The 1876 was designed as an update to the model 1873 to handle larger and more power cartridges. Kings improvement was an addition of a loading gate on the right side of the receiver. This allowed for more rapid and simple reloading. Previous models of lever action Winchester rifles had to be loaded from a tube magazine near the muzzle end of the rifle. This particular rifle was manufactured in 1882 per the serial number. This example is chambered in the 45-60 cartridge. The 1876 like the 1873 features a sliding dust cover to prevent dirt and debris from entering the action when not in use.

"When Myra C. Robinson was born in 1861, in Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan, United States, her father, Capt. James D. Robinson, was 37 and her mother, Almera C Church, was 37. She married Wilber Andrew Studley on 17 August 1897, in Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan, United States. They were the parents of at least 2 sons and 1 daughter. She lived in Napa, Napa, California, United States in 1880. She died on 20 January 1950, in Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan, United States, at the age of 89." Sourced from Familysearch.com

 Oliver Fisher Winchester was an innovative and driven man who saw the future of firearms and built an industrial empire around the lever-action rifle. Born in Boston in 1810, Winchester’s initial foray into business was as a maker of men’s shirts. Seeing the economic potential of the fast-growing firearms industry, Winchester began to assemble investors and secure venture capital, and in 1857 bought a controlling interest in the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company from two inventive gentlemen named Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson. 

Winchester continued to refine firearm designs with inventors Benjamin Tyler Henry and Nelson King, and on May 22, 1866, the Winchester Repeating Arms Company was born.

For the next 14 years, Winchester aggressively sought new markets, created new products and explored new opportunities for his lever-action rifles. With the opening of the American West to settlement, Winchester prospered, eventually becoming the iconic company it is today. Over time the history of Winchester evolved into two parallel histories: the history of Winchester firearms and the equally complex history of Winchester Ammunition.