Special rifle takes aim at raising funds

The World War I monument in Hanna is close to being repaired entirely and should be ready for its unveiling on July 4.

The monument was originally dedicated on July 4, 1920. The Hanna Basin citizens honored 111 servicemen who served in World War I by erecting a large white monument featuring a cast bronze plaque listing their names.

Sadly, the monument was vandalized in the summer of 2015 when the bronze plaque was taken off the stone monument.

The plaque was found later that year by a crew member for Hanna public works.

The World War I monument, in addition to having a plaque of names who served in the war, also had a time capsule inside the historical memorial. The box's contents did show damage when it was retrieved.

The Hanna Basin Museum will put the contents of the time capsule back into the monument along with one from present day.

Although the cause to repair the monument is worthy, it does not come without a price tag. The entire repair is costing $16,000.

This is a steep price for a relatively small museum, but the board approved the work.

An anonymous donor started the ball rolling two months ago with a generous donation, but the project was still short of funds.

Then the Hanna Basin Museum Director Sunshine Solaas got a phone call from a former resident of Hanna.

"It was really weird how it all worked out," Solaas said. "We had just gotten the anonymous donation and this gentleman, Daryl Billings, called up from Colorado. He grew up in Hanna and he told me during recess when he was elementary school the girls would chase him around the monument and smother him in kisses. So he said he wanted to help restore the monument."

Solaas was grateful and asked what he had in mind.

Billings owns a gun and ammo store and wanted to donate a Henry 22 Golden Boy rifle that would have the stock etched to commemorate the World War l monument.

"One side of the stock has an etching of the monument and the other side has an etching of Old Carbon," Solaas said. "He sent it out to be etched and he even sent it back because he wasn't satisfied. Daryl paid for the etching in addition to giving the rifle."

Solaas and the Hanna Basin Board decided to raffle off 600 tickets at $20 a piece or six tickets for $100.

"Fundraising is difficult for small town museums, especially when so many non-profit and volunteer organizations are vying for funds," Solaas said. "We depend on people's generous natures and Daryl came right at the perfect time."

The gun has been locked away in the Hanna Town Hall safe with the exception when it made an appearance at the Platte Valley Expo that was held at the Platte Valley Community Center on Thursday and Friday.

"I have been shocked at the timing," Solaas said. "He didn't have any idea about the fundraising. Daryl had seen the monument on the Hanna Basin Museum website and decided he wanted to fix it. When you think about it, there is some sort cool karma about how this all came about."

The raffle will occur on Memorial Day at the Hanna Basin Museum.

To purchase a ticket before the raffle, information is available at http://www.hannabasinmuseum.com.

"This is a special gun, donated by a special person who understands how important history is to a community. Plus our board has been tremendous in working to restore this monument. I can't say enough about their commitment to make sure the past is remembered and enshrined," Solaas said. "It really makes a difference to how we can save our cultural heritage in small towns like Hanna. Medicine Bow or Elk Mountain or any museum in Carbon County."

It has made a difference to the World War I monument that was built 100 years ago.