When are we moving?

Progress is slowly but surely being made on the renovation of the Old Green River Post Office building into a new home for the museum.  The project has not moved quickly due to decreasing budgets in county government.  However, the County Commissioners have continued to fund some work ont he building each year.  The county acquired the building in August of 1995 and in 1997 the roof was replaced and some of the asbestos abatement was completed.  Other tasks were the repair of the furnace and plumbing as well as most of the interior demolition.  

In 1998 a set of overall plans and architectural drawings was produced.

Last year further interior demolition was completed and a method of contracting for work was established.

Work on the electrical system began in January and the coming year should see completion of that project, installation of the elevator and completion of the restrooms.  These are very expensive projects which are required in order that the structure be in compliance with the Uniform Building Code.

There as been some volunteer help from community members.  a group from State Farm Insurance did a clean-up of the outside of the building in the fall of 1997 for United Way Helping Hands Day.  Downtown Vision Green River Committee planted a flower garden in front of the building during the summer 1998 and that same year an Eagle scout candidate, Adam Stuble, planned and organized the construction of a utility ramp in the rear of the building.

The Sweetwater County Historical Society donated 5,750.00 toward the painting of the exterior window frames and security grills during 1998.

Current plans provide for the placement of gallery space on the main floor of the building and the installation of restrooms in part of the basement.  It is hoped that enough funds to complete the remainder of the basement will be found during the next budget year.

The portion of the collection in storage will remain in the courthouse until a storage addition can be built on the back of the building.

"The process as been discouraging slow at times, but I don't think that this is entirely bad.  It has forced us to think long and hard about what we really want in a museum and this has been beneficial for the future and focus of the museum.  However, I do hope that the time when we can finally get moved is coming soon.  It is a day we have been anticipating for quite some time." said Ruth Lauritzen, Museum Director.

return to top

Recordings brought to light

Hoping to bring to light a treasure trove of historical information which lies practically unknown in a small cabinet in the museum, Museum Curator Any Stroh, recently began a major transcription project.  Over the last thirty years the museum has accumulated more than eighty separate interviews or presentations recorded on audio tapes.  These include interviews with individuals as well as recordings of speakers at Sweetwater County Historical Society Meetings and treks.

these recordings contain much information which is available no where else.  They also preserve for posterity the voices of people, now gone, who were actual participants in historic events.  an example of this would be the recording of Green River resident Louise Spinner Graf telling of her 1950 experiences as foreman on the first jury in the state of Wyoming with women serving on it since statehood in 1890.

Transcription is a laborious process in which the tape is listened to and typed down word for word.  Unfortunately some times the quality of the tape makes it impossible to get much information from the tape, but Stroh, with the help of the staff, will attempt to get as much from each tape as possible.  Another challenge is that about twenty of the recordings are on reel-to-reel tapes, a nearly obsolete format.  These tapes will have to be transferred to cassettes before they can be transcribed.  This could be an expensive process and the museum welcomes any donations to this project.  Please contact Ruth or Amy to find out how you can help.

return to top

Exhibits Roundup
Gary Perkins

We are pleased with the reception our Christmas exhibit received.  Thanks to Bob Malonek, Kathy Gilbert and her family, Mark Kot, Dorothy Logan, Mona Garvin, Herb Price and our museum volunteer Criss Staffa, for loaning us their toys to make it such a successful and well received display.

I just finished building a showcase to display the DH-4 propeller from an airplane that stopped in Green River during its flight in the first air race across America in 1919 and another one to hold the express box that S. I. Field, the founder of Green River, used to carry mail to the Colorado gold mining camps during the Civil War.  The propeller will be part of the soon-to-be completed transportation exhibit.  The toy exhibit replaced the temporary display of women's shoes which is being taken to the community center in superior where it will replace one on ranching  and electric toasters (I know it is hard to see the connection between those two categories!)

As soon as the Christmas tree comes down, we will install a three panel display on explorers in its location.  while it is primarily centered around John Wesley Powell's expedition down the Green and Colorado Rivers in 1869, the exhibit also includes the stories of Father Escalante, William Ashley, William Manly and John C. Fremont.

I will also mount the text and graphics on the Pony express, stagecoaches, the California Trail, gold rush travelers, and an expanded coal and trona exhibit.  After these are finished we will complete the U.S. Army exhibit.  The text, which has been written by not placed on backing boards, tells the story of the military operations in our county; escorting stagecoaches, keeping the peace in Rock Springs after the Chinese Massacre and operation in the Mormon War of 1857.

return to top

Curator's Column
Amy Stroh

It has been an exciting time for the collection this past season.  We have begun a massive digitalization project involving the photograph collection.  Each photo is being scanned at archival resolution and the image is then saved on a compact disk. 

This will help to preserve the photo collection for future generations as well as making it more accessible for researchers. 

We also continue to catalog our collection and enter the object-specific information into our computer database.  We have added over one thousand entries this past year!

Anyone interested in helping with these projects can contact me at the museum.  Volunteers are welcome!

return to top

Director's Report
Ruth Lauritzen

The museun staff is excited to begin publication of a newsletter for our supporters.  There are many things going on at the museum that we are eager to share.

For the fifth year in a row the Museum hosted Santa's arrival in Green River at the courthouse.  This association is of benefit to both the Chamber of Commerce, the sponsor of the event, and the museum.  The Chamber has a convenient venue and the Museum gets exposure with a group of people who are not regular patrons, families with young children.  Nearly 200 people visited the museum during the open house and many more were in the courthouse to see Santa.

As stated in another article included in this newsletter, progress is being made on relocating the museum to its new facility.  I am happy to report that in addition to the Sweetwater County commissioners we have other organizations concerned with funding this project.  The Sweetwater County Museum Foundation has recently reactivated its memorial brick program in an effort to raise funds.  The Green River Historic Preservation Commission has committed all profits it raises on the sales of the book, Echoes From the Bluffs, to the renovation effort.  Thanks go to these organizations for their help.

return to top

Volunteer Corner

What to do with a creative mind after an early retirement?  Green River resident Criss Staffa has answered that question by giving two full days a week to the museum working with exhibits.

Criss moved to Green River two years ago after taking early retirement from the insurance industry.  Her associates degree was in graphic design and she always regretted not being able to use it more in her working life.  Criss has worked with Exhibits Coordinator Gary Perkins for the past year in the construction and mounting of several exhibits.  She has assisted in many different aspects of museum work including research, carpentry, text design and artifact placement.

When not volunteering at the museum Criss is active in Kiwanis, the Wyoming Wee Miniature Club, and is a new member of the Sweetwater County Historical Society.

Her hobbies and interests include; sewing, interior decorating, miniatures, reading, and caring for her three cats.

Criss has enjoyed her first year working at the museum: "Working in the museum is the most fun job I have ever had."  

If you have an interest in volunteering at the museum please call Ruth or Amy at 872-6435 or 352-6715. Volunteers may choose to work as much as they wish, coming in on a regular schedule or just helping out for special events. If you have special talents and time to give we would love to hear from you.

return to top

Board Message
Stan McKee

As we move toward the new millennium and we are successfully into the year 2000, the Board of Directors of the Sweetwater County Historical Museum are looking for ways to improve the operation and the quality of the exhibits at our facility in Green River.  For the past several months, the Board has been reviewing all of the administrative policies to assure efficiency in the operation of the museum.  The new policies that have been implemented include strange new words like Web Page and Internet access. we hope to bring our procedures into the new century with these additions.  The biggest and most exciting accomplishment that we hope to complete this year is the move from our current location on the ground floor of the County Courthouse Building to our new home in the historic Post Office building.  With funding promised by the Board of County Commissioners and from donations from the public and our friends in the County Museum Foundation, we hope to make this transition a reality.  In addition, the Board, along with the museum staff, is working continually to improve the quality of our acquisitions, displays and exhibits.  In the past few years, the Museum has featured several exhibits that emphasize the history of Sweetwater County, from the trans-Mississippi western migration on the Oregon, California and Mormon Trails, the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad and the celebration of the numerous cultures that are featured in the settlement of our County.  Our exhibits will continue to feature our history into the New Year and beyond.  we encourage your to come and see what the County Museum has to offer.  you will pleasantly surprised.

return to top