after it “showed up out of the bushes.” It may have emerged from the bushes during the search for One of One Thousand Winchester Model 1873s that took place in relation to the 1950 film “Winchester ‘73” starting James Stewart which sparked renewed interest in the One of One Thousand rifles. In the film, Stewart’s character wins a One of One Thousand in a rilfe match held as part of the celebration of the U.S. Centennial.
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