Artifacts Locked Away for Decades

Secured for decades in a bank vault, new Annie Oakley artifacts are now on permanent exhibit at Garst Museum.  Through the generosity of the great-grandchildren of William Longfelder, the executor of both Annie Oakley’s and husband Frank Butler’s estates, a team worked in January to add many of the newly donated artifacts belonging to William and Jennie Longfelder to the National Annie Oakley Center (NAOC) and revise some of the existing exhibits.  For the upgrade, Jim Heiser, Don’s Body Shop, and Oakview Upholstery donated labor and materials to further enhance these exhibits.

Before the Longfelder decision was finalized, Garst Museum had to prove that it was a worthy venue for the artifacts. The museum was in competition with the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, for the items.  The Longfelder heirs visited Garst Museum the day after the tornado in May 2024 and were given a flashlight tour of the museum.  Even in the dim light, the quality of Garst Museum and the sincere interest of those associated with it and the NAOC collection convinced the heirs that Garst Museum should receive the treasured items from the Longfelder estate.

The William and Jennie Longfelder were friends of the Butlers, living just three blocks from them in Nutley, New Jersey, from 1893 until 1904. As shared only with a dear friend are deeply personal letters that Annie wrote to Jennie about her declining health and Frank’s dementia. Touched by the sadness of the letters, the reader will feel a heart-wrenching sense of empathy for what Annie was enduring in her later years.  Annie’s own decline is evidenced by the deterioration of her handwriting as her condition worsened.

Of particular interest is an exceptional, dainty .32 caliber, Smith & Wesson, pearl-handled revolver that Annie would sleep with under her pillow when she traveled—as told by Jennie Longfelder.  It is as petite and dainty as Annie herself.  Look for it in the dressing-gown case on Annie’s pink pillow!

The team of Brenda Arnett, Nancy Cooper, Mike Ross, Cait Clark, and Eileen Litchfield will continue working to display more of the Longfelder donation in a temporary case in the coming months. These amazing century-old Annie Oakley artifacts are shown exclusively at Garst Museum.