Where Am I To Go

A Kansas City tradition since 1899, the American Royal is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization whose mission is to be the nation’s leader for food and agriculture education, events, and engagement. The American Royal provides opportunities for nearly half a million youth and adults from around the world to engage in high-quality events and experiences, including nationally competitive livestock shows, the world’s largest barbecue competition, regional and national equine shows, youth and professional rodeos, and elementary and secondary education outreach. Support from partners, members, and volunteers help the American Royal achieve its vision of a world where food and agriculture are celebrated, and all generations are committed to its future.

April 3, 1860: The first rider was to leave St. Joseph at 5:00 pm. However, the mail had been slowed up in Chicago for transfer to Hannibal, Missouri. A train was stripped down with no passenger cars at Hannibal. Once the mail arrived there, the train rolled across the state at a record speed to St. Joseph. It finally arrived around 7:00 pm and the mail was rushed to the stables where the first rider, Johnny Fry awaited. The mail was placed into the specially made mochilla saddle and at 7:15 pm a cannon was fired alerting everyone Fry was on his way to the river. Cheering crowds waived at Fry as he made his way through streets of St. Joseph. Once at the river, Fry boarded a ferry which took him and his horse Sylph across the river to Kansas where he rode at breakneck speeds for 90 miles before another rider took over. In Sacramento, at noon, the first rider, Harry Roff, took off with the eastbound mail.

In the late 1870's, non-Indian settlers of Forks Prairie came by way of rivers and trails from the Pacific and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, as the overland route from the east was nearly impenetrable forest.  Trails were the main means of travel for early settlers along the coast and in the interior Olympic Peninsula.  The life of a settler was tedious.  "Proving up" on their homestead claims was a primary goal since improvements were required within a specified number of years.  Hunting and fishing were often pursued in fall and winter months to supplement the homesteaders' gardens and livestock.  Hay, oats, grain, fruit and vegetables grew well on the prairie.  The first dairy cows were brought in by schooner in 1870 via Neah Bay by Luther Ford.
Though it was a center of commerce, growth came slowly to Forks.  A post office was established in 1884.  A newspaper was started in 1890, and the town was laid out in 1912 on a homestead - remaining barely a block of buildings into the 1920s.  Electricity came in 1923, and the first bank in 1930.  And, the town did not incorporate until August 7, 1945.
Before 1900, timber in the West End was mostly cleared by settlers and small-time loggers using ox teams.  Companies logged at Clallam Bay and Port Crescent on the strait in the 1870s.  Timber baron Michael Earles, later developer of the first Soleduck hot springs resort, set up booming logging camps at the turn of the century at Crescent Bay and went along the strait - and many settlers from Forks worked in these camps.  Merrill & Ring would begin to log in the Pysht River drainage northwest of Forks in 1916.  World War 1 and its urgent demand for airplane spruce brought the West End into focus for its stands of Sitka spruce among the largest in the Hoko River drainage north of Forks.  In 1918 the U.S. Army built 36 miles of railroad track from Port Angeles west to Lake Pleasant.  This staged large-scale logging in the West End.  
Disasters proved an unlikely road to Forks' boom years in the 1970s, when the town earned its reputation as "Logging Capital 
of the World" - through the '21 Blow, the Great Forks Fire in 1951 and the Columbus Day Storm of 1962.  In the 1970's you could "make a couple of calls and have a good job" in the woods.  The town's population doubled to over 3,000 that decade from a remote collection of farming homesteads into a booming timber town.
Our museum offers a look into the rich history of homesteading, farming and logging in the Pacific Northwest, presented in a log cabin structure built by talented local volunteers and the High School Carpentry Class of 1989.  Come share this rich history with us and help to preserve the memory of those who have gone before us.

The International Mermaid Museum is dedicated to teaching ocean ecology from seashore to sea floor immersed in mermaid mythology unifying oceanic cultures.

Three quarters of the world is covered with water. Yet the undersea experience is largely unavailable for most to explore. This exhibition offers unique insights into life between the seashore and the sea floor.

Ocean ecology wrapped in the mythology of mermaids creates a vivid and inviting learning opportunity for all ages and abilities.

Return and expanded visit.

In 2012 I decided to open a museum called the Whale, Sealife and Shark Museum. I have been a collector of marine specimens ever since I was four years old. I want to share my love of the ocean with as many people as I can so I figured that this would be a perfect way and place to share them. On the outside of the museum, I drew whale cut outs, then my Dad cut them out and my youngest daughter, Ariel, painted them. Each of the ten whales on the outside of the building are summer residents that return year after year. They are painted to show their most distinctive characteristics. The inside mural done by Justin Sparks shows artwork of actual pictures I took along with an adoption wall. Around the first corner you will see a shark exhibit with actual taxidermied sharks that a professor had in his collection from the 1950’s. Each shark, jaw or picture gives you valuable information on that individual. Next you encounter the tropical exhibit with a number of organisms, insects, frogs and more embedded in the exhibit for an “I SPY” adventure. Anyone living in Oregon during winter can come and sit down in a lawn chair in front of this exhibit and pretend you are in the tropics! The next exhibit shows the 4 zones of the rocky intertidal with its characteristic organisms. I made posters that correspond to the actual specimens that you can see. Next you encounter 6 cubbies with the various phyla of animal groups in them. In each cubby I made an informative poster and labels. Every cubby shows fossil forms and modern day forms and you can visibly see there has been NO Change over time. Upstairs you have a theater to watch educational films I made. The next room is the pinniped room which includes life size artwork of seals, sea lions, walruses, river otters and sea otters. It also has an exhibit of manatees even though we do not have them here. I am working in the winter with a company in Florida where you can swim with manatees. Next you walk into the bird room with taxidermied local birds, bird sculptures and lots of information. The last room is the whale room which shows life-size whale tail flukes and a diorama of the gray whales with information and specimens from Alaska, Depoe Bay and Baja California. The mural on the wall in the whale room shows the migration route of the gray whale from Alaska to Baja California, Mexico and back. There is also the stopping point in Depoe Bay where we have our summer residents stay from June-October.

Almost all the photographs are ones I personally took and the various black posters are ones I developed with the help of an awesome photo editor named Charles Hall. I have also written six books ranging from a Marine Biology textbook to field guides on Gray Whales, Seals, Sea Lions and Otters, Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises, Seabirds and Shorebirds and more.
Please enjoy!

~ Carrie Newell, CEO WREE,WSSM

About the Mansion

St. Joseph is known for an extensive collection of beautiful mansions built in the late 1800s, and the Wyeth Tootle Mansion at the corner of 11th and Charles Streets is a prime example. Built in 1879 by William and Eliza Wyeth, this 43 room mansion was designed to emulate the castles along the Rhine River in Germany. The Wyeth family only lived in the home for approximately 8 years before the home was sold to Kate Tootle. The Tootle family remained in the home until 1947 when it was purchased by William Goetz (owner of Goetz Brewery) to be used as the St. Joseph Museums. With three floors, a tower and more than 40 rooms, it stands today as one of the best examples of St. Joseph’s late 19th century wealth and opulence, featuring stunning woodwork, hand-painted ceilings and imported stained glass.

​

The first floor of the Wyeth Tootle Mansion has been partially restored to its Victorian grandeur. Old photographs of each room help visitors visualize the interior as it was around 1900. Each room’s ceiling is impressively different, from the cherubs that float above the Louis XVI parlor to the dark rich colors that cover the Moorish room. Ornate parquet floors and walnut woodwork change from room to room. The upper stories contain museum exhibits.

Exhibits

Edifice:  The Architecture of E. J. Eckel. The architect of the Wyeth-Tootle Mansion and the founder of the firm responsible for 75 percent of the buildings in St. Joseph.  The exhibit focuses on his life and the lasting impact of his accomplishments.

​

Intersections:  Of Time and Buildings. This exhibit is housed in three renovated rooms on the second floor.  The exhibit explores the intersections of history, art, architecture, and humanities as well as the past, present, and future of the City.  Museum professionals, preservationists, scholars, and local artists all worked together on this innovative project.   Intersections is a combination art exhibit, exploration of St. Joseph’s history, and imagining of the role of historic preservation in the City’s future.   The exhibit was created by the St. Joseph Museum in partnership with the Missouri Humanities Council with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and Friends of St. Joseph.

​

Confluence: The Great Flood of 1993. An exhibit that chronicles flooding in the St. Joseph area, including the flood in 1952 that covered much of Lake Contrary Amusement Park.  The details on the causes and impacts of the 1993 Flood will be included as a cathartic remembrance of those trying months in the summer of 1993 when much of the Midwest was under water.  The name of the exhibit “Confluence” refers to the merging of rivers and flood waters, as well as the coming together of communities in the face of one of the costliest natural disasters in history. 

​

History of the St. Joseph Museum. Step back in time through the extensive history of the St. Joseph Museum. Founded in 1927 as the Children's Museum, the St. Joseph Museum has called five locations its home over the near century it has been in existence. The items displayed in this exhibit are some of the earliest donations which were on display when the museum first opened in the annex of the St. Joseph Public Library. Come learn how our organization has grown and evolved over the years and what the future may hold.

Podcast #119-S4 - St Joseph Museums - Native American and Black Archives - Apr 3 2023

Could you swallow a nail? How about 453 of them? One patient in St. Joseph’s State Lunatic Asylum No. 2, established 1874, did just that. This collection is one of many intriguing exhibits that earned the Glore Psychiatric Museum recognition as “One of the 50 most unusual museums in the country” and mentions in national publications and on television networks including The Learning Channel, The Discovery Channel, PBS, and The Science Channel.​

The award winning Glore Psychiatric Museum is the largest of its kind in the world, and a community treasure in St. Joseph. MO. On your exploration of the museum you will see historic treatments, sustainability practices, patient art work, therapy options and so much more! The museum chronicles not only the history of State Hospital #2 but also the history of treatment for the mentally ill and is located in the former surgery and out patient building of the hospital. 

The original ‘State Lunatic Asylum No. 2’ opened in November 1874 with 250 patients on land located east of the City of St. Joseph. Dr. George C. Catlett, the hospital’s first Superintendent, explained that the hospital was dedicated “to the noble work of reviving hope in the human heart and dispelling the portentous clouds that penetrate the intellects of minds diseased.” In 1968, George Glore, an employee of the St. Joseph State Hospital, helped construct a series of full-size replicas of primitive 17th, 18th, and 19th century treatment devices for a Mental Health Awareness Week open house. Those exhibits impressed the hospital officials and sparked the idea to create the Glore Psychiatric Museum. Today, George’s treatment device replicas remain an integral part of the museum’s exhibits.

Welcome to the TWA Museum!

The mission of the TWA Museum is to provide information to the public emphasizing the story, history and importance of the major role TWA played in pioneering commercial aviation. From the birth of airmail to the inception of passenger air travel, to the post-WWII era of global route expansion, TWA led the way for 75 years. The great influence that Trans World Airlines has had on MKC, and the City of Kansas City, Missouri, is one that history can never ignore.

The TWA Museum’s goal is to ensure a permanent, expanding and professionally exhibited collection of artifacts that bring the story of TWA to life here in Kansas City, where it all began.  The Museum is dedicated to the preservation of the legacy of Trans World Airlines’ leadership in the world of commercial aviation.

Instrument Shop mechanic Tom Perry collected TWA items for many years and displayed them throughout the Trans World Airlines MCI Overhaul Base. TWA eventually donated a large space for Tom’s collection near the employee cafeteria in the MCI Overhaul Base. The employees built a special case that exhibited his many items. The opening of the TWA Museum highlighted the pride that was – and still is – typical of virtually all former TWA employees and customers.

Trans World Airlines was a major sponsor for the 1996 celebration of the Smithsonian’s 150th Anniversary, and the TWA Museum’s collection traveled to twelve cities over a period of two years as part of “America’s Smithsonian” Exhibit.

Over the years, with the closing of TWA’s Kansas City Administration Center, the St. Louis Training Center and the Overhaul Base all museum items and displays came together at the Kansas City Expo Center. The TWA Museum became a Chapter of the Platte County Historical Society in 1985 and was under the direction of Marie Trainer. In 2010, Pam Blaschum took over the direction of the TWA Museum and, with Pat Brinkman, worked diligently to secure a space for the TWA Museum in the original building that was built in 1931 to accommodate the newly formed TWA corporate headquarters. Under the direction of Zana Allen, assisted by Karen Martin, the process of securing the Museum’s own 501(c)3 status was completed in May 2013. In August 2013, the TWA Museum was granted its separate 501(c)3 status. A great big thank you to Tom Perry and the Perry Family, and the Platte County Historical Society and its Board, for preserving the history of TWA and protecting its artifacts. The memory of TWA has been assured a place in history through the TWA Museum at 10 Richards Road.

Take yourself back to the days of the 20's, 30's, and 40's when mineral water, gambling, bootlegging, and other extreme pleasures brought visitors from all over the world to Hot Springs, Arkansas. The Gangster Museum of America is an historic and entertaining account of how some of the most notorious criminals in America co-existed with the quaint population of this little valley town in the mountains of central Arkansas. The audiovisual experience of the seven galleries is in itself worth the price of admission. Play in the antique casino and hear the historian in the museum theater relate who, what, when, and where stories that are fascinating, informative, and educational.

About UsThe Martin & Frances Lehnis Railroad Museum became a reality in 2007, as a result of several years' work done by people both in Brownwood and in the railroad community. Martin & Frances Lehnis had a farm east of Early, Texas for many years, where they raised their son and collected thousands of railroad artifacts. Martin ("Buster") had worked for the Santa Fe railroad just 2 months shy of 50 years. Upon his retirement, he switched from full-scale railroading to model railroading. Martin & Frances even went so far as to build their own 7 1/2" gauge railroad on their farm, giving rides to kids over the years. As they grew older, they began planning out what to do with their massive collection of historic railroad artifacts- including a 1931 Santa Fe Caboose, 1929 Pullman Superintendent's Car, and Kress Depot. The railroad community feared the collection would be  sent all over the country. William Osborn an attorney in Austin, a rail fan and collector, helped the Lehnises form a contract with the City of Brownwood. The donated collection would help in establishing a transportation museum. Unfortunately, Frances passed in November 2004 and Martin shortly after in February 2005; neither of them ever saw the completion of the museum. TXDOT approved a grant to build the museum and the City of Brownwood supplied the matching funds. After the contract was completed, Mary Irving, Curator of the Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum, worked on the Lehnis collection for three years. She was then hired on at the newly built Martin & Frances Lehnis Railroad Museum as the full time Curator. 
After several months of preparation of exhibits, the museum opened its doors to the public on September 14, 2007 during Brownwood's Reunion Celebration. The museum's exhibits are a result of the City of Brownwood's support, the amazing talents of volunteers from all over the country, and donations from members of our community. The museum continues to grow and flourish from the efforts of so many, and is truly a museum that volunteers built. 

MissionThe mission of the Martin & Frances Lehnis Railroad Museum is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and educate the public about the role of Brownwood, Texas in the railroad history of Texas  and that of the American Southwest. 

In 1942, as the country reeled from the attack on Pearl Harbor, trained male pilots were in short supply. Qualified pilots were needed to fight the war. The Army also was desperate for pilots to deliver newly built trainer aircraft to the flight schools in the South. Twenty-eight experienced civilian women pilots volunteered to take those ferrying jobs. They formed the country’s first female squadron late summer 1942.

Between November 1942 and December 1944, 1,074 more women were trained to fly first in Houston and then moved to Avenger Field in Sweetwater, TX. Nancy Love and Jacqueline Cochran founded the two programs (Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron and Women’s Flying Training Detachment) that became the WASP.

WASP flew every aircraft in the Army’s arsenal. In addition to ferrying, they towed gunnery targets, transported equipment and non-flying personnel, and flight-tested aircraft that had been repaired before the men were allowed to fly them again. For over two years, the WASP went on to perform a wide variety of aviation-related jobs and to serve at more than 120 bases around the country.

The man who championed the WASP was Army Air Forces Commanding General “Hap” Arnold. He was revered by the U.S. Congress, but in June 1944 when he sought to officially designate the WASP as members of the United States military, Congress said “no.” After a protracted fight, the WASP were granted military status in 1977, thanks to a law signed by President Carter. These 1,102 Women Airforce Service Pilots flew wingtip to wingtip with their male counterparts and were just as vital to the war effort.

Sarah Byrn Rickman, WASP author and historian

The Pioneer City County Museum is a historic house museum serving the citizens of the City of Sweetwater and Nolan County, Texas. We are situated in the historic Ragland House, built in 1906. The home is decorated in the style of the period of the Ragland family's residency. In addition to the main house, a funeral chapel, built by the A.O. Patterson and Melvin McCoy families, houses permanent collections and an art gallery. That leaves FOUR additional levels to EXPLORE in this unique west Texas home. Find a surprise around every corner!

The Miniatures and Curious Collections Museum

Is dedicated to

Preserving the heritage of Roswell’s Los Pocos Locos Miniature Society

active in Roswell from the 1980’s to the early 2000’s,

and to tell the story of its members;

To continue the craft of miniature making and

showcase contemporary miniaturists and artists;

To display collections of fine, odd, antique or otherwise deemed interesting objects;

To entertain visitors with rotating exhibits of curious collections;

To provide a place for children to creatively play;

and to stock a gift shop with novelty, educational, artistic and interesting items for all ages and occasions, and a Buy-zaar with interesting retro, antique or second-hand items.

Billy The Kid Museum is located in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, on Highway 60-84, 2 miles east of downtown. It is one of the most complete museums in the Southwest and features relics of the historic past of one of Billy the Kid’s favorite haunts. Scores of items are one of a kind and are not seen elsewhere. The museum appeals to old and young alike.

Billy the Kid was a frequent visitor in Fort Sumner where the 21 year old outlaw was shot to death in 1881 by Lincoln County Sheriff, Pat Garrett. The Kid used William H. Bonney as his name even though he was born Henry McCarty. He also use the name Henry Antrium, taking the name of his stepfather. It’s all blurred in the mists of myth that leaves the name ‘Billy the Kid’ indelibly imprinted in folklore.
One item in the museum is a rifle that belonged to Billy the Kid, along with the documentation. Other interesting things are the door Billy backed through the night he was slain and two curtains that came out of Pete Maxwell’s bedroom where Billy was shot. There is a large rock he carved his name on. Also, on display you will see the chaps and spurs Billy liked to wear to the dances. Billy was a very good dancer and singer and was much admired by the young ladies.

The museum’s collection included antique cars, wagons, and buggies along with a horse drawn hearse and memorabilia from the once Fort Sumner military fort. Some of the most interesting items are an army blanket, cash box, and spurs that belonged to General Edwin Vose Sumner, the Civil War General for whom the fort was named in this eastern New Mexico town. There is a letter from his daughter giving the items to the museum.

Billy The Kid is known the world over and has great appeal as an outlaw legend. Visitors have come from every state and 50 or more foreign countries.
There is a large souvenir and gift shop in the front entrance to the museum where visitors may purchase items for the entire family. There is ample free parking around the museum.

The center of a million-acre reservation known as the Bosque Redondo, this site represents one of the most tragic periods in American history.

As Spaniards, Mexicans and Americans settled in the territory of New Mexico, they were subject to raids from the Diné (Navajo) and Ndé (Mescalero Apache) people who fought to maintain their traditional homelands and to obtain valuable resources from the settlers.  In efforts to control the raiding the Spanish, the Mexicans and then the Americans, fought the Indians.  Treaties were written and broken, nothing much changed.  Raiding continued until the early 1860s when a significant military force became available.

In 1863, when the US Army had defeated the invading Confederates in New Mexico, there was a large enough military force available to deal with the “Indian problem”.  It was decided that these "problematic" indigenous people would be brought to a spot far away from the populated areas of the Territory.  There they could be taught to farm and learn the ways of the white man as means of assimilation and cultural genocide.

The Ndé were the first to be subdued and brought to Bosque Redondo early in 1863. They were promised that if the moved to Bosque Redondo and behaved, they would be cared for.

Known by the Diné as the "Long Walk," over 50 different groups were forced to walk a distance of more than 350 miles to the reservation in east central New Mexico.  It was an arduous journey that saw them travel 12-15 miles a day, often in chilling cold or stifling heat.  Hundreds of Diné died as a result of these conditions.  As well, those who could not keep up with this pace (tribal elders, the sick, pregnant women) were shot.  The Diné continued to arrive at Bosque Redondo for a period of over two years.

At its peak in the winter of 1864, more than 8,500 Diné and nearly 500 Ndé people were held at the Bosque Redondo Indian Reservation.

Most of the Ndé became so disenchanted with life as farmers and the meager rations that they left in the night during November of 1865 to go home.  A small group who could not keep pace with the hasty departure, stayed behind to keep the campfires going so the army would not realize that the tribe had left.  The Mescaleros scattered to create many trails and frustrate their pursuers. Some headed to Mexico, some joined the Warm Springs and Lipan Apaches, and some joined Comanche bands.  Small groups of Ndé wandered for years until negotiations began for the Mescalero Apache Reservation in the early 1870s.  In 1871 A. J. Curtis, acting Agent for the Ndé, based out of Fort Stanton, proposed a reservation be established for the tribe within their ancestral mountains, the White and Sacrementos.  On May 29, 1873, by executive order of President Ulysses S. Grant, the Mescalero Apache Reservation was authorized.  Although this provided a promise of refuge for the Ndé, it came at a great cost to their freedom.

For the Diné, another three years of crop failures, suffering and death preceded the arrival of General Sherman and his Peace Commission to investigate reports of government waste and mistreatment of the Diné.  He found the reports to be true and began to affect solutions; he first offered the Diné leaders an expense paid trip to Oklahoma.  They turned him down and instead asked to go home. Talks began between the Diné headmen and the Peace Commission.

Negotiations with the Diné resulted in the Treaty of 1868 signed on June 1st, 1868.  The Diné were allowed to return to their traditional homelands in the four corners region of the southwest.

Today the Navajo Nation is the largest Native American group in the United States with a population of nearly 400,000.

You'll Have New Respect For The Phone In Your Pocket

That slick iPhone or amazing Android of yours is just the latest frontier of the wondrous telephone. But do you know how your cell phone actually works? Or did you know that the first pay phones were placed in the men's restrooms of fine hotels? Or that, as of 2009, pay phones themselves are no longer being manufactured?

 The answers to these-and lots of other phone questions can be found in one of the most unique museums found anywhere: the Telephone Museum of New Mexico. (In fact, the staff here at the Museum report that "This is cool!" are usually the most uttered words by visitors, who are typically surprised that something they take for granted-the phone-has such a fun and interesting history.)

 Housed in a four-floor space in a historic building in downtown Albuquerque, the museum offers as much history about New Mexico as it does about the beautiful technology of the telephone. The museum's hands-on Learning Center will show you a wide variety of interesting information, like how coin-operated phones work, and what 911 operators are required to do during emergency phone calls.

 You'll also learn fun facts of history about Alexander Graham Bell (he didn't intend to be an inventor; his goal had been to become a musician) and the American workforce (in the early 1900s, women were not allowed to work if they were married). And did you know that a switchboard was used to warn of the attack by Pancho Villa on the town of Columbus, N.M. in 1916? You'll learn the details as you see the actual

switchboard-which is on display here!

 The museum, which opened in 1997, also has a myriad of photographs, historical displays, and literature from the earliest times of the telephone industry. Of course, some of the most interesting and curious items are the phones themselves, more than 100 of which are on display, from party-line phones, to rotary dial models, to military field phones, and even the first portable phones.

 There's even a Resource Center in the museum, containing historical, social and technical publications that go back more than a century-including actual telephone directories from the early 1900s.

 There are also six interactive audio stations throughout the museum, all with short clips filled with interesting facts and stories that are sure to hold the attention of visitors of all ages. And don't forget the museum gift shop, stocked with unique telephone memorabilia, gifts, jewelry and books you won't find anywhere else.

The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History was established in 1969 as an intriguing place to learn the story of the Atomic Age, from early research of nuclear development through today’s peaceful uses of nuclear technology. Visitors can explore how nuclear science continues to influence our world. The museum strives to present, through permanent and changing exhibits and displays, the diverse applications of nuclear science in the past, present and future along with the stories of the field’s pioneers.

The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History is a Smithsonian Affiliate and is accredited through the American Alliance of Museums.

The creation of the Museum in 1969 was the result of a six-year effort to establish a museum to tell the story of the base and the development of nuclear weapons. The Museum was located on Kirtland Air Force Base. In 1973, the museum name was changed to National Atomic Museum to reflect the growing national and international audience and the fact that it was the only public museum that preserved the history of the nuclear industry. The Museum closed its doors at the Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico on September 11, 2001, due to heightened security measures at the Base. The National Atomic Museum was in its rented Old Town location from May 11, 2002 to February 7, 2009; the Museum re-opened in its current location in southeast Albuquerque in April 2009, when it was renamed The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History.

The Museum’s mission is “to serve as America’s resource for nuclear history and science. The Museum presents exhibits and quality educational programs that convey the diversity of individuals and events that shape the historical and technical context of the nuclear age.”

The Pioneer Store was built by Mr. James Dalglish in 1880. He had come to the southwest from eastern Canada to improve his failing health. He built the large, log building of hand-hewn Ponderosa Pine logs harvested from the mountain forests to the west of present day Chloride.

By late 1880, the building was completed and The Pioneer Store opened for business. Mr. Dalglish operated it throughout the Silver Boom years of 1880 through 1897, carrying all the goods needed for the miners and their families. The store stocked all manner of household goods, including food for residents and their animals, clothes for the entire family, mining equipment and tools, and ranch equipment and supplies. Wagons, buggies, and other large items could be ordered, as well as such specialty items as brides' trousseaus.

A United States Post Office was established in the front part of the store building in 1881, and a newspaper, The Black Range, began publishing weekly from the upstairs rooms in 1882. The large safe in the store building served as a local Bank for the remote mining operators and for the scattered ranches. It also served as a ‘Pawn Shop’, as records show “--- $2.00 loaned on watch in the safe."

When the Silver Boom ended in 1896, Mr. Dalglish leased the building to others who continued its operation until 1908. At that time, the building and its contents were purchased by the U.S. Treasury Mining Company. That company soon became the property of the James Family, who had arrived in Chloride in 1882.

Following the Civil War, General Carleton (photo at right) requested that a new fort be established in what is now southwestern New Mexico  which was in the heart of the  Apache homeland.  Its mission would be to protect the miners, ranchers, and  emigrant and business trails. The new fort was to be named Fort Bayard in honor of General George D. Bayard.

General Bayard was born in Seneca Falls, NY in 1835. His pioneering family moved to the Iowa Territory. Following graduation from West Point in 1856 as  2nd Lt of Cavalry, he returned to the west and fought against the Native Americans in Colorado and Kansas. With the onset of the Civil War, he returned east and was commissioned Colonel of the 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry and assigned to defend Washington.  He served in many positions and because of his leadership skills was commissioned chief of the cavalry of the III Corps and became a Brigadier General in  April of 1862.  After the restructuring of the Army of the  Potomac, he was promoted to cavalry commander.  He was mortally wounded during the Battle of Fredericksburg two weeks before his birthday and wedding.

On August 21, 1866, Fort Bayard Military Post was established by the 125th U.S Colored Troops Company F, under Lt .James Kerr.  Other companies of the U.S. Colored Troops from Louisville, Kentucky continued to arrive.  Company M of the 3rd Cavalry and Companies B & E of the 5th Infantry completed the first assignments.  With the 3rd Cavalry, Josephine Clifford, the wife of 2nd  Lt. James Clifford, arrived.  She was called "the mother of Fort Bayard” by the troops.

Construction commenced.

The Geronimo Springs Museum is a small regional museum located in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. It is named after Geronimo Hot Springs, one of numerous hot springs in the Hot Springs Artesian Basin. The springs were named after the Chiricahua Apache leader Geronimo from the Bedonkohe band of the Apache people.

211 Main St, Truth or Consequences, NM, United States, 87901

(575) 894-6600

Season 4 Introduction 2023

It All Started When . . .

Jude Cook spent his career in the design and sign industry. He began his own sign business over 40 years ago, first in Iowa and then moved Cook & Company Signmakers to Tucson. About nine years ago he began restoring Tucson's iconic neon signs.  ​

       Not only has Jude created and restored signs, he collected them too. His collection reached critical mass, filling the walls and the backyard of his sign business and took over the home front, too. It was time to share his collection with other sign lovers.

AboutMontana is the birthplace of mountain flying. This museum seeks to interpret and preserve the history of mountain flying in Montana and the Northern Rockies. There are aircraft displays as well as interactive history displays.

Contact

MAILING ADDRESS

713 South Third Street
Missoula, MT 59801

CONTACT406-721-3644

FAX406-728-9280

Details

SEASON

Memorial day - Mid September

HOURS

Daily: 10:00am - 4:00pm

PAYMENT METHODS

Cash, Master Card, Personal Check (In State), Personal Check (Out Of State), Travelers Checks, Visa

RESERVATIONS

Reservations Accepted, Walk-Ins Welcome

DISCOUNTS

Senior Citizens

MIM began with a vision to create a musical instrument museum that would be truly global. Realizing most musical museums featured historic, primarily Western classical instruments, MIM’s founder Bob Ulrich (then CEO of Target Corporation) was inspired to develop a new kind of museum that would focus on the kind of instruments played every day by people worldwide. A focus on the guest experience shaped every aspect of the museum’s development. From the beginning, our goal has been to deliver a musical experience that is enriching, inspiring, interesting, and fun.

Today, MIM has a collection of more than 8,000 instruments from more than 200 world countries. The galleries reflect the rich diversity and history of many world cultures. But music and instruments also show us what we have in common—a thought powerfully expressed in our motto, music is the language of the soul.

The Museum’s exhibits and programs cover US military history from the Revolutionary War to the present War on Terror, with an emphasis on the interwar US Army (1920-41). By special arrangement with the Montana National Guard the Museum’s main exhibit building is located in Building T-316, Fort Missoula – the former headquarters for the Fort Missoula District of the US Covilian Conservation Corps. During the Great Depression of the 1930’s Army and civilian CCC personnel in Building T-316 oversaw the processing, equipping and training of over 40,000 CCC corpsmen.

The World Museum of Mining is a museum and memorial in Butte, Montana. Chartered in 1964 as a non-profit educational corporation, the Museum first opened its doors in July 1965. The site, an inactive silver and zinc mine named the Orphan Girl, includes 50 buildings on some 22 acres of land.

The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum is located on the banks of the Brazos River, proudly sponsored by the City of Waco and sanctioned by the State of Texas. We preserve the history and inspire appreciation of the Texas Rangers, a legendary symbol of Texas and the American West.

Lincoln Historic Site is unique in that it manages most of the historical buildings in the community of Lincoln. This most widely visited state monument in New Mexico is part of a community frozen in time—the 1870's and 1880's. Through a gift from the Hubbard Family Trust, the historic site now includes 17 structures and outbuildings, 7 of which are open year round and 2 more seasonally as museums. Most of the buildings in the community are representative of the Territorial Style of adobe architecture in the American Southwest.

Lincoln is a town made famous by one of the most violent periods in New Mexico history. Today's visitors can see the Old Lincoln County Courthouse with museum exhibits that recount the details of the Lincoln County War and the historic use of the "House" as store, residence, Masonic Lodge, courthouse, and jail. Walk in the footsteps of Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, and other famous and infamous characters of the Wild West. Trace the events of 1878 through the Courthouse and the Tunstall Store, with their preserved 19th-century atmosphere.

Remarkably, the Tunstall Store contains displays of the original 19th-century merchandise in the original shelving and cases! Continue your walk through history by visiting El Torreón (a defensive tower built by native New Mexican settlers in the 1850s), the San Juan Mission Church, the Convento, Dr. Woods' House, the Montaño store and other historic structures throughout the town. The Anderson-Freeman Visitor's Center & Museum features historical exhibits in a timeline starting with American Indian prehistory and ending with the Lincoln County War. A 22 minute video about the Lincoln County War and the community is shown every half hour.

The importance of this community and the significance of the Bonito Valley in the prehistory and history of the Territory of New Mexico are interpreted within some of the 17 structures that comprise Lincoln Historic Site. These historic adobe and stone buildings are preserved as they were in the late 1800s and represent the factions involved in the Lincoln County War, 1878-1881.

The Franklin Auto Museum™, maintained by the Thomas H. Hubbard/H.H. Franklin Foundation, is located in Tucson Arizona. Founded by Thomas Hubbard, the museum is a means to continue his collection of classic Franklin automobiles, and to provide an opportunity to develop a comprehensive Franklin Museum covering all years of the company’s production.

Mr. Hubbard put into trust the following:

• His entire Franklin automobile collection
• An extensive library of Franklin Company research materials
• His Aunt’s extensive collection of native American artifacts
• A historical adobe home, museum and other buildings
• A generous endowment sufficient to maintain and preserve the facility in Tucson

Tom’s intentions were for the trust to preserve and expand the cars, Indian artifacts and facilities to be complementary to the established southwestern site and architecture.

The automobile collection has grown to include additional representative examples of all Franklin automobiles. The H. H. Franklin Foundation is an educational museum of cars and displays. This is the center of Franklin history.

Ernie Adams, originator of the dwarf car, has made a name for himself building Dwarf Race Cars and scaled down replicas of classic cars called Dwarf Car Cruisers. These handmade works of art now have a home in Maricopa, Arizona.

Early Years: Ernie Adams had a fascination with cars starting back in grade school. He would admire the cars of the time, drew them for school assignments and even built a wooden car as long as a crate box with steering and peanut butter jar lids for taillights. His mother would pull him through out his hometown of Harvard, Nebraska.

First Dwarf Car: The first Dwarf Car came to life in 1965 as a 28 Chevy two-door sedan made out of nine old refrigerators. Ernie began gathering the materials for this little car in 1962. By 1965 he had enough materials and an 18 hp Wisconsin motor to begin construction. With a homemade hacksaw made from a chair frame, hammer and a chisel, Ernie began construction. He had no idea what this would be the beginning of. Because this is the first Dwarf Car ever built, it is known as “GRANDPA DWARF.” This first Dwarf Car is kept in running order and is still driven today.

Dwarf Race Car: The first two Dwarf Race Cars were built in Dec. 1979 and early 1980. The Dwarf Race Car idea came about after Ernie Adams and Daren Schmaltz had attended motorcycle side hack races in Phoenix, Arizona. During the drive home, Ernie expressed concern that three-wheeled racers were to slow in the corners. He said they could improve considerably by adding a fourth wheel to help thru the corners. Ernie suggested that adding a car body would also help spectator appeal. ​The first Dwarf Car race took place at the Yavapai County Fair in Prescott, Arizona in September, 1983. There were 12 cars registered.

Dwarf Car Cruiser: After leaving the Dwarf Race Cars, Ernie had learned a lot about bending and shaping metal. He loved to see heads turn in admiration of the Dwarf Race Cars while being towed down the highway. Ernie knew it was time to change and put his metal shaping skills to the test. Now he wanted a fully dressed Dwarf Car with fenders, chrome, finished interior and most of all street legal and the Dwarf Car Cruiser was born.

The Mini Time Machine was created from the imagination and dedication of Founders, Patricia and Walter Arnell. Pat’s fondness for miniatures began in the 1930’s, when as a young girl she received her first miniatures- a set of Strombecker wooden dollhouse furniture. It wasn’t until the Arnells moved to Tucson in 1979 that Pat began collecting in earnest. The Arnell’s became very active in the miniature community becoming recognized members and supporters of important organizations such as NAME (National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts) and IGMA (International Guild of Miniature Artisans). The collection grew, and the Arnells dreamed of a way to share it with more people. They envisioned an interactive space where the entertaining and educational aspects of the collection could be enjoyed by everyone- a place that would be enchanting, magical and provide a rich sensory experience.

The concept of “the mini time machine” was born out of the notion that a visitor would be seemingly transported to different eras by the stories and history of the pieces in the collection.

The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures is a 501(c)(3) board-only nonprofit organization, classified as a private foundation with a long term goal of achieving public charity status. All proceeds from every sale, including admission, membership and merchandise go towards funding the museum’s operations.

The museum is dedicated to all who participate in the world of miniatures.