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Get comfortable as you
sit back and gaze at the amazing collection put together by Bill
Foster in the 1930’s and 40’s as a trophy haven where the public
could view the exotic animals of the world. Growing up in Hayward,
he worked as an apprentice for a man who was one of the first
African hunters to bring movies of wildlife to the U.S. in 1918.
In the 1920’s, Bill developed a passion for wildlife of a different
sort that included bootlegging. On the run from the law, he moved
his wild enterprise up the river to Rio Vista where he continued to
do things his own way. Starting in 1928, he made eight trips to
Africa and ten trips to Canada and Alaska. Old photos on the wall
tell the story of a lifetime of commitment to the preservation of a
world no longer available to us. Bill was devoted to photography and
taxidermy, which was highly prized in his time. The pictures with
labels typed by Bill, tell a story of the people he met, the
geography he traveled, and the exotic animals he brought back.
Foster’s Bighorn now has one of the world’s most remarkable
collections of wild game trophies with over 300 wind animals, birds
and fish. The African elephant mounted in 1952, is one of the few in
existence. The trunk measures 13 ft. and the 5 ft. long tusks weigh
110 lbs. each. The mounted giraffe head is extremely rare, and the
moose over the bar with an antler spread of 76 inches was the
largest known specimen in the world at that time. Bill Foster
retired from big game hunting in 1953 and went to work in his bar,
surrounded by his trophies. He passed on in 1963, leaving his
collection as a monument to his lifelong passion for wild game.
Foster’s is now owned by Howard Lamothe, a 4th generation Rio Vista
man who is committed to the preservation of this incredible
collection. As in Bill Foster’s day, the beer is cold and the menu
offers classic American favorites.
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