KENTON, Ohio — The town of Kenton is a pleasant, unassuming rural community, situated about 30 miles south of Findlay in Hardin County. It has a quaint and busy downtown area, anchored by a historic and handsome courthouse. A vintage theater resides close by, still in operation after many decades. There are also a few signs in town that indicate it is the home of Civil War hero Jacob Parrot of Andrew's Raiders fame. But, Kenton also has another hero.
Gene Autry; yes, the famous Hollywood Singing Cowboy of the 1930s,'40s and '50s, who at one time was probably the most famous of all the cowboys who ever leaped off the silver screen and onto a waiting horse.
At the corner of Findlay and Market Streets, Gene Autry's presence is huge. A colorful mural, where he sits astride his horse Champion overlooks a small park in his name.
The question that enters the inquiring mind upon first seeing it, is why? What does this bucolic little Midwestern community have in common with a one-time royalty of Hollywood cowboy legends? Well, that's simple; a cap gun. Not just any cap gun, but the official Gene Autry Cap Pistol.
As the story is told by local historians, in the 1930s depression era, the town of Kenton had been ravaged by the ill winds of fortune. Many businesses were closed and the once thriving Kenton Hardware Company, one the largest makers of cast iron toys was also in a severe slump. Many workers were laid off, and the company was in trouble. Kenton by 1938, like many communities, was hurting. But then, in a made-for-Hollywood story arc, the company signed a contract to produce the Gene Autry cast iron cap pistol.
Gene Autry was at that time a major star of radio and motion pictures and anything endorsed by the tall and handsome "Singing Cowboy" was a hit. And so too was the cap pistol that bore his name.
As production increased, Kenton Hardware Company's fortunes began looking up. The factory started calling workers back to the production line, and opened up more shifts to meet the demand. The Gene Autry cap pistol was a winner.
By 1940, as sales increased, Gene Autry himself took notice and while touring Ohio, he traveled to Kenton to have a look for himself and got a person tour the factory on the southern edge of town. He met with workers and townspeople and his presence in Kenton was amplified even more when he appeared for a full day of shows at the Kenton Theater. He sang and crooned his way into the hearts of this Hardin County community and left a long lasting impression.
In years after, Gene Autry Days would become a regular celebration on the streets of Kenton and in more recent years a Gene Autry park was established downtown, framed by a massive mural of Autry on his horse, adjacent to an artistic rendering the now defunct Kenton Hardware Company factory where the famous cast iron revolvers with colorful faux pearl handles and fancy holsters were produced for decades.
The pistols themselves, along with other Kenton Hardware cast iron toys have become rare and valuable collectors items. The Hardin County Museum offers visitors an impressive collection of the guns, along with a room full of artifacts and other items that tell the story of the Gene Autry legend that like a Hollywood gunshot, still echoes off the walls of the this grateful city.