Joe Gish has had a very interesting life.
He is an artist specializing in the Old West and has a museum of Old Time Cowboy and Lawmen Displays, At 82 years of age he still does saddle work—' There have been many articles published in newspapers and magazines about him and his collections and art pieces, as well as being featured on TV. He is more than happy to give personalized tours to all visitors. He shares his story with us—
I was born in Neosho, Missouri in 1924 at my mother's old home place. My parents moved to a farm owned by my grandfather, 5 miles west of Abilene on old Highway 40.
I grew up on the farm my grandfather left to my father in 1930. We raised corn, wheat, vegetables, had an apple and peach orchard and always had a stand out on the highway in front of our farm in the summer selling watermelon, cantaloupe and fruit we raised. I have 5 sisters and being the oldest, always looked for a
brother. I have always been interested in cowboys and history of the old west I started drawing at an early age, covered all my school books with drawings of cowboys. I graduated 8th grade from the Sand Springs School which was about 3 miles from our farm. I started high school in Solomon in 1939 and enjoyed schoolwork and all my buddies, played in all the sports, track, football, etc. Solomon was a great little town to be in then.
After graduation, George Woods and family invited me to go on a summer vacation with them. We arrived in Texas's Rio Grande Valley in McAllen, which is as far south as you can go in Texas, right across the Rio Grande River from Mexico. When the Woods got ready to return home, I told them I really liked it here and was going to stay. I did not have much money but enough to buy a new shirt and tie and start looking for a job.
I was hired as a salesperson at Bourns Men's Wear, the best men's store on Main Street,
in McAllen. I also enlisted in the Texas National Guard Unit and became the supply Sgt. of a Howitzer Company in the Valley. I had several of my old school buddies from Solomon come down and visit me. Jerry Haflier lived down there for several years. I enjoyed working at the store on Main Street, met and married a local girl in 1949.
In 1957 Sears Roebuck Store in McAllen hired me to manage their men's department. I enjoyed 30 years with them. Did art work also all this time for Western magazines as well as other commercial art and a lot of oil painting commissions during those years. Upon retiring from Sears in 1987 my wife Charlene and I retired to a small Texas Hill Country town which was settled by people from Germany in early days. Fredericksburg is about 80 miles Northwest of San Antonio, typical Texas hill country. I found a large half acre lot 2 and a half blocks from main street close to town. Had a large building built for a studio and museum to house all the items I had accumulated for years in Texas and a house next to it to live in.
In my museum are all kinds of western relics, old west guns, over 100 law badges dating from 1880 to 1920, saddles, a variety of styles of chaps, vests, gloves, cuffs, spurs, leather collars worn by working cowboys, guns, leather, art work, silent movies, cowboy posters, 30 to 35 old saddle catalogs that I keep as collectibles as well as references. I am still
a collector and do a lot of restoration work for other collectors and dealers, mostly restoring saddles.
I still do some art work; also have quite a few visitors coming by to view my collection. I am on the Visitors Center video for things to do and see here.
My museum was featured in the Discover TV channel for several weeks, was on TV show, Texas Country Reporter and featured in magazines and newspapers. Life is good and I feel very fortunate and lucky to have a good life and still be able to do and enjoy the things I love to do....lucky guy!!
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