Samuel Hawken rifle owned by Mariano Medina

[Buck Conner1]

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This rifle is a modern recreation of the famous original Samuel Hawken rifle owned by Mariano Medina (1812-1878, also spelled Modina), easily one of the best of all original Hawken rifles. It was built by master artisan Steve Lodding of the Contemporary Longrifle Association around 2010 after studying and photographing the original rifle which is currently in Jim Gordon's private museum in Glorieta, New Mexico, not far south of Medina's birthplace. Lodding is known for incredibly detailed work in firearms and other frontier items. It was carefully handcrafted using a straight Green Mountain barrel, original antique lock, hand-shaped iron parts, and smooth walnut stock and then artfully aged. It closely matches the details shown in the chapter "Mariano Modena's Rifle" in John D. Baird's "Hawken Rifles: The Mountain Man's Choice." Note how the markings, pins, and designs compare to those shown in the pictures on pages 30-33. The rifle has dovetailed blade and notch sights, "S. HAWKEN ST LOUIS" running towards the muzzle on the top flat behind the rear sight at slight angles, a correct "A. MEIER & CO/ST LOUIS" marked lock, double set triggers, hand shaped iron parts including the distinctive long wear plate correctly secured by 14 pins, attractive traditional style patch box with double pierced side plate engraved by Master Engraver Aaron “Duke” Pursley of the Firearms Engravers Guild of America (FEGA), nine inlaid stars, and an oval cheekpiece inlay inscribed by Pursley with "PURCHASED ST LOUIS/1833/Mariano Modina/TO/Gen A. H. Jones/BIG THOMPSON COLO./1878." Medina was born in Taos of mixed heritage and was a contemporary and associate of Jim Bridger, Kit Carson, the Bents and many of the other famous mountain men during the height of the Rocky Mountain fur trade and also served as a guide/scout for expeditions by John C. Fremont and others. He was the first settler on Big Thompson Creek in 1858 near present day Loveland, Colorado, and established a well-known trading post there. Shortly before his death in 1878, he gave the rifle to General A. H. Jones with the instruction to "Keep her clean, General!" Jones was a captain in the Governor's Guards and then the Inspector General of the Colorado Militia. He became a prominent businessman and was one of the founders of the Denver Club.

</td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(171, 171, 171); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><td class="description-cell" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 4px; margin: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" colspan="5">Very fine with attractive "antiqued" finish throughout. The barrel is a mottled blend of gray and brown. There is oxidation around the front sight and in the trigger guard "curl." Most of the other steel/iron has a grayed appearance and signs of filing and rough finishing purposely left visible. The inlays and side plate are fairly bright with some aging. The markings are crisp. The stock is also very fine and has crisp edges, smooth finish, and slight handling and storage type marks. The lock and set triggers are mechanically fine. This is an very accurate copy of an extraordinary Hawken rifle by one of today's finest traditional artisans.


<table class="item-info" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; border-bottom: 0px; border-top-color: rgb(171, 171, 171); border-right-color: rgb(171, 171, 171); border-left-color: rgb(171, 171, 171); font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1140px;"><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(171, 171, 171); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><td style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 4px; margin: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"> Serial #
</td><td style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 4px; margin: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">N/A</td><td style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 4px; margin: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Manufacturer</td><td style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 4px; margin: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">American</td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(171, 171, 171); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><td class="printhide" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 4px; margin: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Type
</td><td class="printhide" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 4px; margin: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Rifle
</td><td style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 4px; margin: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Gauge
</td><td style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 4px; margin: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">58</td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(171, 171, 171); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><td style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 4px; margin: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Barrel
</td><td style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 4px; margin: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">34 1/4 Inch Octagon
</td><td style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 4px; margin: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Finish</td><td style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 4px; margin: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Gray/brown</td></tr><tr style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(171, 171, 171); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><td style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 4px; margin: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Stock
</td><td style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 4px; margin: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">walnut
</td><td class="printhide" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 4px; margin: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Class</td><td class="printhide" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 4px; margin: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Antique</td></tr></table></td></tr></table>

 

[Buck Conner1]

I have personally held - dreamed of - handled this rifle a half dozen times at the Loveland Museum back in the mid 70's (stolen & recovered twice from that location). The Medina family then moved it to the Denver Historical Society Museum (thinking it would be safer at this location (stolen once or twice and recovered from there before being sold to Jim Gordon). The original rifle was in very good condition.

While at the Loveland location I had the pleasure of talking with the Medina family's older members that remember Louis Papa (Medina's step son who lived in the Loveland his whole life). Zethyl Gates was a personal friend that gave me free access to anything in the museum, what a great time we had in that building, looking, picture taking, measuring and just enjoying the items on displace.

Loveland historian Mrs. Zethyl Gates wrote about Louis Papa, "Louis was silent about his past. If he revealed any information, it was scant indeed. What a loss. What tales he could have told about the Western frontier of the 1800s: life with the mountain man Mariano Medina, who raised him as his own son; early days near Fort Bridger, where the family lived in the 'squaw' camp...Indian raids on the Overland Trail; and life at Namaqua ... at the crossing of the Big Thompson River ..."

The story of Louis Papa begins in 1844 when Mariano Medina was camping along the Snake River in Utah Territory.

He met a French trapper by the name of Louis Elbert Papin. The trapper had an Indian wife from the Flathead tribe name Tacaney.

Papin wanted to quit the harsh, dangerous life of a mountain man and return to civilization. His wife, on the other hand, did not want to part with her people and the land she knew. Tacaney was pregnant with Papin's child.

Papin refused to abandon Tacaney, but civilization tugged on him. He reasoned that since Mariano was a bachelor, Mariano needed a wife so he struck a deal and traded Tacaney (unborn child and all) for some horses and a blanket. Papin needed these items for his long trip.

The arrangement was quite simple — Tacaney moved from Papin's lodge to Mariano's lodge.

When the baby was born, the infant was named after his biological father. Mariano's stepson went by the surname of Papa rather than the French name Papin.
Mariano raised the boy as his own child. The family moved from Utah to a spot along the Big Thompson River in 1858 thus becoming the first settlers in the area. The place was known as Mariano's Crossing and was later named Namaqua.

Papa did not go to school, but spent his time helping his stepfather with ranching.
When Papa was in his early 20s, he met a girl on one of his excursions to Denver. Her name was Eleanor Williams, and after courting, they were married.

Papa built a small home for his bride south of Mariano's home at Namaqua. A year after their marriage, Eleanor gave birth to a son they named Mariano Antonio. Later, Eleanor gave birth to a second boy, which they named José Adolfo.

Apparently, Eleanor did not like the Namaqua area, possibly because of its isolation and its primitive nature. Also, she missed her family in the Denver area. In any event, one day she packed up her things and took her two sons to Denver.

Papa stayed in the Loveland area, and after Eleanor left, he saw little of his two children.

Eleanor eventually moved to Huerfano County. Years later after Antonio had become a young man, he had a chance meeting with his father on a train.

​

Louis Papa was the stepson of pioneer Mariano Medina. Medina traded some goods to a French trapper for the trapper's Indian wife and unborn child. Medina raised Louis as his own son. (Loveland Museum/Gallery collection)/

As Papa grew old, he became more dependent on the kindness of others. Antonio came to Loveland to try to persuade his father to move south and live with Eleanor. Papa was suspicious that this was a scheme to get his money, and he didn't like hot weather.

Louis Papa was a man of silence. One day, a rancher amed Hugh noted that some of his cattle were missing, and he suspected that Papa might know something about this. The rancher offered Papa a good sum of money if he would divulge what he knew. As the story goes, Papa's reply was, "Me gets lots more than that just to keep my mouth shut!"

Papa homesteaded in the Big Thompson Canyon at the present day site of Viestenz-Smith Mountain Park. He made trips between Loveland and his cabin along the river.
Loveland eventually purchased his homestead and constructed a new cabin for Papa. The old man, however, insisted on living in his old cabin close to the river. 

He spent many hours up the Buckhorn Canyon visiting his sister Lena buried on the Chance place. Lena is still buried there today in an unmarked grave (private property with only a few knowing her location).

Papa may have been illiterate, but was shrewd and frugal. He continued to ride until he was past 80 years old, and after his riding and ranching days were over, he longed for just one more roundup.

As put by Loveland historian Harold Dunning after Louis Papa's death in 1935, "He did have one more roundup, but it was his last roundup. May his happy soul be riding the celestial ranges along with Will Rogers, Buffalo Bill ... and those he loved so well."
The cabin lacked a foundation and sat on the ground. It was eventually razed along with the new cabin. It is unfortunate that these structures could not have been saved since they were a connection to the very first permanent settler in the Big Thompson Valley.

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

This is a very cool piece. I love that feeling of awe that you get when you handle something like this.

 

[Buck Conner1]

In the information on Louis you'll read ...
"He spent many hours up the Buckhorn Canyon visiting his sister Lena buried on the Chance place. Lena is still buried there today in an unmarked grave (private property with only a few knowing her location)."

I lived on the Chance property for 20 years (my wife was a Chance, her father told me many stories about Louis Papa, his white horse and his father Marino having hunted, camped and killed several Utes on this place that had taken his horses).

Most don't realize how much money from a small home (Mariano's Place) at Namaqua where his toll bridge was located that they made. In later 1800's Medina loaned the City of Ft. Collins the sum of $65,000 to open the First National Bank of Fort Collins. That was an unheard of amount of money for the west at that time. His little toll bridge generated more than anyone would have ever dreamed of.