GUNSHOW & OUTDOOR EXPO

By
Maryann Miller

The first Northeast Texas Gun Show and Outdoor Expo sponsored by the Winnsboro Chamber of Commerce was a huge success on September 12 & 13th.

Despite the rain that continued off and on both days, the turnout was spectacular. There were between 1,300 and 1,500 visitors with 960 paid tickets. Children got in free, plus there was no charge for the outdoor expo, which was set up beside City Auditorium.

There were quite a few venders set up outside, along with attractions for kids. Some kids were enjoying the bouncing booth, while others tried their hand -- or their pole -- at the "catch tank."

Other outside attractions were booths promoting local attractions such as Lake Fork Marina and Randy's Guide Service. Randy Hutto is a licensed professional guide who works primarily on Lake Fork and Lake Cypress Springs, but he said he would go anywhere people wanted him to go. "I just talked to a guy about a fishing trip in Brazil," he said. "I told him great. Just name the date."

Randy, who stepped our of the picture, has had the guide service for about four years now, and does guided duck hunts as well as guided fishing trips. He has been an avid fisherman and hunter all of his life, and he used to fish on the Bass Master's circuit. "One of the things I like best about what I'm doing now is taking little kids four or five years old out for their first fishing experience," he said. "Just watching their faces light up when they catch that first fish is terrific. It doesn't even matter how big the fish is. The important thing is they got one on their line."

Lake Fork Marina & Motel is owned by Ken & Dana Donahue, and has been in their family for 25 years. They had a display of hunting apparel that was for sale and stepped away when the picture was taken. Maybe they didn't want their lunch captured for posterity.

They couple said they like Winnsboro a lot and really appreciate the fact that there is support from the city in terms of promotion and advertising. In turn, they have always let their guests know about events and activities in town. "It's to our mutual benefit to support each other," Dana said.

When the kids weren't playing, they were most interested in the deer blinds on display from Potts Feed Store in Quitman. They are perfect for putting out on a deer lease for hunting, but the kids seemed to think they would be great playhouses. Owner, Rob Potts, had to agree. "I guess people who don't hunt could buy one for their kids or grand kids to play in. Maybe we should start pushing that idea.

"That one over there," he continued, pointing to the one up on stilts, "comes in 10 and 15 foot heights. How about that for a tree house."

Rob is pictured here on the right, next to store manager Brandon Bell.

Another outdoor exhibitor was Wendell Williamson, a pencil artist from Houston. He had close to a hundred drawings on display and he was eager to point out some of the unique characteristics of what he does. He hides Bible verses in his pictures, as well as small images. For instance, you might look at a tree root and see that it is a feather, or a hunter poised to strike.

Williamson has been drawing all his life, but didn't start doing it professionally until 1985. He said it takes anywhere from a few days to a few months to do the detailed drawings, and he sells them at fairs and expos, as well as his booth at Canton Trade Days. "One of the pictures I sell the most is this one where I can draw in family images for folks," he said. "They seem to like that a lot, and it doesn't take me long to draw their faces in. And if there are additions to the family in the future, they can contact me and I will add the new faces in at no charge."

Inside the City Auditorium, there was a lot of buying, selling, and trading of firearms going on, but there were also other venders with knives, ammunition, and all kinds of hunting accessories.

One of the gunsmiths that were there was Bill Pride of Quitman, pictured here on the left. His company is Eagle Eye Gunsmithing He learned his craft in the Marines, where he served in the Vietnam war as a long-range sniper. "Not only did we have to know how to shoot a variety of weapons, we had to know every detail of how they worked," he said.

In Nam, Bill earned several medals, including two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star, and Silver Star. "I had to retire," he said. "After I got blown up by a grenade. They said I was no use to them any more since I couldn't walk."

He paused for a laugh. "They also said I'd never walk again, but here I am."

Unlike some vets who come back from war dark and brooding, Bill is upbeat and has a quick wit. When talking about his family he said he has eight children, five girls and three boys, and "One beautiful wife."

Another service that hunters often need is that of a taxidermist. There's something about those trophies that men -- and some women -- want to put on their walls. Richard Smith, who owns Smith Family Taxidermy, is glad that people do want those trophies. He is new to the business, only starting last June after graduating from Central Texas School of Taxidermy, but he said he wishes he'd done this years ago. "It's a natural for me," he said. "I was born and raised hunting. And I always had an interest in taxidermy. Then last year my brother, who had the shop down in Quitman, asked me if I wanted the business. He didn't want to do it anymore."

While the shop is in Quitman, Richard lives in Winnsboro with his wife and two children. "They help with the business," he said. "So that is why it is 'Smith Family Taxidermy.'"

There was also a vender selling jewelry, but his wasn't any ordinary kind of jewelry. S.T. Hodges from Emory makes necklaces, bracelets and earrings out of rare coins and bits of horns from elk and deer. He said he started "messing" with jewelry when his wife, Dicksie, went to estate sales and brought home old jewelry that needed to be fixed. "That's when I worked for Exxon, and I did it part time," he said. "Now I'm retired and still do it part time."

The couple live out at Lake Fork and seem to enjoy telling stories on each other as much as they do selling the lovely jewelry. He said his name really is S.T. "That's not short for anything."

"And you know what the girls in England used to call him during the war," Dicksie said. "Sweet Thing."

She also had to explain the unusual spelling of her name. "When I asked my mother why it was spelled this way, she told me that the doctor told her to use the name Dick and just put sie on the end. Guess he didn't know how to spell Dixie, either."

Then she got serious for a moment and said that S.T. really works on the jewelry a lot more than he let on. "In World War II he was captured by the Germans and put in a prison camp," she said. "Not he can't sit still. He always has to be doing something."

Doc Davis, a familiar sight around Winnsboro in his authentic "Old West" costume was promoting the upcoming East Texas Wild West Fest to be held in Winnsboro the third weekend of Autumn Trails. Proceeds from the day-long event will benefit four local charities, Morgan's Mercy Mansion, The Northeast Texas Child Advocacy Center, Winnsboro Center For the Arts, and Safe Haven Horse Rescue. Doc said they are well on the way to having at least $1,000 to give to each of them. "We have a lot of sponsors so far that are contributing," he said. "I am really happy that people are so willing to support these charities, especially when money is still tight."

By ten-thirty on Saturday morning over 200 people had paid to come through the door of Winnsboro's City Auditorium, and they continued to stream in all day, as well as Sunday.

Christain Entwistle, the VISTA worker at the Chamber said people were lined up to come in before the doors even opened at 9 Saturday morning. "The rain did not keep people away," she said. "And even our outdoor exhibitors said they had enough visitors to make them want to come back again."

Christian said that the feedback they got from attendees, as well as venders, was all positive. "Everyone said they want to come back." she said. "And we are thrilled that it was such a huge success for Winnsboro. We are seriously considering making this a bi-annual event. Maybe in the spring and the fall. We haven't decided, but we will definitely be doing this again."