The watch that is said to have belonged to Bat Masterson was auctioned online through RR Auction in Boston.
There is no doubt that legendary lawman Bat Masterson created a name for himself and left his mark on Kansas history.
He must have been a very good lawman at some point before his last shootout in Dodge City at what became known as the "Battle at the Plaza" when the citizens of that town wanted him out of Dodge City and never allowed to return.
Yes, he must have been so good at one point that the citizens of Dodge City presented him with an Elgin pocket watch during a Fourth of July celebration in 1885. That was when he was voted the "most popular man in Dodge City."
The pocket watch is said to be inscribed "To W.B. 'Bat' Masterson from the Citizens of Ford Co."
"Whenever you get an artifact like this that (belonged to) a famous person, it really kind of brings that person back to life. It humanizes them. It’s one of those little tidbits of a man’s life that is captured in time," said Robert Livingston, who is the executive vice president of RR Auction,
"The lawman’s legend lives on today through romanticized images of the lawless days of the late 1800s and early 1900s. The American West and Kansas during this period has captured the imagination of America and people around the world. These Old West figures for whatever reason are still resonating in the imaginations of Americans.He was a legend during his lifetime all the way to today." said Livingston.
"The Masterson family first came to Kansas in the 1870s. They settled on an 80-acre farm 14 miles northeast of Wichita. From there, Bat Masterson headed West with his older brother Ed to hunt buffalo. The two eventually ended up in the railhead and cattle town of Dodge City, where they made their legacies as lawmen and met up with other legendary figures," said Lara Brehm, executive director of Boot Hill Museum in Dodge City.
"The friendships between Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday were formed in Dodge City," she said.
"The Old West of Masterson’s time was known for its lawlessness, gunfights and drunken bar brawls. Much of what Masterson dealt with as sheriff involved mediation between anti-alcohol and boomtown cowboy factions. They were having a little bit of a problem with drinking, They had a lot of drunkards, so a lot of what Masterson was doing at the time was keeping peace in the town." said Livingston.
OK, so that's how he thinks it was. It's not for me to write Mr Livingston to correct him. I think he's mixing up the duties of a City Marshal with the duties of a County Sheriff, but most folks don't know the difference between the two.
As for a City Marshal "involved mediation between anti-alcohol and boomtown cowboy factions" that's not the way it was either, but what do we expect from someone who thinks the West was made up of "a lot of drunkards"? And frankly, there are a lot of folks out there who think as he does.
Many see the Old West as a violent place where, as Mr Livingston put it, "The Old West of Masterson’s time was known for its lawlessness, gunfights and drunken bar brawls." Of course compared to today's society, most Western towns were down right peaceful. But frankly, people will believe what they will.
Besides, as the editor of the Shinbone Star is quoted as saying in the movie The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." And so the legend of a violence, lawlessness, gunfights and drunken bar brawls remains what most think, even though they are wrong.
As for who wants Bat Masterson's watch and the speculation on what it would fetch on the auction block?
Lara Brehm said, "Dodge City’s Boot Hill Museum would love to have Masterson’s pocket watch for its display, The story of Bat Masterson is integral to our early history, and it's a story that we're well known for. However, the price may exceed the museum’s budget."
She went on to say, "We're just talking about it at this point. It’s hard to anticipate what it will bring."
"The watch is expected to sell for around $15,000," said Livingston.
Well, on July 14th, The Wichita Eagle reported that Bat Masterson's pocket watch was purchased for $15,893 by an anonymous collector who is believed to be from Kansas on Wednesday, July 13th, 2016.
As for the other items belonging to Masterson which were auctioned off last Wednesday? Well the three documents related to a lawsuit brought against the lawman in 1879 were sold to the same collector for $3,368.
The pocket watch is said to be inscribed "To W.B. 'Bat' Masterson from the Citizens of Ford Co."
"The lawman’s legend lives on today through romanticized images of the lawless days of the late 1800s and early 1900s. The American West and Kansas during this period has captured the imagination of America and people around the world. These Old West figures for whatever reason are still resonating in the imaginations of Americans.He was a legend during his lifetime all the way to today." said Livingston.
"The Masterson family first came to Kansas in the 1870s. They settled on an 80-acre farm 14 miles northeast of Wichita. From there, Bat Masterson headed West with his older brother Ed to hunt buffalo. The two eventually ended up in the railhead and cattle town of Dodge City, where they made their legacies as lawmen and met up with other legendary figures," said Lara Brehm, executive director of Boot Hill Museum in Dodge City.
"The friendships between Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday were formed in Dodge City," she said.
OK, so that's how he thinks it was. It's not for me to write Mr Livingston to correct him. I think he's mixing up the duties of a City Marshal with the duties of a County Sheriff, but most folks don't know the difference between the two.
As for a City Marshal "involved mediation between anti-alcohol and boomtown cowboy factions" that's not the way it was either, but what do we expect from someone who thinks the West was made up of "a lot of drunkards"? And frankly, there are a lot of folks out there who think as he does.
Many see the Old West as a violent place where, as Mr Livingston put it, "The Old West of Masterson’s time was known for its lawlessness, gunfights and drunken bar brawls." Of course compared to today's society, most Western towns were down right peaceful. But frankly, people will believe what they will.
Besides, as the editor of the Shinbone Star is quoted as saying in the movie The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." And so the legend of a violence, lawlessness, gunfights and drunken bar brawls remains what most think, even though they are wrong.
As for who wants Bat Masterson's watch and the speculation on what it would fetch on the auction block?
Lara Brehm said, "Dodge City’s Boot Hill Museum would love to have Masterson’s pocket watch for its display, The story of Bat Masterson is integral to our early history, and it's a story that we're well known for. However, the price may exceed the museum’s budget."
She went on to say, "We're just talking about it at this point. It’s hard to anticipate what it will bring."
"The watch is expected to sell for around $15,000," said Livingston.
The auction opened online at www.rrauction.com. The opening bid for the watch was $5,000.
Other items involving Masterson that were up for auction included three documents related to a lawsuit brought against Masterson in 1879. The three lawsuit documents were said to sell together and were expected to sell for $4,000. The starting bid was $500,
"The real action in the bidding process for these items begins at 6 p.m. on Wednesday," said Livingston.
At that time, the 30-minute rule begins, which means the bidding process would officially close after 30 minutes of inactivity, according to the auction house’s website. The 30-minute timer would reset after each new bid.
Livingston said "Masterson’s pocket watch captures the imagination of history lovers throughout America. Something like this can appeal to that type of person who loves history, loves the Old West, and has an affection for this sheriff."
He is very right about that. There are some people who are fans of Wild Bill and Wyatt Earp, there are Bat Masterson fans, and there are fans like me who are simply fans of the Old West. And yes, I believe all would love to own such a piece of history.
For me, if we're talking about pocket watches that have had a lot of significance to a story of the Old West -- then that would surely be the pocket watch that Dave Tutt took from Wild Bill Hickok over a gambling debt.
After losing it to Tutt in a card game, Bill warned Tutt not to wear it. The next day when Tutt did show up wearing it, Bill killed him. Of course, there is a great deal more to that story, a lot more than a supposedly precious watch.
As to what happened to the watch? It wasn't on Wild Bill after he was shot dead in Deadwood. Some say Wild Bill pawned it for gambling money. Some say he lost it in another game of cards. Either way, I'd like to see a pocket watch that's so important that you'd kill someone over it -- or at least use it as a reason to kill someone over it.
"The real action in the bidding process for these items begins at 6 p.m. on Wednesday," said Livingston.
At that time, the 30-minute rule begins, which means the bidding process would officially close after 30 minutes of inactivity, according to the auction house’s website. The 30-minute timer would reset after each new bid.
Livingston said "Masterson’s pocket watch captures the imagination of history lovers throughout America. Something like this can appeal to that type of person who loves history, loves the Old West, and has an affection for this sheriff."
He is very right about that. There are some people who are fans of Wild Bill and Wyatt Earp, there are Bat Masterson fans, and there are fans like me who are simply fans of the Old West. And yes, I believe all would love to own such a piece of history.
For me, if we're talking about pocket watches that have had a lot of significance to a story of the Old West -- then that would surely be the pocket watch that Dave Tutt took from Wild Bill Hickok over a gambling debt.
After losing it to Tutt in a card game, Bill warned Tutt not to wear it. The next day when Tutt did show up wearing it, Bill killed him. Of course, there is a great deal more to that story, a lot more than a supposedly precious watch.
As to what happened to the watch? It wasn't on Wild Bill after he was shot dead in Deadwood. Some say Wild Bill pawned it for gambling money. Some say he lost it in another game of cards. Either way, I'd like to see a pocket watch that's so important that you'd kill someone over it -- or at least use it as a reason to kill someone over it.
As for what Bat Masterson's watch fetched?
As for the other items belonging to Masterson which were auctioned off last Wednesday? Well the three documents related to a lawsuit brought against the lawman in 1879 were sold to the same collector for $3,368.
For me, I've always admired collectors of history. While it's a safe investment, I believe collectors see these sorts of items for other much larger reasons than simply that of great investments. The few collectors who I've known have believed they were keeping history alive and well. And yes, some see their owning a piece of history like Bat Masterson's watch as a way of safeguarding historical artifacts.
Tom Correa
Interesting, and timely. I recently returned (to CA) from the WWHA meeting in Okla. and detoured through Pueblo, CO, to fill out my file on the 1882 events involving Masterson---"the man who shoots and smiles"---in the ruse to deflect the extradition of John H. "Doc" Holliday to Arizona Territory.I don't share the enamour of ol' Bat.
ReplyDeleteBob Paul
My wife and I purchased the watch and recently donated to the Boot Hill Museum in Dodge City Kansas.
ReplyDelete