New exhibits, displays at the museum

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  • New exhibits, displays at the museum
    New exhibits, displays at the museum
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Changes are happening within the walls that hold over 100 years of Lincoln County history.

Volunteer Dee Douglas said they needed a bigger genealogy department at the Lincoln County Museum of Pioneer History, which would lead to renovations throughout the museum.

“We wanted to get that room so we could open the museum up,” she said.

They moved the genealogy department to the back room, with the front of the museum open, Douglas said they decided to use it as a Route 66 and Turner Turnpike exhibit.

“It makes a great area,” she said.

Douglas said from the planning to the packing to the moving, the whole process took about a year.

Within the new exhibit is a display of the Santa Fe Depot, pictured to the right, in Davenport and the Grapes of Wrath, a novel about the Dust Bowl when Oklahomans had to leave Oklahoma in order to find work.

Creator Ron Hickman designed and donated both displays.

Hickman said it took him a month to create the Santa Fe Depot and two months to create the Grapes of Wrath display. Currently, Hickman is working on creating a display that visualizes Route 66.

“It’s going to take a while to get done,” he said.

Rickman said he plans on having the old Sinclair service station, a motel and a gift shop.

“Just a few things local,” he said.

Also in the exhibit is a display of Route 66 classic cars that were donated by the Kerrens Family.

Other renovations that have been completed include moving the genealogy room, separating the doctors and dentists exhibit, moving around other exhibits like the toy exhibit and the new music exhibit.

Left on the to do list is a new roof, new carpet and flooring, expand on new exhibits for Agriculture and Black History, painting the mural in the toy room and constructing the interactive kids center.

As a preserver of history, Douglas said they are wanting stories from Lincoln County residents about life with COVID-19.

“This is such a historical event,” she said. “Our grand kids are going to want to know what happened. It’s a part of our history now.”