a publication of the churchill county museum the best...

A Publication of the Churchill County Museum The Best Little Museum on the Loneliest Road in America

Summer 2018

Join us at the Nevada State MuseumJune 27, 2018 From 10am -12pm

for the pressing of our Sylvester Churchill Commemorative Medallion

Celebrating theChurchill County Museum’s 50th Anniversary

MuseNews Summer 2018 Churchill County Museum

In the Museum Store

Our book selections continue to grow.

Don’t miss our new line of lenticular postcards.

Our History Sox Speak for Themselves


MUSEUM ATTENDANCE

February - 441 March - 834April - 1134

MUSEUM VISITORS

INTERNATIONAL

UNITED STATES

NEVADA

VISITOR COMMENTS

Battle MountainCarson CityDaytonElkoFallonFernleyHawthorneHenderson

KingstonLas VegasLovelockPahrumpParadise ValleyRenoSilver SpringSpring Creek

Australia Brazil Chile United Kingdom Netherlands

Alaska ArizonaCaliforniaColoradoFloridaIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMissouriMontana

IN MEMORYThe Churchill County Museum has received contributions

in the memory of the following people.

MEMORIAL CONTRIBUTORSThe Churchill County Museum thanks the following peo-ple who have sent memorial contributions in memory of

their families and friends. Our “Memorial Book” is a per-petual “in Memory” and is enjoyed daily by our visitors.

New YorkNorth CarolinaOhioOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth DakotaTenneseeTexasVirginiaUtahWashingtonWisconsin

SparksYerringtonWest WendoverWinnemuccaZephr Cove

“I got an awesome penny, pretty cool!”

“Pretty Awsome.”

“We Fallon.”

“Great museum, loved it.”

“Wonderful museum, great ideas.”

“Wonderful exhibits both the Native American and Eurpean American.”

“Great place for a rainy day.”

Janet Huntsman BeeghlyMike Dugan

Louis ErquiagaTed Hunnewell

Harvey RoseShirley Walker

Patricia CafferataBunny & Bill CorkillLouella DemersDoris DwyerSandie FiskJohn and Starlene HanifanViola HartDavid Hurd

Conrad MorrisJacquelyn Hetting-erLois JamesPeterson Wealth ManagementRobbie LindKitty RoseRonald Wilcks


It certainly looks like a busy summer at the museum. We have the Tintabulations Summer concert on June 23. They are celebrating their 21st anniversary. I think we always look forward to hearing the bells ring. Be sure and get here early on the 23, as it’s always a full house when northern Nevada’s favorite bell ensemble appears in Fallon.

Speaking of anniversaries, we are celebrating the 50th Anni-versary of the museum this year and as part of that celebration we will be minting a commemorative medallion that celebrates Sylvester Churchill, the namesake of our county. Beginning his service to the nation in the War of 1812, Churchill rose to the rank of general. He retired in 1861 and died in 1862. Fort Churchill was named for him and ultimately Churchill County. What makes the medallion special is that it will be minted using Historic Coin Press 1 at the Nevada State Mu-seum. In service since 1870 the coin press is one of the na-tionally significant treasures of Nevada. You can join us at the state museum on June 27 from 10am to 12pm for the pressing of the first 100 medallions. The medallions will be sold at the Churchill County Museum Store. The cost is $75, $67.50 for members with their 10% discount. We are using the sculpture created for the coin press die to illustrate the medallion on the front page as we have not yet pressed it.

As you will see from the centerfold, it is annual raffle time. There are 12 great prizes for the raffle this year, including four chances to win a Sylvester Churchill medallion. Our thanks to all of the donors who make this possible. The drawing will be held on July 21st, at the annual meeting of the Churchill County Museum Association.

This year the annual meeting will focus on the results of our strategic planning effort. Working with Elaine Carmichael of ESI, the board and staff have put our best effort forward to define the future for the Churchill County Museum. I believe, our best years are ahead and we will build on the successes of our past to create a stronger museum that can tell our community’s story to the public. I am polish-ing up my powerpoint to lay out the plan.

We will be filling three positions at the museum in the coming months. Bunny Corkill has retired, our exhibit preparator Tom Bartel has left and our intern Dawson Frost will be leaving us to attend UNR. Both Bunny and Tom promise to return as volunteers and we can probably count on Dawson to help out as well. So as the faces change, the mission will remain for us to tell our community’s story.

From the DirectorDan IngramDirector, Churchill County Museum


Education and Programming NotesJennifer JonesEducation Curator

May is the busiest month for private Hidden Cave tours managed by the museum. Several hundred students will visit the cave, directed by BLM-trained, volunteer Hidden Cave tour guides. In years past, it has been quite the scramble to meet the needs of the schools. This year, however, things are different. In January, the call rang out for volunteers and I am happy to report that the tour guide number has grown significantly. They are already hard at work, answering numerous questions such as “How are petroglyphs made?” or “What is lichen?” and the ever popular “What does science smell like?”. If you are interested in history, archaeology, geology, geography – or a little bit of everything – why not become a volunteer Hidden Cave tour guide? For more information, click on ‘Volunteering at the Museum’ at ccmuseum.org.

Held in March and April, the 2018 Spring Lecture Series “Nevada Rocks!” drew record-breaking crowds. The Dodge-Fitz Changing Exhibit Gallery was packed for outstanding presenters Gene Hattori, Curator of Anthropology at the Nevada State Museum; Dana Bennett, President of the Nevada Mining Association; Chris Ralph, Author and Associate Editor of Prospecting and Mining Journal; and Tron Huckaby, representative of the local Huck Salt Company. This entertaining and informative series covered everything from petroglyphs to salt mining to women in mining to preserving Nevada opals (their consistency is similar to hardened Jello and

should be stored in water). So many people stopped me afterwards to say how much they enjoyed the lectures: the response was overwhelmingly positive! The 2018 Fall Lecture Series will be just as interesting – I hope to see everyone there.

Many thanks to the Bessie Minor Swift Foundation and their generous grant to the CCMA/Ed-ucation Department! This year the Discovery Room monthly activities will center on a Cat in the Hat Learning Library Book. In May, the theme was Fine Feathered Friends: All About Birds; in June it will be Would You Rather Be a Pollywog? All About Pond Life. A full set of the Learning Library Books were purchased through the grant; the remaining funds will be used to buy supplies to produce and maintain a weekly self-directed activity such as a craft, science experiment or learn-ing module. These creative activities will promote an interactive learning environment where chil-dren and families can learn, read, and play together. The Discover Room’s program objectives for the self-directed activities are to Discover, Educate, Create, and Communicate. Augmented with The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library Books, participants will discover the world; learn the mystery of how things function; create a project to take home or display; and interact with siblings, parents and/or peers.


21st Annual Churchill County Museum Association Raffle

July 21, 20181. $100 Gift Certificate from Jo’s Stillwater Tea Room. Enjoy cocktails, beer or non-alcoholic potables in a unique atmosphere on Maine Street. Our thanks to Daniel Hilliker for donat-ing this prize!

2. Blanket Chest. This cedar lined oak chest will fit in any dé-cor. Its convenient size (30” wide by 22” high by 14”deep) means you can use it virtually anywhere. Locally crafted it is built to last. It includes accessories as well. Our thanks to Nancy Balash for donating this prize!

3.Vintage Silver Coffee and Tea Set. This silver plated set in International Silver Company’s Camille pattern will add touch of elegance to your dining room or parlor. Includes coffee pot, teapot, sugar, creamer and matching tray. It is vintage so expect a few minor imperfections. Our thanks to Dan Ingram for donating this prize! 4. A Night at the Theater. Enjoy Fallon’s historic theatre with

state of the art digital projection. Free movie for up to 30 friends at Fallon’s historic theater on Maine St. No-host con-cessions. Bring your own movie or watch one of theirs. This historic theater was recently added to the Nevada State Reg-ister of Historic Places and is a restoration in progress. Our thanks to Fallon Community Theater for this generous donation!

5. $100 Gift Card from Outback Steak House. Sink your teeth into a delicious ribeye, enjoy a Bloomin’ Onion® and so much more at the Outback. A little bit of Australia in our own backyard. Our thanks to Ann Rapp for donating this prize!

6. Disney Gift Card. The Wonderful World of Disney can be yours with this $100 Disney Gift Card. Explore the Magic Kingdom, make memories and meet Mickey and Minnie. Our Thanks to Sue Chambers for donating this prize!


11. Sylvester Churchill Commemorative Medallion. Hot off Historic Coin Press One at the Carson City Branch Mint, (the Nevada State Museum) the Churchill County Museum has commissioned a commemorative medallion to celebrate its 50th Anniversary. This 30mm .999 Fine Silver coin celebrates our

county’s name-sake—General Sylvester Chur-chill. There will be four winners drawn for this prize. Our thanks to Bob Getto, Jr. for donating this prize!

7. Tea and Coffee Basket. Direct from Chicago’s Adagio Tea Co. are many different flavors for your sipping delight. In-cluded with the tea are a set of fisher-men to assure your teabag is secure; a measuring spoon, infusers; a cat to rest your used tea bag, some David’s teas; a tea caddy and tasty honey cookies. There is coffee to boot, an individual teapot, a Longaberger colonial blue pot, mugs and collector cups. Over $150 value. Our thanks to Doris Dwyer and Sandy Hillery for their donation of this prize!

10. Nevada Basket. Over $175 worth of Nevada themed merchan-dise including beer, rocks, sticker’s, keyrings, playing cards, Churchill Vineyards wine, Kimmie’s candies, Nevada made soaps, Lattin Farm jams, socks, mugs, and even toilet pa-per. Our thanks to Ginny Dugan and Doris Dwyer for this prize!

9. Do Hog the Covers! This Harley Motorcycle inspired lap quilt titled, “Lib-

erty Ride” has been created by Jennie Mader for patriotic fans of the Harley Motorcycle. Our thanks to Jennie Mader for this prize!

8. Tickets to Four Churchill County Arts 2018-19 per-formances. Four Tickets to each of the following perfor-mances: Kugleplex: November 3, 2018; Sammy Miller and the Congregation: March 9, 2019; So Percussion: April 13, 2019; Gina Chavez and Band: May 18,2018. Our Thanks to Churchill County Arts for the donation of this prize!

12. Churchill County Museum Basket. Four Large T-shirts: Cantaloupe, Before Burning Man, Pilot, and Rakish Pose, four pairs of History Sox: Cantaloupe, Roadside America, Snowshoe, and Pilot; Three Mugs: Cantaloupe Label, Maine Street and Dam!, a Pair of Agate Bookends and a copy of Alcorn’s Birds of Nevada; a Cantaloupe luggage tag; and a Douglass House glass ornament painted on the inside. Our thanks to ourselves for ordering and creating such great merchandise for the museum store!


Photo Department NewsBarbara HodgesPhoto Curator

A selection of Laura Mills photographs has been added to the museum Photo Collection comprised primarily of student/teacher images from the late 1940s. Seventy-six images are included in this new acquisition, though some are duplicates among the many already acquired in the collection.

Scanning and cataloging continues on the Joyce Alcorn negatives from the 1970s-80s. This is a massive collection depicting life in Fallon at that time – from emergency response teams to sew-ing competition winners to parade participants. Some of these have recently made their way to the museum’s Facebook page – and the response has been very positive. Many of our viewers have helped in identifying the individuals, events and place. What a great community we have.

We have a computer setup in the research room if anyone cares to volunteer a few hours here and there to continue these identification efforts. Just give us a call to schedule a time.

Bug hunting with Laura Mills – a school tradition – is a memory few of her students will ever forget.

Batter up – the boys of summer


Become a Member or Renew your Membership

to the Churchill County Museum(check your mailing label for your membership expiration date)

Your membership helps the Churchill County Museum Association by providing funds to publish this newsletter, aid in artifact and

archival preservation and expand the historical and interpretive programs for our community.

Membership Benefits• Receive Four Newletter per year• 10% discount on most items in the Museum Store (20% during our annual sale in November & December)• Invitations and special notice to Museum events• Eligibility to join the Churchill County Federal Credit Union

Name:

Company:

Address:

City: State: Zip:

Phone:

Email:

Jr. Member (18 and under) $15.00 q q Business Wagon Master $50.00 q q

Senior (60+) $20.00 q q Business Pioneer $75.00 q q

Individual $25.00 q q Business Homesteader $100.00 q q

Family $30.00 q q Business Dam Builder $250.00 q q

Wagon Master $50.00 q q Business Aviator $500.00 q q

Pioneer $75.00 q qPlease make Checks Payable to:

Churchill County Museum Association1050 S. Maine Street

Fallon NV 89406

Homesteader $100.00 q q

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Individual Membership Levels New Renewal Business Membership Levels New Renewal


Upcoming EventsJUNEJune 9, Hidden Cave Tour. Meet at the Museum at 9:30 AmJune 20,Block of the Month Lunch. Begins at noonJune 23, Hidden Cave Tour. Meet at the Museum at 9:30 AmJune 23, Tinatabulations Spring Concert 1:00 PmJune 27, Sylvester Churchill Medallion Pressing at the State Museum Carson City 10am-Noon.JULYJuly 14 Hidden Cave Tour. Meet at the Museum at 9:30 AmJuly 18, Block of the Month Lunch. Begins at noonJuly 21, Annual Meeting and RaffleJuly 28, Hidden Cave Tour. Meet at the Museum at 9:30 Am

AUGUSTAugust 11, Hidden Cave Tour. Meet at the Museum at 9:30 AmAugust 15, Block of the Month Lunch. Begins at noonAugust 25, Hidden Cave Tour. Meet at the Museum at 9:30 Am


Recently at the Museum...The Churchill County Museum was a par-ticipant in the recent “JustServe Community Service Week”. Thank you to all of the volun-teers! Over 80 pillow-cases were made at the museum, in clubs, or at homes to donate to Ryan’s Case for Smiles. This non-profit orga-nization distributes pillowcases to sick children in local hospitals and is dedicated to helping kids feel better to heal better.

Over 120 people attended Bunny Corkill’s retirement open house. Thanks to everyone who attended, and thank you Bunny for 32 years of service. We will miss you.

Our Spring Lecture Series was a great success!

Museum HoursMarch 1st-November 31

Tuesday- Saturday 10am-5pmSunday 10am-3pmClosed Mondays

December 1-February 28Tuesday - Saturday 10am-4pm

Sunday 10am-3pmClosed Mondays

Board of Directors

Bob Getto, Jr. — President

Ann Rapp — Vice President

Nancy Balash — Treasurer

Sue Chambers — Secretary

Carl Erquiaga — County Representative

Members: Ginny Dugan, Doris Dwyer,

Daniel Hilliker, Sandy Hillery, Jennie Mader,

Bruce Mills, and Nathan Strong

ChurchillCounty Museum Association1050 S. Maine StreetFallon Nevada 89406

Phone: 775-423-3677 Fax 775-423-3662Email [email protected]

Non-ProfitOrganization

US Postage PaidFallon NV

89406Permit No 13

Churchill County Museum Staff

Dan Ingram—Museum DirectorDonna Cossette — Registrar

Jennifer Jones — Education CuratorBarbara Hodges —Photo CuratorPaulie Alles — Museum Assistant

Cathie Richardson —Museum AssistantBrianna Schwab — Museum Assistant

Dawson Frost — Intern

Check Your Membership Expiration Date on Your Mailing Label

See Page 9 for the Renewal Form!

a publication of the churchill county museum the best...

Documents