Clever Joe, you are right, Boone is a female and Ed's eldest daughter Kathleen. I don't usually use my given name on message boards and the "Boone" comes from a story where I got myself lost in the woods, on a blacker than hell night, with a broken flashlight in the middle of a nettle patch (second only to the story when I decided to go canoeing in the middle of a winter's snow). 
   I have played with the idea of writing a book but get lost in the dilemma of whether to approach the story of his gunsmithing from a technical point (influences/techniques) and humanizing it with antidotes. I have started trying to write and talk to people and compile information. The gunshow was held for dad, put on by a friend/apprentice, in part to give me an opportunity to track and photograph some of the rifles he made. There were several out of state people that attended and I really wish dad could have seen it.

Boone, please check your PM's (personal messages). 

     Joe.

Ed would have had to see the comments on paper printed out.
Him on a computer would have been something to see.  He seemed to hate computers and technology with a passion.

Boone,

I believe that a book or perhaps biography of a person is best written by those who knew him  i.e. His family, close friends and fellow artisans, and written soon after the subject has departed this life. That way memories of him are still fresh in their minds. Far to many biographies are written many years later after the freshness of cherished memories have faded and when many that knew him have also passed to whatever lies beyond.

At least consider writing to everyone you know who knew him asking how they came to meet him, there must be a plethora of facts, anecdotes, and tales about him out there, its a case of assembling all of the information in some sort of order. I know some biographies can be as dry to read as blackboard chalk is to chew, but the telling of actual stories of happenings can enliven such a tome, and bring a persons life and work into a reality that will last for centuries. He would never be forgotten as long as a single copy of the biography exists. Future generations of your family yet unborn will be able to learn about him, his work and humour. Illustrated by perhaps some pictures of him, his workshop and what he produced.

You have an opportunity here, which is seldom grasped until it is far too late, and putting it off simply reduces the opportunity of obtaining fresh information about your father. He will be remembered by those that knew him but eventually no one will remember him except by family tales and like all messages passed by mouth they drift away from the original truths the further into the future people live. But a document can last centuries.

I can remember members of my own family that were born in the last half of the 1800's but when I'm gone all memory of those people will be gone.

Please do try to gather what information and pictures you can. Even if you don't publish, it will still be a legacy for your family to pass on to future generations.

Very respectfully,

Harry

All,

How about an article in the journal as a first step?  There is nearly enough info in this wonderful thread to produce a nice piece.   

Dave