The Fort Defiance Trading Post, Az. Vintage Turquoise Jewelry Collection
An Indian Traders Dream Story
Fort Defiance Trading Post, Arizona
In the fall of 1982, I was sitting in front of
the fireplace at my Trading Post called "Canyon Collectors"
in Durango Colorado with an old cowboy friend. An old car pulled into
my parking lot and as I looked at it I thought I saw Navajo Rugs stacked
to the sealing in the back seat. I said to my friend "Jed",
watch me buy an old Indian Turquoise Jewelry collection and we both laughed.
I had been trading in antique guns, early frontier
items and vintage Turquoise Jewelry since
I was a Kid - 1960's and
I had owned the Trading Post since 1976 dealing in the same.
This old man, about 90 years old, walks in my door
and Jed and I said "Hello", he grunted something. He casually
walked around the Trading Post and then walked up and said, "Who
owns this joint?" I said, "I the owner, can I help you?"
he said "I got a bunch of old Navajo Rugs, are you buying?"
I said, "lets go out and look". We went out to his car and
here's the story;
I had just met one of the most famous Indian Traders
of the American Southwest! Francis Griswold was his name; he had been
an Indian Trader since about 1900. He had just got out of prison and
came up towards Durango to try to raise some cash. He stopped at every
Trading Post from Gallup to Durango and nobody would even give him
the time of Day.
Well, I opened the door of his old car to find
Navajo Rugs from the 1880's to about 1955. I was totally blown away.
Then I looked at the old pawn tags to find they had prices on them
from the 1950's. For example, a 1930's 6' x 8' rug priced at $85.00.
I said "what's the deal here?" He said, "I want 60%
of the price they are marked! Whoa! I brought all of the Navajo's
in and I bought them all.
I then asked him if he had any old Turquoise Jewelry or other
old Indian items, and he said he had a ton of stuff in Gallup. He
didn't want me to come down as I think he wanted to see if my check
would be good. He said he would bring some Jewelry up next week and
I said OK.
Click to Blow Up In about a week Francis showed up. He had a box of
old Jewelry, it was awesome as it was all from the 1920's - 1950's.
He had brought about 300 rings, 100 bracelets, 100 pins, 3 Concho
belts, 50 sets of Jaclas (JaClaws), 500 silver buttons and a bunch
of old parts and pieces. Along with that he brought about 25 great
old Navajo Saddle Blankets. A lot of the items still had the old pawn
tags on them and the cost was stupidly cheap - I bought it all!
I asked Francis if he had many Conc ho belts and
he said a couple of nurses from Santa Fe had came down to Gallup and
bought most of them from him. I knew then I better get down there
or someone else would get his stuff. I told him I wanted to come down
and he finally said OK after much talking.
I had my old friend Punk Blackstone, (an old Railroad
Conductor), and I went down to Gallup and went to Francis's house.
It was an older house, the lawn looked like it had been dead forever.
Anyway, the house was full of old Trading Post items such as Navajo
wedding baskets, tanned hides, old pottery, Navajo velvet blouses
full of silver buttons, paintings, Indian beadwork and other. It was
truly an Indian Traders dream. The bedrooms had old Navajo rugs stacked
on the beds, in the closets, in cedar chests and everywhere.
Francis started pulling out one Trader case after
another of trays and trays full of old Indian Jewelry and old Pawn
Jewelry and loads of Turquoise Chunk Necklaces. I was totally in heaven
and Punk was totally floored with what he was seeing. I ended up buying
about 5000 rings, 1500 bracelets, 50 Concho belts, 2500 pins, 500
squash blossom necklaces, 500 multi-stranded Turquoise chunk necklaces,
300 pairs of earrings, 1000 sets of Jaclas, bolos, buttons, silver beads,
buckles, whisker pullers (silver tweezers) and bushel baskets of old
silver single Conchos, squashes and parts.
I went ahead and picked out another 200 rugs, or
so. Punk and I were in a total dream!
We took Francis out to diner and took off for Durango,
Punk said, "You have just become one wealthy Trader, John",
I was just in dream - Really! I had just purchased the largest old
Indian Jewelry collection, most certainly, that had surfaced in the
last 25 years.
Now, get this;
About a month later, I was telling another Trader
in Gallup about my find and he asked me if I knew the Francis Griswold
Story, I said no. So he told me.
In the mid 1950's, Francis was running the Trading
Post when he discovered his wife had been cheating on him with another
man (Navajo). Evidently, she came in the door of the Trading Post
and Francis shot and killed her. There were customers/witnesses in
the Trading Post at the time and he was convicted of murdering his
wife. Francis must have had time to pack up his belongings prior to
going to prison. I met him right after he got out of prison on a medical
release.
I continued going to Gallup nearly every week and
took Francis out to lunch or dinner. He was a very kind gentleman
and I really enjoyed my friendship with him. Francis owned several
Trading Posts in his life, Wide Ruins, Toawac, Fort Defiance and he
either owned the Chilchimbito or was a partner in it.
I learned so much from Francis, he was very instrumental
in the development of trade to the Navajos. He worked very hard in
his life to help the Navajo people in many ways. He was a good Trader
to the Navajo people and those who knew him, loved him.
I feel, the Vintage Turquoise Jewelry and other
items that I have left from the Fort Defiance Trading Post collection
are some of the most historic collectibles I own. I do sell Fort Defiance
items and I give a letter of authenticity with them.
Also, See Chilchimbito Pawn Jewelry Story
Also, See Vintage-Turquoise-Jewelry.com
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