Bushwhacker Museum to be open while workers are at facility

The Bushwhacker Museum will be unofficially open this winter as volunteers do maintenance work at the jail and complete some unfinished exhibits at the museum at 212 W. Walnut St.

The Bushwhacker Museum's board of directors voted Tuesday to continue its policy not to post regular winter hours, but to keep the facility open while workers reorganize the artifact storage room and spruce up the jail with some new paint.

Gary Marquardt, building committee chairman, reported that student Nathan Hines has volunteered to do a project for the museum as part of his Eagle Scout work.

Jail maintenance includes winterizing bathrooms, removing unneeded items, painting the staircase and women's jail cell, and cleaning out the herb garden.

Museum coordinator Terry Ramsey introduced Cottey College student Ruth Domingus who will serve as a non-voting member of the Board of Directors.

Ramsey reported that Robyn Crawford, a descendant of the late Rush Crawford of Nevada, will be coming to Nevada to research the Crawford Band and Crawford Comedians who entertained on the Nevada Square in the late 19th century through the mid-1940s.

She wants to put together an old-time tent show featuring music that will dovetail with the much anticipated Smithsonian exhibition, New Harmonies, scheduled for next fall.

For more information, call the museum at (417) 667-9622.