New exhibits on display now at Bushwhacker Museum
The summer season for the Bushwhacker Museum is under way and there are several exciting things for visitors this year. A world class traveling exhibit, a new ancillary exhibition, a tributary exhibit, the reintroduction of an old program and some new products are all scheduled for the coming months, according to museum coordinator Terry Ramsey. "We've got some great stuff coming," she said.
The most exciting thing coming to the museum this season is a Smithsonian traveling exhibit that will be on display for the entire month of October. The "Celebrating American Roots Music" exhibit is part of the "Museum on Main Street" program designed to put great stuff in ordinary places, said Ramsey.
Nevada is one of only about a half a dozen cities in the United States that will host the exhibit this year. It will be an interactive exhibit featuring American music of all genres. There will be instruments to play, listening stations and things to see. There will be a different musical program every weekend.
This year's Bushwhacker Day's celebration ties into the exhibit with its theme of "Celebrating America's Musical Roots," and so does an ancillary exhibit Ramsey is in the process of finishing. The New Harmonies exhibit will highlight the Crawford Band and Comedians entertainment troupe that operated out of Nevada for more than half a century.
The Crawford Band was "more than just a local band," said Ramsey. They played to tent crowds of sometimes more than a thousand people, she said. The exhibit on this piece of Nevada history will feature photos, original playbills, old uniforms, show tickets and a late 19th century concert harp generously donated to the museum by a descendant of the Crawford family.
Another exhibit that has been in the works for a while honors the 125 years of service of the Nevada Fire Department. In the beginning stages right now, this exhibit, when finished, will feature a large mural, a hand drawn chemical fire wagon, an interpretive panel timeline of Nevada's fire fighting history and a memorial panel paying tribute to the three Nevada firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty.
Later, there will be a display case added, containing historic equipment. This exhibit is being funded by Firefighters Local 3031.
This year will also herald the return of the Missouri History Day program. Once again, the museum will host a day for every fourth grade student attending a public school in Vernon County to experience history. This year's event is scheduled for Sept. 16 and will give students an opportunity to learn about history and see one of the new products available at the museum.
The new "graphic novels" as Ramsey called them relate to history and are very visual. The new magazines complement the wide selection of reading material on hand and are really just "a sophisticated comic book," said Ramsey. Different titles are available to choose from. Another new product being offered is aimed more at adult visitors.
The Old Missouri Bushwhacker Brand of hot sauces is already selling well, according to Ramsey. Grown and bottled in Missouri, the four varieties of sauce have colorful ingredients and names. Jalapeno lovers may want to try a bottle of Jayhawker Hell or take home some of General Joe Shelby's, No Surrender hot green jalapeno sauce. Ramsey said the museum has laid in a good supply in preparation for the Bushwhacker Days celebration.
One other item of interest the museum is looking forward to is the dedication of the new plaque on the Vernon County courthouse lawn. The plaque is really an interpretive panel, said Ramsey, and commemorates "The "Burning of Nevada." The panel will be dedicated by the Vernon County commission at 6 p.m. on the west side of the court house on Friday, June 11 and will kick off the evening festivities of the 46th annual Bushwhacker Days celebration.
Bushwhacker Museum opened for the season on May 1 and is open Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The facility will be open additional hours during Bushwhacker Days and for the musical exhibits. Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for children 12-17 and $1 for children 12 and under. For more information call (417) 667-9602. For special appointments or groups call Terry at (417) 667-8425 or Jean at (417) 667-8886.