Sunday at the Museum

The Eddy County Museum may look the same from the street, but what's inside could surprise you.

Since its creation in 1965, the museum has held some of the county's most historic items, offering a unique glimpse into the past of Eddy County and surrounding region.

For years, however, the museum appeared more like a collection of stuff than an actual museum, as it lacked organization and dedicated exhibits.

But recently that's begun to change.

After years of great work and generous support, the Eddy County Museum has now taken the shape of a true historical museum, featuring unique displays with labels and informative footnotes.

Much of the museum's exhibits were put together within the past year and as recently as this summer.

That's not to mention a number of facility improvements in recent years that have made the museum itself a more accessible, safer and improved structure for the county's most historic artifacts.

On Friday, Sept. 1, Eddy County Historical Society President Merita Aldayel and board member Calvin Packard gave the Transcript a tour of the new and improved museum, and here's just a small glimpse of what's inside.

The old Stavanger Lutheran Church building – one of three structures that house the museum's collections – features some of the most interesting new exhibits.

One of those exhibits features old wedding dresses, tuxedos and baptismal gowns worn by Eddy County residents going back more than 150 years.

The exhibit was put together by archivist Rachel Brazil, and two of the more unique garments she put on display were worn by a Mrs. Neutzel, who immigrated to America from Norway in 1870.

One of those garments is the cape and tiered skirt that Mrs. Neutzel wore when she immigrated from Norway, and the other is her beautiful woven wedding dress with buttons and a slight bustle.

There are over a dozen garments on display for the exhibit, each a unique snapshot into the fashion trends from a bygone era. Also on display are bridal sashes and gloves, as well as old shoes and silk stockings.

Another new exhibit inside the Stavanger Lutheran Church honors the military history of Eddy County and its veterans.

The exhibit has numerous military uniforms, medals, patches and other apparel once worn by Eddy County veterans as far back as the Spanish-American War of 1898.

Labels and/or footnotes are provided for each uniform, stating which conflict it would have been worn in, the meaning of certain patches and more.

Elsewhere, over at the museum’s Brantford Depot building, a new exhibit has been put together for one of the museum’s most prized possessions: the first-ever gas-powered car to appear in Eddy County.

The vehicle is a 1903 Orient Buckboard, which first arrived in Eddy County back in 1904 and was owned by J.P. Mattson. The vehicle’s new display offers a closer look at the unique automobile, one of the first to ever be produced.

Much of the artifacts now being displayed were always at the museum, but had never been properly displayed until recent organization efforts uncovered them.

There’s even a new exhibit of old handcuffs, cell door locks, badges and padlocks which were donated by the Eddy County Sheriff’s Department back in 1976 – and only now are they featured inside a well-lit glass display.

Meanwhile, recent facility improvements have made the museum compliant with the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), and the addition of new fire-safety equipment has made the museum safer than ever.

All totaled, there are way too many unique artifacts, exhibits, and facility improvements to go through in one article – as well as people to thank for making it all possible – so the Eddy County Museum is encouraging local residents to stop by and take a look for themselves.

There will be a great opportunity to do so coming up, when the Eddy County Museum and Historical Society hosts its annual Ice Cream & Dessert Social on Sunday, Sept. 17 from 2-5 p.m. at the museum.

Aldayel, the board’s president, said she hopes to see plenty of people attend to see just how improved the Eddy County Museum has become. A free will donation will be taken with proceeds going to future improvements and exhibits at the museum.