MEETEETSE — “Cowboy” John Fremlin lived in the saddle for most of his life before pursuing his passion of collecting and selling the most unique western history he can find.
Fremlin calls his antique shop in Meeteetse a working museum where customers can touch, buy, sell and trade everything. His items range from modern bronze statues worth tens of thousands to Sharp rifles from the 1800s and matchbox cars from the 1970s.
The building that houses the Hole-in-the-Wall Antique Store (aka Old West Antiques & Cowboy Curiosities) is itself rich in history.
It is the old Masonic building that dates to the 1890s and whose members included Buffalo Bill Cody. It was also used as the community hall and school before it was converted into the Meeteetse Museum.
In the 1990s, it was “orphaned” and bought by Fremlin.
While most items can be found scattered in a mish-mash of treasures stored in every conceivable corner, Fremlin keeps the most valuable items locked in a safe. This includes the death mask of the master criminal John Dillinger and the wooden gun Dillinger hand-carved to break out of prison in March 1934 before he was gunned down by law enforcement a few months later.
“It's all documented,” Fremlin explained as he opened the safe and gingerly removed the plaster death mask, pointing out the bullet hole in the face. “We have wanted posters and a picture of the gun and that type of thing.”
Because it is hard to put a price on history, Fremlin said instead of cash he had traded a few Old West guns for the Dillinger relics. He has had the death mask and fake gun for a few years and said it doesn’t matter if he never sells them because it is part of the memorable experience Fremlin wants to give customers.
John Fremlin is drawn to items that speak to him, whether it is a western gun, armor, or a painting. His goal is to stock his antique store in Meeteetse with unique items that are more than relics of the past but that carry a story. (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
In the Hole-in-the-Wall Antique Store in Meeteetse's old Masonic Hall, be prepared for a treasure hunt. Vintage collectibles and historic antiques are scattered around two floors with tarnished hot rods parked outside. Owner John Fremlin adds to the collection constantly and is on the hunt for items that "speak to him." (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
It is a treasure hunt when customers visit the Hole-in-the-Wall Antique Store in Meeteetse. This banjo, valued at $20,000, was 'hidden' in plain sight in a purple case. When opened, a gold-inlayed banjo dazzled the eyes. (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
In the Hole-in-the-Wall Antique Store in Meeteetse's old Masonic Hall, be prepared for a treasure hunt. Vintage collectibles and historic antiques are scattered around two floors with tarnished hot rods parked outside. Owner John Fremlin adds to the collection constantly and is on the hunt for items that "speak to him." (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily)
True History
“People are really shocked and surprised when they come in,” Fremlin said. “A lot of antique stores sell reproduction items, but everything here is real, whether it's vintage from the 1970s or 200 years old.”
Another item in the safe is an 1870 beaded horse belt Fremlin bought from a German tourist. The customer collected cowboy items and was slowly liquidating his Native American collection when he stopped at Fremlin’s store.
Fremlin explained he never knows what treasures he will find and is on the lookout for the most interesting. His goal is to always have unique items and to keep the inventory interesting.
“We've had a lot of Buffalo Bill items that were owned by him and presented to other people,” Fremlin said. “We once had a collection from Tombstone owned by Doc Holiday. Just pretty neat stuff.”
It is a treasure hunt as customers sift through items piled around the store. A banjo valued at $20 grand is propped up beneath a silver-plated saddle. Buckskin beaded dresses vie for attention with letterman jackets and vintage army helmets. Coins, toy cars and antique books line the counters and bookshelves.
There are also plenty of mysterious items. In another corner of the store is a tarnished suit of armor the former owner thought was a movie prop from the 1920s or 30s. Fremlin said he thinks more likely it was made in the 1950s in Mexico.
A current mystery of Frelim’s is an original painting of a lady in blue. The face intrigues him and he said he discovered, after much research, that the artist painted under several different names. He would love to know the subject’s backstory, but for now he is content that he at least knows who painted her.
“Some of the customers get overwhelmed when they come in here,” Fremlin said. “They say they could spend all day in here and I go, I know, I do every day.”
John Fremlin is drawn to items that speak to him, whether it is a western gun, armor, or a painting. His goal is to stock his antique store in Meeteetse with unique items that are more than relics of the past but that carry a story. (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
In the Hole-in-the-Wall Antique Store in Meeteetse's old Masonic Hall, be prepared for a treasure hunt. Vintage collectibles and historic antiques are scattered around two floors with tarnished hot rods parked outside. Owner John Fremlin adds to the collection constantly and is on the hunt for items that "speak to him." (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
In the Hole-in-the-Wall Antique Store in Meeteetse's old Masonic Hall, be prepared for a treasure hunt. Vintage collectibles and historic antiques are scattered around two floors with tarnished hot rods parked outside. Owner John Fremlin adds to the collection constantly and is on the hunt for items that "speak to him." (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
In the Hole-in-the-Wall Antique Store in Meeteetse's old Masonic Hall, be prepared for a treasure hunt. Vintage collectibles and historic antiques are scattered around two floors with tarnished hot rods parked outside. Owner John Fremlin adds to the collection constantly and is on the hunt for items that "speak to him." (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily)
The Stories
Fremlin said he likes items that speak to him and the previous owner used but took good care of. He said he can even tell who owned certain items by the way they are worn down.
“For example, natives would carry a rifle on the pommel so that the front part of the wood would be worn down so much that it’s curved while cowboys kept theirs in a scabbard,” Fremlin said. “When you look at it, it just sort of speaks to you, the history just comes right off the item.”
Fremlin said he once had a Sharp’s buffalo gun and the owner had carved images into the stock. The carvings were intricate and some of the eyes of the animals were made of tiny brass to mark the eye. Fremlin said it was covered with history.
“You could imagine that what he was carving was everything that he shot,” Fremlin said. “There was a couple of bears, a moose and even a Native chief with a bow and arrow so you don't know whether maybe he was a Native guy or maybe he had been in the Indian wars.”
The gun was still in decent condition when Fremlin acquired it and said it was obviously a tool that the owner valued.
Fremlin said he has been interested in antiques since he was about 4 years old and started trading at an early age for unique items. Fremlin also admits he can misjudge what his customers will buy. He will buy boxes of items instead of sorting through them and said that things he would normally reject invariably sell first.
Fremlin also tries to research each item before he sells it so if a story is attached he can share it. An example was of a painting he discovered was of Arizona John Burke of the Buffalo Wild West Show.
“He was the very first employee of Buffalo Bill for the show and stayed with him until the end,” Fremlin said. “We could have sold that painting without doing the research but now it can go to someone who collects Buffalo Bill stuff to add to their collection.”
Fremlin said he gets to enjoy the items while in his store and tries not to take anything home. His goal is to have a wide variety of real antiques, whether it is a vintage hot rod sitting in his yard or a beaded moccasin.
“I select items that have a 'wow' factor,” Fremlin said. “If it has a story, it probably will speak to other people and not just to me.”
Contact Jackie Dorothy at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com
ohn Fremlin keeps his most valuable items in his antique store in his safe which includes the death mask and hand-carved gun of John Dillinger, a bank robber and murderer, who escaped from prison in the 1930s before being gunned down. Fremlin is constantly on the lookout for treasures such as this for his antique store in Meeteetse. (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
(Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
ohn Fremlin keeps his most valuable items in his antique store in his safe which includes the death mask and hand-carved gun of John Dillinger, a bank robber and murderer, who escaped from prison in the 1930s before being gunned down. Fremlin is constantly on the lookout for treasures such as this for his antique store in Meeteetse. (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
ohn Fremlin keeps his most valuable items in his antique store in his safe which includes the death mask and hand-carved gun of John Dillinger, a bank robber and murderer, who escaped from prison in the 1930s before being gunned down. Fremlin is constantly on the lookout for treasures such as this for his antique store in Meeteetse. (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily) 
ohn Fremlin keeps his most valuable items in his antique store in his safe which includes the death mask and hand-carved gun of John Dillinger, a bank robber and murderer, who escaped from prison in the 1930s before being gunned down. Fremlin is constantly on the lookout for treasures such as this for his antique store in Meeteetse. (Jackie Dorothy, Cowboy State Daily)
Jackie Dorothy can be reached at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com.
