Gil Wheeler's 20 ga Parker

[David Noble]

Originally Posted by Bill Strang

Thank you for the kind words. I'm not in New England, but thanks for the invite.

Bill, you don't have to live in New England or even the USA to join the PGCA.
You will learn many things about Parker shotguns and those who used and loved them. You will also receive a quarterly subscription to the clubs magazine
free with price of admission into the club. You'd also receive a 60% discount on PGCA letters that are sourced from original factory records.
Give it a try!

[Dean Romig]

And it's only $40 for an Annual membership - there's absolutely nothing to lose and Everything to gain by joining!!





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[Bill Strang]

Guys, I'm already a member. Paid $40 for membership and $40 for the Research Letter.
Thanks again for the kind words and interest. Merry Christmas.

[Chris T.]

Bill,
I have a gun that belonged Gil Wheeler. It's a trap/live bird configuration DHE 12 ga. with 32" barrels, straight stock made with no safety. I remember way back looking him up on the LA48 website, there was an article from an old Brunswick ME news paper titled Gil Wheeler and His Dog Princess Pat. I would have to dig up the letter for the gun, but the Gil Wheeler (Brunswick, ME) in the letter was a known trap shooter who was sponsored by Peters Cartridge Co. if you dig deep enough you can find his name and trap scores in the local paper.

[Bill Strang]

Chris,
Well how about that! Thanks for the information -- it's great to know another of his guns is alive and well. What is the LA48 website? I googled it and nothing shows up. Lewiston-Auburn something?
My mother has a photo in her kitchen of Gil sitting back against a tree with a Parker leaning against his left shoulder and to his right is his dog Patsy! I've never heard the dog called "Princess Pat" -- perhaps that was the dog's full name, but was shortened during common usage.
Thanks again -- much appreciated!

[Chris T.]

https://curtis.advantage-preservatio...dt=10&cid=2930


There is a lot of references in The Brunswick Times Archives through the Curtis Memorial library.
https://curtislibrary.com/

Or, The LA84 Archives
https://digital.la84.org/digital/

There is some very neat Wheeler family history in the newspaper archives. It's amazing that the information is still available. You're going to get lost those archives!!

[Bill Murphy]

Chris, how about LA84? Refers to the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. Great website that was once a bit easier to access.

[Chris T.]

Yes, I stand corrected, LA84 not LA48. It was actually you Bill who turned me onto that resource years ago.

[Bill Strang]

Thanks Chris. I will check out the links.

You probably know more about Gil than I! If you don't mind me asking, when did Gil order the gun you have? He ordered the one I have later in life than I expected. Wondering if yours is older.

[Chris T.]

Somewhere between 1911 and 1913. There is a copy of the letter in the link below.

https://parkerguns.org/forums/showth...hlight=wheeler