KENNESAW, Ga. — The owner of a controversial Civil War-era and Confederate memorabilia shop in Cobb County has died.
Dent "Wildman" Myers, the owner of Wildman's Civil War Surplus in Kennesaw, died "peacefully" in his home early Sunday morning.
The Civil War shop's Facebook page issued the announcement of Dent's passing Monday morning. He was 90 years old, according to the Marietta Daily Journal.
Wildman's has drawn controversy over the years.
The store is self-described as the "Best Little War House in Kennesaw," as it states on its website. While the social media post hailed Dent as a "well-respected" historian and artist who "inspired many," the Southern Poverty Law Center criticized Dent — who has been embraced by the community — and his shop as being racist.
Dent opened for business back in 1971, plastering confederate flags all over Wildman's two-story storefront ever since. The memorabilia shop drew crowds and protests during the summer of 2020 amidst a nation-wide outcry for Black lives following the death of George Floyd.
Funeral arrangements are still in the works. The social media post indicates loved ones will announce a date for a public celebration of life at a later time.
