ALMA, Wis. — When Gary Schlosstein got his hands on his first civil war musket, he was only eight.
"The fellow that sold me the gun also included a flask with the original black powder, actually," he recalled.
That purchase made about a half an hour car ride from Alma to Winona, Minnesota was the start of what would eventually turn into Schlosstein's world-class collection of medieval arms and armor.
Schlosstein's rare collection is his gift to the Castlerock Museum.
"This is an amazing collection of ancient medieval artifacts, and in a couple of years, American history stuff as well," said Bill Wilcott, the museum's executive director.
"This is a world class collection of medieval arms and armor," he said.
After visiting some of the great museums in the world, Schlosstein noticed none of the exhibits told a story. So, his disappointment in the arms and armor exhibits inspired him to create his own, at home in Wisconsin.