I have one of my favorite kerosene lamps hanging in one of our bedrooms. I have been told it came out of an old saloon in Arizona in the late 1800s, where it was lowered by a chain when it was lit or serviced.
The lamp has a very delicate glass shade and chimney. It's hard to believe it has lasted 128 years, without being broken.
Last year, I took it to a store that specializes in old lamps. They had a book that had my lamp illustrated in it. The book said the lamp was manufactured between 1860 and 1870, and its value was listed at about $80.
The store owner said he would give me $80 a piece for all of them I could find, but I boxed it up and brought it back home.
After it hung in the bedroom for several years, I converted it to electricity. However, I kept it in original condition, so as not to ruin the value of it.
Robert is a car inspector at the Crest Yard in Fort Worth. He and his wife Gloria operate "The Colony", a bed and breakfast located in the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards.
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