A century-old piece of history from the country's expansion has been found in an unlikey place, propped up against a tree. No one knows exactly how long it has been sitting there and who left it there.
The "gun that won the West" was found out of sight in a rocky area of the Great Basin National Park.
The 132-year-old piece of history was discovered by a survey crew. Workers believe the rifle has been standing there the entire time. "The cracked wood stock, weathered to grey, and the brown rusted barrel blended into the colors of the old juniper tree in a remote rocky outcrop, keeping the rifle hidden for many years," the park wrote on their Facebook page.
KSL reports the serial number was still visible allowing historians to find it was made in New Haven, Conn, and shipped in 1882. Records don't show who bought the Winchester.
Park worker Nichole Andler told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, "I don't know how probable it is" they will find more.
The gun wasn’t loaded, and the Nevada park won’t say exactly where it was found.
Experts plan to clean and preserve the firearm before it's displayed.
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