On March 31, 2006, with very little notice, an American Legend died and a big piece of Americana quietly faded into the dustbin of history. On that day, U.S. Repeating Arms Co., maker of Winchester Rifles closed their New Haven, Connecticut plant for good, ending the life of a product so closely intertwined in the growth and history of our country that the two are almost inseparable. This involvement began in 1857 when Oliver Winchester acquired and restructured the failing Volcanic Repeating Firearms Co., subsequently changing the name to Winchester. During a large part of their 149 year existence, the name Winchester was synonymous with rifles, especially the lever action rifle, which began with the Henry Rifle, a lever action rifle that fired a metallic cased cartridge and held 16 rounds. It began appearing in the hands of Union Soldiers in 1862 and was quickly cursed by Confederate Troops as "that damn Yankee rifle they load on Sunday and shoot all week."
Next came the 1866 model, dubbed "Yellow Boy" by the Indians because of its bright brass frame, protected the pioneers on their trek during the Westward Migration after the Civil War. The Yellow Boy was followed by the Model 1873 known as "The Gun That Won The West" and was found over the fireplaces of settlers cabins and in the teepees of some Indians. It rode in the saddle scabbards of cowboys and armed lawmen and outlaws alike.
The culmination of all of this was the introduction of the model 1894, destined to be one of the few firearms to be in continuous production for over 100 years and the best selling center fire rifle Winchester ever made. More deer have been taken with the Winchester 1894 Rifle than any other rifle made.
In addition, Winchester made the Model 70 bolt-action rifle that became known as "the Rifleman's Rifle". Found in hunting camps the world over, it has taken every species of game animal on the planet. Winchester also worked 24/7 producing rifles for our Doughboys in World War I and for their sons, the GI's of World War II.
Please pardon my nostalgia, but it saddens me to think my grandsons and other boys will never know the thrill of opening a long narrow box and finding their first rifle therein with Winchester stamped on the barrel, as this writer did on his 15th birthday.
Thanks Winchester, not only for the memories, but also for playing such an important and integral part in this Nation's history. You will be sadly missed.
In 1995, Walt Disney Pictures released the first Disney movie where, as the tagline states, "an American legend comes to life." Pocahontas, the first Disney film based on an actual historic figure, was the 33rd animated film ever released by Disney Studios and marked the climax for the Disney Renaissance which had begun in 1989 with The Little Mermaid. This film was one of the few Disney films to ever portray an interracial romance (between Pocahontas and John Smith).
The expectations for the production were very high. Jeffery Katzenberg, the then-studio boss, considered it a prestige project capable of vying for a Best Picture nomination in the same vein as Beauty and the Beast. Indeed, Katzenberg felt Pocahontas would out-perform the tremendous returns The Lion King enjoyed. Unfortunately, the adult themes of the film undermined its appeal to children and though it failed to meet expectations, Pocahontas did earn approximately $142 million domestically and $348 million worldwide.
Pocahontas enjoyed the largest premiere in film history, premiering at Central Park in New York City. Though the publicity certainly did sell revenues, the film was criticized for several historic and ethnic inaccuracies. Some critics felt the characterization of Pocahontas was too "fashionably exotic," while other critics condemned the historical accuracy. In reality, Pocahontas was prepubescent when John Smith encountered the Powhatan tribe. She was kidnapped by the English, converted to Christianity, married to both a Powhatan warrior, Kocoum, and then to the English tobacconist John Rolfe. Furthermore, most historians discount the notion of a romantic relationship between Pocahontas and Smith.
By contrast, the film was celebrated for its distinct animation style. The sparse color palette and, by Disney standards, unconventional use of a mother spirit motif set Pocahontas apart from typical Disney fare. The score of the film, composed by Alan Menken, was likewise well-received - so much so that it earned the Academy Award for Best Original Score. The theme song, "Colors of the Wind," also written by Menken, with Vanessa Williams on vocals, won the Academy Award and the Golden Globe for Best Song.
Though Pocahontas was a commercial disappointment, it would prove to be more profitable than its successor The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Indeed Hunchback would mark the end of the Disney Renaissance, during which the studio made nearly $1 billion. The studio would release a sequel, Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World, in 1998, direct-to-video.
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