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Bushwhacker Museum to open 2005 season on May 2
By Nancy Malcom
Nevada Daily Mail
Vernon County's most enduring and well known tourist attraction will be opening May 2. Regular hours are 10 to 4 Monday through Saturday.
One of the new permanent exhibits features a unique mannequin. The American Indian display was available last year, but the pale-faced mannequin just didn't fit the setting. A grant was obtained to help pay for the unique and genuine Native American representative mannequin. The Dorfman Company created the mannequin to the Museum's specifications.
"I got the scare of my life when it arrived," Terry Ramsey, museum coordinator said with a laugh. "He came in a box, all wrapped up in bubble wrap and he was wearing goggles to protect his eyes. When I took off the goggles, it was like looking into a real person's eyes."
She gave a nervous laugh. "It was a little unnerving. He just looked so real."
The eyes, she explained, are actual prosthetic ones used for people who need replacement glass eyes.
"That was the spookiest feeling I've ever had."
The mannequin is dressed in Ed Woodington's ceremonial costume. Woodington founded the Clear Creek Pow Wow, first held in 1964 and attended annually by dancers from many tribes.
The costume, donated by the Ed Riggs family, is typical of most of the plains tribes, including the Osage tribe. Different parts of his dress depict various facts about the Osage Indian he represents.
"The roach (his headdress) means he is a member of the Porcupine Clan and the eagle feather indicates he is a warrior," Ramsey explained. "The Osages are famous for their ribbon work and that is obvious in his clothing." Ramsey added "His nose is just like Pawhuska's ... that's one of the reasons I chose this one."
If the display cabinet had been taller, the mannequin would have been closer to seven feet tall to better represent the Osage people who were all much taller than the European settlers.
A new temporary exhibit in celebration of the all-school reunion this year is the Nevada High School collection featuring cheer leading dress, band costumes and letter sweaters.
Also on display are some of the awards offered through the years for debate, music, typing and business proficiency. A copy of The Comet, the first Nevada school yearbook, published in 1906 is on display. "This is the first yearbook, and at that time it came out twice a year," Ramsey explained, "a Christmas edition and also a commencement edition."
During the Depression thno school yearbook was published.
"The Modernique came out in 1937 and that's the first one of those we have in this exhibit," Ramsey said, "I think the Modernique only lasted one year. I have not been able to find a yearbook for 1938 so if they had one, I don't know." Ramsey said the yearbook became "The Nevamo" in 1939 and the exhibit features the first Nevamo and the current one.
There are other memorabilia of Nevada's high school days, jewelry, graduation announcements and some of the old cheers.
"These are some of my favorites," Ramsey said. The cheers were found on a handout dated 1941. One is "Rickety! Rackey! Russ! We're not allowed to cuss, But nevertheless, We must confess, There's nothing the matter with us!"
The Chamber of Commerce will meet for their Fourth Friday coffee in May and look through the yearbooks. "Mostly we'll compare the hairdos," Ramsey said with a laugh. "It will give them a chance to relive their high school days."
Over the next year, a large permanent exhibit will be started featuring local businesses. It will include exhibits featuring Vernon County churches and schools as well. Called "Vernon County, The Never Ending Story" the exhibit will be entered through an actual store front made in 1890 by the W.F. Norman Company. An artist's rendition of the exhibit is on display in the museum.
"There will be one area of the permanent exhibit that will allow us to showcase something special each year," Ramsey said. The exhibit should be available by May 2006 and will be added to each year after that.
"We need more agricultural artifacts, and some from department stores," Ramsey explained. "Donations of artifacts, money or time are always appreciated," she added.
The old jail area of the museum has been redecorated and returned to it's original look to represent the days when the sheriff and his family lived in the jail.
The sheriff's family quarters are two rooms downstairs, an office, and two rooms upstairs. The actual jail cells are still available for visitors to tour.
The front room is features furniture donated by Dorothy Hill's family and the Badger family. "The furniture is of the right period, but is much nicer than most sheriffs could afford," Ramsey explained.
She laughed and added, "I just say our sheriff must have married well."
The room features wall paper from England reminiscent of that time period.
The other rooms are painted in shades that were popular during the 1800s and early 1900s.
"The windows have all had filters put on them to block UV rays," Ramsey said. "That prevents damage from the sun." "Although the old jail is air conditioned now for the benefit of the exhibits and artifacts, the visitors enjoy the cooler air as well," she said.
Ramsey is also working on a PowerPoint presentation to take around locally and show off the exhibits displayed in the museum and describe the long term and short term plans for the museum.
She added that often people who live around here think they have seen all there is to see of the museum, but the exhibits are constantly changing and there is always something new to see.
The Bushwhacker Museum continues to be a major tourist attraction for this area of Missouri. The visitors bring tourists dollars into the Nevada and Vernon County area.
A group from Kansas visited the Museum in April. A group from Oklahoma is scheduled for May and another group from southern Missouri will be here in June.
Local residents who have not visited the museum in the past couple of years are in for a delightful tour when they attend this summer.