| About Us...
After being involved in Historical Interpretation for several years (since 1984), I decided to start reserching & making uniforms, clothing, & accoutrements for myself. Gradually folks asked me to make items for them as time whent by. Eventually I decided to make a go of it as a business.
Trans-Mississippi Depot Company was started in 1994 by me at first to make accurate reproductions for myself and my fellow American Civil War enthusiasts’, Interpreters and Collectors as a way of funding my hobby. At that time we only produced a very few items.
After 2 years, a lot of research and long hours of study, surveys of original items, collecting and hands on work. It blossomed in 1996 to become a full time enterprise for my wife Renee and me.
We have expanded our offerings steadily in an effort to produce more varied and accurate items for reenactors, living historians, museums and collectors. At present Trans-Mississippi Depot Company produces well over 200 different items in the studio. These include:
Clothing & Uniforms
Caps of all types
Accoutrements & leather work
Knapsacks & Haversacks
….as well as a very large amount of custom work.
T. M.D. Co. has taken us all over the west from our original home town of Santa Barbara, California, to Tyler Texas, in an effort to be closer to our customers.
When Sept 11th 2002 came with the attack on the twin towers in NY , We had to scale back Trans-Mississippi Depot Co. to a part time status.
In Jan 2003 we moved to Shreveport Louisiana, after I was hired on by the Office of Louisiana State Parks at Mansfield Battlefield State Historic site.
The knowledge I have gained over the years was considered by State of Louisiana to equal a Bachelorette degree in history, & allowed me to become an Interpretive Ranger with the state.
Working in the museum & on the grounds of Mansfield State Historic Site, where I researched, conducted tours of the museum, developed living history interpretive programs, & worked with reenactors and the public to bring a greater understanding of the Civil War as it was in the area of North West Louisiana. It was a wonderful opportunity to make new friends and colleagues.
In 2005 Renee and I moved back west to Cottonwood Arizona where we currently live, where I was hired on with the Arizona State Parks as the Assistant Manager of Ft Verde State Historic Site. That year I decided to go leave the work of being a Park Ranger & go back into full time business again with Trans-Mississippi Depot Company.
We are proud to be able to have our items apart of several museums around the country & in private collections.
Our items can be found in the collections of:
Mansfield State Historic Site.
Mansfield, Louisiana
Fort Polk Military Museum.
Ft Polk , Louisiana
The Atlanta History Center.
Atlanta, Georgia
Sharlot Hall History Museum.
Prescott, Arizona
Fort Craig National Park.
Ft. Craig, New Mexico
Fort Bowie, National Park.
Bowie, Arizona
I love my work and the many friends and acquaintances Renee and I have made over years travels. We hope you will enjoy the items I make for you & that your institution will benifit feom the learnig experiences these items can provide your visitors.
. |
