World Famous Rifle of “Black Bill” Walker Returns Home to the Smokies

The Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center is pleased to announce that it has acquired the hunting rifle and accoutrements of “Black Bill” Walker, founder of Walker Valley and subject of many Smoky Mountain legends. The rifle, given the moniker “Ol’ Death” by Walker himself, has been in a private collection since the 1930s but was donated to the Heritage Center last month.

The rifle is considered an early Southern Kentucky Rifle and is complete with a period ramrod and shooting accessories, most of which are shown in period-of-use photographs. The powder horn, cap horn, and powder measure are personalized with Walker’s initials and markings.

Randal Pierce, author of Kentucky Rifles of the Great Smoky Mountains, along with noted firearms collector, Ben Barrington, have thoroughly documented the collection of Walker items and photographed them for the Heritage Center. In addition, these gentlemen have graciously agreed to assist in displaying the Walker items at the “Tastes of the Smokies” fundraising event on Saturday, June 3, 2023 at the Heritage Center. This will be the first public display of “Ol’ Death” in nearly a century.

The Heritage Center staff plans to put the Walker Collection on permanent display as part of a new gallery that is currently being designed and has an anticipated completion date in 2025. This gallery will also feature the Sam Keller Cabin, which was reconstructed inside the new gallery space by the Barnwood Builders television show and aired as Episode 6 of Season 14.

To see “Ol’ Death” in its first public display at the Heritage Center, tickets for the “Tastes of the Smokies” event are on sale now at gsmheritagecenter.org/events-tickets/. Tickets are $125 per person and include the opportunity to sample food and drinks from over a dozen Smoky Mountain eateries, interact with living history demonstrators throughout the Center’s historic village, and enjoy an evening concert by the Drift Boat Cowboys.

For more information, simply contact the Heritage Center office at 865-448-0044.

Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center

123 Cromwell Drive, Townsend, TN 37882

Phone: 865-448-0044

Email: blambert@gsmheritagecenter.org