A couple of outlaws can be found among the branches of Larry Shepard's family tree.
Two distant relatives, George and Oliver, rode with the infamous Jesse James gang. Both were part of the Russellville, Ky., bank robbery, where as much as $15,000 was reported stolen.
"One-Eyed George" served a prison term in Kentucky for the 1868 robbery. Oliver, according to Internet accounts, was killed by a posse at his father's home.
In the 1950s, Larry rode with a much-less-noted gang — the neighborhood kids who lived on 21st Street in Fremont. Together, the children pretended they were cowboys like the rugged men they saw on TV westerns such as "Rawhide" and "Wagon Train." Their heroes were the larger-than-life characters of Bat Masterson, The Cisco Kid and Johnny Ringo.
"I played the part with all my friends, with toy guns and plastic horses," said Shepard, who later got to ride real horses — well, actually ponies — after his family moved to an acreage at Winslow.
His first love was a Shetland pony named, Sparky. Then came Ginger, a Welsh pony. Eventually, however, Shepard hung up his cowboy dreams along with his pony's saddle.
"We all get busy in our lives," said Shepard, who is president of Don Peterson and Associates in Fremont.
Not long ago, however, Shepard inherited a saddle owned by his maternal grandfather, Amos Sohl, and started looking for a saddle from the Fremont Saddlery Company.
"I wanted to find one of those and when I found one — it just kind of went from there," he said. "It kind of got in my blood."
More than 30 saddles later, Shepard and his wife, Linda, have loaned their cowboy collection to Fremont's May Museum for a display designed to depict the "Real West."
"Nobody's really shown much of that around here. Usually it's much farther west that they show these things," Shepard said.
The Shepards have changed that.
"We just thought it (the Old West) is really a true part of our history of Dodge County and Fremont's history and we thought it would be good to show that piece of history to the area," he said.
Saddles that date back to the 1880s are part of the exhibit. One was made by the Fremont Saddlery Company, formerly located at Factory and Fuhrman streets. John Thielen started the firm in 1892 and by 1899 more than 40 men worked for the company, which had outlets in seven states.
Other displays include women's sidesaddles, children's and even babies saddles. The museum's library has been transformed into a harness shop with leather-working tools, saddlebags and a collection of spittoons. Upstairs, the billiard room resembles a saloon with a wooden table complete with beer holders. Atop the table, cards, poker chips and shot glasses seem to invite a couple would-be cowboys to sit down and play a hand.
There's only one rule: Guns must be left on top of the table in full view of card players.
A few guns are part of the displays, too, and many other items include bridles, chaps, spurs, holsters, branding irons and furniture made from animal horns.
The Shepards also have a special display for those who cherish childhood memories of watching their favorite cowboys on television or in movies.
An upstairs sunroom includes Roy Rogers-brand pajamas and a western shirt. Story and coloring books also feature the good-guy cowboy's adventures. Fur chaps, a toy gun and holster, games, boots and straw cowboy hats add to the exhibit.
Museum patrons are pleased with the new display.
"It's a world-class exhibit," said Marianne Simmons, former Dodge County Historical Society president. "It's really great."
Curator Patty Manhart agreed, adding that the exhibit provides an educational opportunity for area residents.
"It shows an earlier time of settlers and discovery and the living conditions," she said.
The exhibit also shows the artistry that went into making each saddle.
"A saddle was a prized possession because they were expensive and they took a long time to make," Manhart said. "The people who made these saddles took great pride in their work. They (the saddles) are all different. They're very, very beautiful."
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