Photo by Joselyn King Pittsburgh-based engineer and businessman Curtis Kossman, second from left, presents a gun made by the Hollenbeck Gun Co. of Wheeling in the 1880s to Debbie Jones, site director for West Virginia Independence Hall. Kossman donated the gun to West Virginia Independence Hall on Thursday. Pictured from left are Kossman’s wife, Justine Kossman; Kossman; Jones; and Wheeling Mayor Denny Magruder.

WHEELING — A rare antique shotgun made in Wheeling during the 1880s has returned to the city and will soon be on display at West Virginia Independence Hall.

But its journey involves a boat making “The Great Loop” up the east coast, and a dyslexic youth who learned to read and then graduated from both The Linsly School and Carnegie Mellon University.

Now a successful engineer, Curtis Kossman, Linsly class of 1987, has started two schools in Pittsburgh geared toward helping dyslexic students.

He runs both the Kossman Development Company and Provident Charter Schools from his boat called “True Grit.”

Kossman donated the gun made by the Hollenbeck Gun Co. of Wheeling in the 1880s to West Virginia Independence Hall on Thursday.

Kossman is a Pittsburgh native who also has a home in Boca Raton, Florida. He explained he and wife Justine are currently living on and working from the boat, which was docked at Heritage Port on Thursday.

“We’re doing what is called “The Great Loop,” he said. “We’re doing a circumnavigation of the eastern seaboard by way of open ocean, coastal waterways, rivers, lakes, locks and canals.

“We’re 67% of the way through.”

Kossman said he started the Great Loop boat ride in March, and expects to return to Boca Raton next spring — the trip taking one year, two months.

He explained they just spent a couple of weeks in Pittsburgh with family “getting things done.” While there, he picked up the historical gun he wanted to bring back to Wheeling.

Kossman described himself as a “gun enthusiast,” then he began collecting and restoring rare shotguns as a hobby.

In his travels, he happened upon a gun made by the Hollenbeck Gun Co. of Wheeling, which was a company known for its three-barrel guns made of Damascus Steel.

Kossman purchased the gun at an auction, and acknowledged he has chosen never to fire it. It is marked No. 77 of its make.

“I knew how rare of a gun it was, and wanted to be in my possession as part of my collection,” he said. “I’ve collected about every advancement and technology of guns in the United States from early on.

“This one was attractive to me because of my experience in Wheeling and going to Linsly. It really inspired me to want to collect it, and I’m honored to bring it back to Wheeling.”

Kossman noted the beautiful detail and engraving found on the antique weapon, as well as its quality.

He believes the gun “deserves to have a historian look at it, authenticate it, and provide a presentation of it.” West Virginia Independence Hall staff has been tasked with doing this.

As he spent more and more time away from home and on his boat, Kossman realized he had a valuable piece of Wheeling history that should be enjoyed by others — preferably in Wheeling.

He contacted another Linsly graduate — Scott Cunningham, CEO of Security National Trust Co. in Wheeling — to see if any place locally would be a good fit for the gun. He wanted it to be showcased and displayed in a history museum in Wheeling.

A few weeks later, Cunningham called him back to say those at West Virginia Independence Hall were interested.

“While I was on the loop, we were able to connect with (Debbie Jones, site coordinator at West Virginia Independence Hall),” Kossman said. “We came to Pittsburgh, and on our return I was able to pick up the shotgun to present.

“I feel like it’s my career privilege to bring a piece of Wheeling history back to Wheeling. It’s a great piece of history, and I can’t think of a better place to display it.”

Cunningham explained he and Kossman share a passion for helping youths with dyslexia, and he has assisted Kossman with establishing the Provident Charter Schools in Pittsburgh for those students dealing with reading difficulties.

“Everything he has that is motivational and enriching he wants to share, and that was probably the motivation for wanting to bring this historic piece back to Wheeling,” Cunningham said.

The Kossmans’ adventures can be followed on TrueGritAdventure.com. Through the website, the Kossmans seek to promote awareness about dyslexia and its many strengths.

Their goal is to raise $50,000 for Provident Charter Schools and the Provident Education Foundation. All donations and proceeds go directly to the Provident Education Foundation.

There are 410 students enrolled in the school, with the first graduating class happening this year.

“I can’t wait to see what these kiddos become,” Kossman said. “A number of them have gotten scholarships, and are going into the fields of computer science, engineering and art.

“It’s exciting to take a child who doesn’t believe they can learn because they have difficulty reading or writing. With their own hard work, it shows them they can succeed and they can read.”

Once they find their passions the students are especially driven, he noted.

“That gift of literacy allowed me to become an engineer and build things for a living,” Kossman continued. “I view dyslexia as a strength now. We are creative thinkers, we think differently, and we come up with different solutions. It is how you are remediated in life that gives you the abilities to succeed.

“I view dyslexia as a competitive advantage for me. I’m not afraid to look at things differently. I’m not afraid to try, and I’m not afraid to fail,” he said.