Comments on last week’s article requested information on a favorite place from my youth, Carpenter’s Gun Works, or Carpenter’s Gun Shop. Libby Werlau, the Plattekill Historian, has posted some wonderful photos which accurately depict this go to place for sportsmen back in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

Hunting was common back then. Our area was not as populated as it is today and the farms offered ample room to hunt. It was a matter of respect to ask permission from the property owner before entering their land and abiding by their wishes was tantamount to returning year after year. Safety was the first rule we all learned.

In the fall, as the opening of small game season approached, with the big game season coming next, the place to go was Carpenter’s Gun Works. This was the mecca for the enthusiasts. I still remember the first time I was privileged to accompany my father and his friends on their annual visit. One of them would drive and pick up the others and head over in a group. This was 1964 after I completed my hunting safety training at the Westend Sportsman Club in Newburgh.

Upon arrival, I learned other friends of my father and his buddies had also traveled over to purchase items for the season and inspect the gear which had become available. The talk was congenial and opinionated about these items. I just stared and listened, soaking in so much of the tribal knowledge being shared.

What made Carpenter’s the go to place was the family. An article from the August 6th, 1953, edition of The Newburgh News gives insight into how the enterprise came to be in 1950. The three Carpenters, Russ Carpenter, Sr., Russ Carpenter, Jr. and Albert Carpenter brought their talents to the attention of the public while creating a place where Al could make the most of his abilities. You see, Albert had been stricken with polio and had limited mobility. They built the shop which was rather modest by today’s mega store comparison but was meticulously stocked with quality merchandise. The gunsmithing ability and knowledge of these men made it what it was, a magnet for all involved in these sports. They not only offered firearms, but fishing and tackle gear as well as other related equipment.

I still recall standing there with the men who were instrumental in guiding me and shaping my life, the odor of cigar and cigarette smoke blending with the aroma of Paladin cherry blend tobacco from someone’s pipe filling the air, mixing with the solvents and oils used in gunsmithing.

As with everything, times change and places change with the times. In 1975, Carpenter’s became Wilderness Sporting Goods. Maybe it was the name change or maybe a shift in the culture of the day, but Carpenter’s was gone.

Those days are a memory, replaced with mega stores, on line shopping, and changes in social norms, all of which I often question are for the better. I hope I didn’t miss anything for you, Gayle and Ted.