back to the 1950's

[oldsgt]

This goes back to the 1950's Does anyone remember the owner of a gunshop in the Last frontier Villiage out by the silver slipper. His name was Harry Mann?
Or of the owner of Art's motorcycle shop, Art Smythe. this was near the intersection of fremont and charleston. Wonder if there are any family left regards these two people....

post by old sgt.

[NevSmith]

While I met Harry Mann at times, I was too young to purchase directly from him. I loved his gunshop as it was as much museum as shop.

I bought my first motorcycle from Art Smythe at the age of 13. I was in and out of his shop until I left Las Vegas to go to college in Reno.

I don't personally know of any local family for either one of them still in the LV valley.

...............NevSmith

I should mention that the motorcycle was a used Triumph Tiger Cub, all of 200 ccs. I put desert tires on it and wore it out in the LV desert.

[oldsgt]

From old sgt.

Yup, then I was at nellis, a young staff sgt and bought a spankin' new truimph (TR6 I think) thunderbird, a 650 cc bike. My first cycle and made many happy miles in the mojave there. Art was a accomodating sort of guy and was a big help with minor troubles and adding accessories here and there. New mufflers and a pillion pad and foot pegs for a passenger. His mother, Ma, worked as counter help and loved her being there too. He had a ariel square 4 then and it was a big monster. There was a young guy that had a tiger cub and art fixed it up so he could burn alcohol.
Harry Mann had a very nice gunshop as you say and I bought a few colts from him and a s&w .22 that I still have and shoot here and there. Hear that he moved the shop into a hotel some place near there. Maybe after they tore the old frontier villiage down.
BMI I recall made magnesium for govt incendiary bombs during the war and maybe metallic magnesuim for aircraft possibly. This I found out later,.
Quite a town then, Benny Binion had a million dollars in plastic hanging in the front window of his fremont st. casino. There was a nice corner diner at fremont and third or fourth st. Stopped there many times for coffee and a bear claw, also at askew drive in across from Art's bike shop, corner of fremont and charleston.
Quite a town, loved it then but would not know it now 60 years later.
Thank you for the comments and since I live in wisconsin it is a long shot here to there.