Wendell Grangaard and Ernie Fellows
Wendell Grangaard, Ernie Fellows, Dave Molina and Nicholas Tooth showing rifles recovered from Custer's Last Stand
Wendell Grangaard has been collecting historical items for 60 years and has an extensive collection of firearms and artifacts from Little Bighorn and the Indian Wars. A sought after speaker and contributor to museums, Wendell has also written articles and a book titled "Documenting the Weapons used at the Little Bighorn".
He has authenticated firearms and artifacts in a variety of ways, but the most interesting is through his introduction to the language of Togia. This gave Wendell the ability to read stories inscribed on firearms belonging to Native Americans. Togia is a symbolic language used to show possession and to record Winter Count that is used to describe a specific event or experience. This collection cannot be duplicated; each item and its history are one of a kind. Wendell is 83 years old now and says it’s time to share the history with others, providing another generation with the ability to own and display these unique pieces.
Wendell invites you to attend, either in person or online, and looks forward to seeing you at the auction!
The battle of Little Bighorn occurred in 1876 and is commonly referred to as “Custer’s Last Stand”. The battle took place between the U.S. Cavalry and northern tribe Indians, including the Cheyenne, Sioux, and Arapaho. Prior to the battle of Little Bighorn in Montana, the tribal armies, under the direction of Sitting Bull, had decided to wage war against the whites for their refusal to stay off of tribal lands in the Black Hills. In the spring of 1876, Sitting Bull and his tribal army had successfully battled the U.S. Cavalry twice.
