The Colt Peacemaker Story - A 45 Long Colt with a History
As a point of pride, my Father ceremoniously carried this pistol on duty as Sheriff Jim Baugh of Putnam County sometime before 1980. I fondly remember him showing it off in the “Gun Room” of our home. He would often state, “this is the oldest active law enforcement pistol in Indiana”.
He would allow that to sink in a little and then state “well … at least as far as I know”.
The story was told many times detailing that it previously belonged to the 1930s Mt. Meridian Town Marshal, located in southeastern Putnam County.
Jim Baugh did request form Colt Manufacturing documentation detailing where the pistol was sent when it left the Colt factory. He received information from Colt Manufacturing describing how the pistol was mailed to Simmons Hardware Store, St. Louis, Missouri, on 5/19/1900.
I have received the pistol through inheritance.
I then set out to find more information about this pistol from the person that sold it to my father, a longtime resident of Putnam County, L.J. Clark.
Mr. Clark and I spoke on the phone, he was very interested in telling me the story.
L.J. Clark’s father a Lee Clark received the pistol on May 4, 1934 from Virgil McCammack.
Virgil McCammack was the Mt Meridian Town Marshal and appointed by Sheriff Alva Bryant in 1930s.
Virgil McCammack is the son of Asbury McCammack
Asbury McCammack owned the ½ way house (that Abe Lincoln ate at) in Mt. Meridian.
