Gibson Turkey Call & Gobbler box calls from Simmons Hardware

Object/Artifact

-

Wild Turkey Archives

Gibson Turkey Call & Gobbler box calls from Simmons Hardware with orginal boxes they were packaged in (side view)

Gibson Turkey Call & Gobbler box calls from Simmons Hardware with orginal boxes they were packaged in (side view)

Name/Title

Gibson Turkey Call & Gobbler box calls from Simmons Hardware

Entry/Object ID

VTC001A0003

Description

While box calls were being made in the 1800s, Henry Clay Gibson (1848-1930) of Dardanelle, Arkansas, was the first to obtain a patent. He was issued U.S. Patent #574,534 on January 5, 1897, for his “Turkey Caller and Gobbler.” Gibson would market his calls through sporting goods dealers and hardware stores. Hardware stores were the outdoor enthusiast's shopping center during that time, and Simmons Hardware Co. in St. Louis, MO, was where many of Gibson's boxes were sold. It is rarer to find the white paperboard boxes the calls were sold in, most having been thrown out or succumbed to the ravages of time.

Collection

Danny Ellis Collection

Cataloged By

Brent Rogers

Condition

Overall Condition

Good

Date Examined

Feb 1, 2026

Created By

Brent@awthf.org

Create Date

February 1, 2026

Updated By

Brent@awthf.org

Update Date

February 1, 2026