flatgate
Hawkeye
Ale-8(1)":2566gni3 said:
Oooh, that's a statement/thought that never ceases to haunt me!
If only I could'a kept them all!
flatgate
Title edit: old thread on Gun Re-Blu Company
- Thread starter weaselmeatgravy
- Start date
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Oooh, that's a statement/thought that never ceases to haunt me!
If only I could'a kept them all!
flatgate
contender
Ruger Guru
Ok, my next trip into Asheville when I have a bit of time to start this information hunt, I'll dig into whatever I can find,,,! If I actually do find the "long lost records" of the Gun Re Blu company, I'll be shocked!!!! But,,,,, stranger things have happened!
According to the letter in the pic of Elmer's S&W, they were at 732 Hendersonville Road. That should give you a starting point to start sniffing around for old basements and clawing in the dirt! Don't get caught breaking and entering :mrgreen:
Where does Biltmore, NC come into the picture. I have seen that location for the Gun Re-Blue Co :?: o.
HAWKEYE#28":1ur7bav5 said:
Yes, "732 Hendersonville Road, Biltmore, North Carolina" is the full address on their letterhead.
If you google "Biltmore, NC", you get hits for Asheville, Biltmore in Asheville, and the default map that come up says:
Biltmore
Asheville, N Carolina
and has Hendersonville Road on it. The names appear somewhat interchangeable but it seems Asheville is the more modern (?).
There is a huge Vanderbilt estate/castle in Asheville named Biltmore:
http://www.biltmore.com/
flatgate
Hawkeye
I toured that "Castle" as a small boy. It was amazing!
flatgate
flatgate
It's still there, and still amazing.
;-)
;-)
contender
Ruger Guru
Ok, to clear up some confusion. Local history here.
The WNC area was once a huge single piece of property owned by a single individual. Well, the Biltmore Estate, (owned by the Vanderbilt family) comprised of a very large tract. The Estate has been divided & sold off in chunks over the years but is STILL a large piece.
Now, a lot of the original Vanderbilt property was incorporated as the township of Biltmore. Yet, they are considered PART of the City of Asheville. That's why there is often some confusion.
It's just that they have certain exclusions from some laws due to being a different township. I'm not a lawyer, so I won't get into a whole lot of unnecessary crap here.
That said, if you were to go to Asheville, to the Biltmore section, it would appear as ONE area.
The main road in it is called Hendersonville Rd, due to it's direct linkage to Hendersonville NC. Thanks in part to huge growth over these last 20+ years, it almost appears to be an unbroken town between the 2. If you start in Hendersonville, driving west, you are in Henderson county. You will go directly into the town of Fletcher, then cross into Buncombe county, pass through the communities of Skyland & Arden, and enter Biltmore. Biltmore is directly conected to Asheville.
I have the book "Sixguns" and was going to research it to see what info about the Gun Re-Blu company was in there, and then go "on the hunt." With the address of 732 H'ville rd, I KNOW I can narrow down the original location. heck, I'll even snap a few pics of the current location,,,,!
But, as for the records, we'll just have to see what I can turn up.
Now, a side note.
The Biltmore Estate. It's Americas largest castle, and it's still privately owned. They have their own vineyard, and produce wine there. It is labeled as Biltmore Estate wine. They have daily tours of the castle, special festivals, small concerts, a restaurant, & several other things to see. Plus, some of their property is managed for hunting (due to the need of controlling the population of turkeys & deer to prevent the loss of a lot of grapes.) We usually have guided hunts for turkey on the Biltmore Estated DONATED graciously by the OWNER to our local NRA Friends event. World class birds have been taken there. A lot of the hunts are for youth, & disabled sportsmen. The owner of the Biltmore Estate is a supporter of the shooting sports, and has actually shot with our USPSA club in the past. In fact there is a PRIVATE gun range on the estate property well away from the castle (& the public) that local LEO's use for practice & qualification. Did I mention that we also hold our NRA Women On Target classes there? We CAN NOT advertise the fact that we hold our classes there, NOR do we go anywhere near the castle portion when we hold our classes. (Our next class is tomorrow!)
So,,,, with a bit of luck, and maybe some help from a few friends locally, I may be able to turn up something. All I can do is try,,,,,,!
The WNC area was once a huge single piece of property owned by a single individual. Well, the Biltmore Estate, (owned by the Vanderbilt family) comprised of a very large tract. The Estate has been divided & sold off in chunks over the years but is STILL a large piece.
Now, a lot of the original Vanderbilt property was incorporated as the township of Biltmore. Yet, they are considered PART of the City of Asheville. That's why there is often some confusion.
It's just that they have certain exclusions from some laws due to being a different township. I'm not a lawyer, so I won't get into a whole lot of unnecessary crap here.
That said, if you were to go to Asheville, to the Biltmore section, it would appear as ONE area.
The main road in it is called Hendersonville Rd, due to it's direct linkage to Hendersonville NC. Thanks in part to huge growth over these last 20+ years, it almost appears to be an unbroken town between the 2. If you start in Hendersonville, driving west, you are in Henderson county. You will go directly into the town of Fletcher, then cross into Buncombe county, pass through the communities of Skyland & Arden, and enter Biltmore. Biltmore is directly conected to Asheville.
I have the book "Sixguns" and was going to research it to see what info about the Gun Re-Blu company was in there, and then go "on the hunt." With the address of 732 H'ville rd, I KNOW I can narrow down the original location. heck, I'll even snap a few pics of the current location,,,,!
But, as for the records, we'll just have to see what I can turn up.
Now, a side note.
The Biltmore Estate. It's Americas largest castle, and it's still privately owned. They have their own vineyard, and produce wine there. It is labeled as Biltmore Estate wine. They have daily tours of the castle, special festivals, small concerts, a restaurant, & several other things to see. Plus, some of their property is managed for hunting (due to the need of controlling the population of turkeys & deer to prevent the loss of a lot of grapes.) We usually have guided hunts for turkey on the Biltmore Estated DONATED graciously by the OWNER to our local NRA Friends event. World class birds have been taken there. A lot of the hunts are for youth, & disabled sportsmen. The owner of the Biltmore Estate is a supporter of the shooting sports, and has actually shot with our USPSA club in the past. In fact there is a PRIVATE gun range on the estate property well away from the castle (& the public) that local LEO's use for practice & qualification. Did I mention that we also hold our NRA Women On Target classes there?
We CAN NOT advertise the fact that we hold our classes there, NOR do we go anywhere near the castle portion when we hold our classes. (Our next class is tomorrow!) So,,,, with a bit of luck, and maybe some help from a few friends locally, I may be able to turn up something. All I can do is try,,,,,,!
flatgate
Hawkeye
Thanks for the information! Good luck on your search as several of us would sure like to learn about the Gun Re-blu Company.
I discussed it with John Taffin a while ago and he is as curious as the rest of us are!
flatgate
I discussed it with John Taffin a while ago and he is as curious as the rest of us are!
flatgate
contender":sg2fil5h said:Did I mention that we also hold our NRA Women On Target classes there?
I think you just did
Good info - thanks for posting the history and good luck on your quest!
radicalrod
Hunter
Hey my wife drug me to the Biltmore once for vacation....I whined the whole way......I now want her to take me back as WOW was it KOOL :lol: :lol: :lol: These people were livin the DREAM I don't even dream that big.....see ya RR.
I don't even dream that big.....see ya RR.I remain impressed with the cutting-edge technology employed in the construction. They had their own electric generating plant, an intercom system, indoor plumbing including a swimming pool, an elevator, central heating and air-conditioning, and all this in conjunction with the stables for their horses, as this was built in the nineteenth century.
Simply amazing.
Simply amazing.
Yes, that is amazing.
I'm still waiting for indoor plumbing to make its way to Vermont.
:mrgreen:
I'm still waiting for indoor plumbing to make its way to Vermont.
:mrgreen:
flatgate
Hawkeye
weaselmeatgravy":subx2j2z said:
And we believe you!
flatgate
radicalrod
Hunter
Hey ya forgot the bowling lanes in the basement.......the place was simply amazing........just what I would have built if I has a spare BAZZILLION laying around......see ya RR.
. . . and the gym/workout area, and the dressing rooms, and the kitchen(s), and the laundry, and the "engine room", and the "staff quarters", etc.
Whatta shack!!
;-)
Whatta shack!!
;-)
contender
Ruger Guru
Ok,
I'll clarify something.
When I mentioned we are not allowed to "advertise" where we hold these clinics, we don't. These things are not advertised in print except with an address. That address isn't normally linked to the Estate. You'd have to know the geography of the area to understand how the property lays, & how the shooting area is in relation to the Biltmore House.
Now, for more detail on the Gun Re Blu company.
It was incorporated in 1955, and incorporation stopped in 1959. They leased the building from what I could find so far. I've run into a few dead ends already, but I'm doing some investigation through the back door so to speak. I hope I'll have more info by the end of next week. (After a guy gets back from his vacation.)
I love a good challenge.
If any of y'all have ANY info that relates to the company, (names, advertisements, photos other than the ones in Sixguns,) or just anything that might help me find info, email it to me!
I'll clarify something.
When I mentioned we are not allowed to "advertise" where we hold these clinics, we don't. These things are not advertised in print except with an address. That address isn't normally linked to the Estate. You'd have to know the geography of the area to understand how the property lays, & how the shooting area is in relation to the Biltmore House.
Now, for more detail on the Gun Re Blu company.
It was incorporated in 1955, and incorporation stopped in 1959. They leased the building from what I could find so far. I've run into a few dead ends already, but I'm doing some investigation through the back door so to speak. I hope I'll have more info by the end of next week. (After a guy gets back from his vacation.)
I love a good challenge.
If any of y'all have ANY info that relates to the company, (names, advertisements, photos other than the ones in Sixguns,) or just anything that might help me find info, email it to me!
contender":3mmbq2ag said:
Bless you for the task you've taken on. This may be a tough and tenuous trail. The players in the company are some 50 years,+/-, older and probably quite aged, if not gone forever. I was surprised to see that this business, although heralded by Elmer Keith, apparently was short-lived, only some four years or so. Will look forward to favorable results. I am sure that John Amber's former library probably had some data on the subject company, amongst others. Unfortunately, all of Amber's literature was all summarily dumped into some seven white elephant dumpsters and destroyed. A portion of the eventh was saved by Jim Goergen and Ralph Hettig. What a travesty........
Good luck in your search!Splitz
contender
Ruger Guru
Yeah, I'm hoping that somehow, somewhere in this area is a stash of old paperwork,,,,! But, that dumpster thing is more common than we'd like to believe. It's a shame when history is lost,,,,,,,!
Hopefully more digging this week!
Hopefully more digging this week!
A
Anonymous
weaselmeatgravy":2ans7dew said:Yeah, we know Gun Re-Blu is long gone. Flatgate was looking for info on the company a few months ago.
Maybe the "Caddy Shack" moved at some point? Here is that Bodrie print:
Joe Bodrie "The Fastest Gun Alive" was my second cousin. I remember watching his shows growing up at the family reunions.
Lee Bodrie
