This rifle started life as a carbine in 1895 and was converted into a rifle by Winchester in 1897 and used as a factory display piece. It was displayed at both the New York Exhibition of Industry and Science in 1898 and at the Pan-American International Exposition in Buffalo in 1901 and would have been seen by millions of visitors. In 1902, it was presented by Winchester to one of the true Western folk heroes: John Crawford, better known as Captain Jack or “The Poet Scout.” Crawford had the rifle fitted with a second presentation plaque by the factory in 1903 and gave it as a Christmas present to his close friend James Barton Adams. Crawford’s life was truly full of adventure, violence, daring feats, and intrigue, and he was among the most famous frontier scouts and western performers of the late 1800s and early 1900s. He was born John Wallace Crawford in Ireland to Scottish parents in 1847. His family, like many Scots-Irish, emigrated to the U.S. in search of better opportunities. Crawford served in the 48th Pennsylvania Infantry during the Civil War and was wounded at both Spotsylvania and Petersburg. He headed to the West during the Black Hills Gold Rush and joined the Black Hills Rangers protecting the local populace from Indian attacks as their chief scout. He also worked as a journalist in the Gold Camps and then as a war correspondent during the Bighorn and Yellowstone Expeditions as a scout under Brigadier General George Crook. Crawford became friends with William “Buffalo Bill” Cody while serving under Crook and replaced him as head scout when Cody returned to the East. As a scout, he undertook many dangerous journeys to deliver dispatches and also took place in multiple battles. He rose to national fame after riding 350 miles in just six days in order to deliver news of Crook’s triumph over Chief American Horse at the Battle of Slim Buttes in September 1876 during the Great Sioux War. News of the victory was much needed after Custer’s infamous defeat earlier that June. He then joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show in the East until he was shot in the groin during a reenactment of a running horse battle. He later claimed Cody accidentally shot him because he was drunk. He moved his family to New Mexico in 1879 and resumed work as a scout during the Apache War and Victorio’s War and participated in raids against the Apache and into Mexican territory. Crawford also served a trader at Fort Craig and went into the ranching and mining business. His ranch on in New Mexico was established in 1886. Adams grew up in Iowa and Ohio, fought in the Civil War for the Union and was also a former scout and one of the few western poets. He lived and worked at Crawford’s ranch in New Mexico from 1890 to 1892 before moving to Colorado where he continued to write poetry, worked in publishing, and remained in close correspondence with Crawford. Crawford resumed his position as a cultural icon in the 1890s and early 20th century by speaking and performing throughout the U.S. and was known to have continued his crusade against the use of alcohol. He had previously been appointed a special investigator and had looked into the illegal trafficking of alcohol in Indian Country. Like other performers, he wore flashy outfits and acted the part, but his charming nature and poetry contrasted with the popular image of unrefined western men and with “The Poet Scout’s” own tales of battles and adventure. He reportedly regularly appeared armed with a Winchester rifle and a Colt on his hip while he spoke for hours about life in the West and his adventures. His speeches and writings are known to have more closely related the very real dangers of frontier life than many other western icons but also reflected long standing popular beliefs in American exceptionalism, rugged individualism, and the pre-ordained victory of “civilization” over “savagery.” He wrote over one hundred stories, seven books of published poetry and untold unpublished poems, and four plays (in which he played the star roles). It was his friend Adams who wrote the foreword to Crawford's book “Whar' the Hand O' God is Seen” when it was published in 1913 and who helped edit and publish much of Crawford’s other works. Some poems by both men were widely performed as songs. Crawford died in New York in 1917, and Adams was laid to rest the following year in Colorado. The rifle is accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter confirming the rifle’s configuration and complex history, including the many dates of shipment and return due to exhibition use and that it was “charged to factory presentation account” in 1902 and “returned and repaired” (representing the addition of the second plaque) on December 7, 1903. A detailed description by Winchester expert R.L. Wilson discussing the rifle’s history and confirming its originality is also included. The 1902 presentation is commemorated by a silver oval plaque inlaid in the left side of the stock that reads “Presented to Capt. Jack Crawfod/by W.R.A. Co./1902”. A silver inlay shaped like a heart is engraved with “Xmas 1903/To Jim from Jack/Go sweetheart mine/Look bright and shine/for naturs bard,/And take a sip/From bitter cup/Of my old/‘PARD’”. This rifle and a .22 rimfire Model 1873 also presented to “Capt. Jack” are the only two Winchester’s known with factory inscribed poetry. The rifle features factory scroll and panel scene engraving that includes a buck on the left side plate. The engraving patterns were likely executed by John Ulrich according to R. L. Wilson. The finely figured, XX fancy grade walnut stock and forearm have style H checkering and a high polish “piano” finish that contrasts beautifully with the gold and nickel plated finish on the metal. Aside from the exhibition engraving and finish, the plaques, and the deluxe wood, the rifle has the standard Model 1873 markings and features. The Wilson letter states that this rifle "represents one of the most impressive combinations of rare and desirable engraved features, finishes and historical details known on any gun of this model - or of any model Winchester ever made."