By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
One of Del Rio’s oldest continuously operated businesses, Humphreys’ Gun Shop, celebrated the start of its 50th year in business Thursday with an open house and a gold ribbon cutting.
Gunsmith and proprietor Gary Humphreys and his daughter, decorated shooter Holly, welcomed city officials, friends, longtime customers and members of the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce’s Red Carpet Ambassadors to the event, held in the pocket park outside the gun shop, 124 E. Garfield Ave.
“It doesn’t seem like 50 years,” Humphreys said as he welcomed guests to the event, which included breakfast tacos from Benny’s Café, coffee and a Texas flag cake topped with a six-shooter, also made of cake, from chef Andrea Gomez at the Sleeping Lady Bakery.
“When it really hit me, was when we went back and we were looking for our 10,000th gun sale, and I got to looking at some of the names (of customers) and realized all my old clients are gone,” Humphreys added.
He said he values most especially the friends he has made over the decades.
A number of those friends and longtime customers joined Humphreys as he cut a gold ribbon provided by the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce’s Red Carpet Ambassadors, signifying 50 years of continuous operations.
Del Rio Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Blanca Larson and Jimmy Murdoch, special projects coordinator for the chamber, also presented Humphreys with his membership plaque in the chamber.
“This is an important milestone because not only has Gary invested in our community, he’s lasted 50 years, and not only that, they’re continuing to invest, they want to stay open and right now, that’s really important,” Larson said.
Diego Rubio, the city’s new Main Street Manager, and Del Rio City Councilwoman Alexandra Falcon Calderon, who represents the downtown area, presented Humphreys with a proclamation by Mayor Bruno “Ralphy” Lozano, designating May 3 as “50th Anniversary of Humphreys’ Gun Shop Day.”
According to a history of the business created by Holly and posted on the gun shop’s Facebook page, Humphreys began gunsmithing part-time in May 1973 while working for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, operating out of his home.
The history notes Humphreys sold his first gun, a Remington 700BDL 25.06 rifle, to a friend later that same year, and two years later, in 1975, he opened his first storefront inside a downtown auto parts store.
In 1977, Humphreys was the first business to occupy a space in the newly-built La Villita Shopping Center on the city’s north side.
In May 1981, Humphreys purchased the building his business currently occupies from the Kennedy sisters, whose father had bought the building 100 years earlier in 1881. Prior to Humphreys buying the building, it had housed Castro’s Upholstery.
The shop’s and Humphreys’ history are full of fascinating tidbits, many of them dealing with movies filmed in the area, and milestones for the business, including its expansion into Internet sales and the development of its social media presence.
Among Humphreys’ proudest – and ongoing – contributions to the community is his coaching of the award-winning Val Verde County 4-H Rifle Team.
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Contact the author at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
