Institution

The armory entryway is the entrance to the museum, introducing guests to the many exhibits available. On the right is a large reproduction of the 1910 photo of Craig during the Routt County Pioneer Celebration. This photo gives a snapshot of life during the time. When this photo was taken Craig was part of Routt County, with Moffat County being established the following year from the western portion of Routt County. On the left is the Craig Railroad Depot clock, estimated to be over 100 years old and it still keeps accurate time. Craig, and Moffat County has a rich railroad history.

When entering the Museum of Northwest Colorado, guests will walk through the armory entryway. From here guests may interact with museum staff or take themselves on a self-guided tour. The entryway is on the first floor with exhibits upstairs on the second floor and additional exhibits downstairs in the basement.

The Armory Entryway

The Museum of Northwest Colorado is housed in the old Colorado State Armory building in Downtown Craig, CO. With over 10,000 sq. ft. of display spanning 3 levels, the museum covers millions of years of NW Colorado history. The museum has been recognized worldwide for their tireless quest to uncover the events and artifacts that helped define the American West. In addition to one of the largest collections of Old West firearms and paraphernalia in the country, the museums entire collection consists of over 15,000 artifacts, 40,000 photographs, and 50,000 documents ~ making it a hub for authors, researchers, academia and the general public alike. The iconic West is still tangible in Northwest Colorado. In fact, as late as 1915, horse-drawn stagecoaches were still a major form of transportation used in the area. And there is so much more. From dinosaurs, to Native Americans, to early explorers, mountain men and famous outlaws, the Museum of Northwest Colorado tells the story of one of the richest histories in the American West. The Museum of Northwest Colorado is a member of the Colorado-Wyoming Association of Museums (CWAM) and the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH).

Along with one of the largest cowboy gun, leather & spur collections on public display, the Museum of Northwest Colorado also tells the fascinating history of Northwest Colorado. The museum is located in downtown Craig, Colorado and is open year round and does not charge admission. It features local, regional and traveling exhibits and is home to the world renowned Cowboy & Gunfighter Collection. The museum is housed in a beautifully restored 100 year old armory complete with an exquisite old stage. The museum also serves as a regional research facility with extensive resources including many primary sources, documents and photographs. The museum gift shop has an extensive book selection, to include rare and out of print books.

James Coyle Robinson, affectionately known as Jim, was born April 10, 1886 to John and Kate Coyle Robinson in what is now East Craig. He was one of the first settler children to be born in Northwest Colorado. His first job was as a horse breaker/trainer for Hi Bernard at the Two Bar Ranch. Jim is quoted as saying, "he started riding a horse as soon as he was divided far enough up the middle to have a piece on each side of the horse." He married Jean Chew on March 1, 1911, in Craig. They worked in the area almost all their lives until he died in June of 1976. As the Moffat County News highlights in their article on the Jim Robinson sculpture, "Robinson was chosen for the museum because he represented an average cowboy - not famous or notorious, just a plain, hard-working cowboy, a home-grown representation for the museum." Although large in stature, Robinson is a small example of the Wild West that the Museum keeps alive today.

The Statue of James Robinson stands six-foot tall outside of the Museum building. The bronze sculpture was done by Jerold Smiley and was unveiled at the Museum of Northwest Colorado in June of 1995. The Sculpture is the main fixture of the Estey Memorial Park that is located on the north side of the Museum. The Park consists of large planters (filled in the summer months with beautiful flowers), benches and the six-foot tall statue of Robinson. 

James Robinson Statue

Although the School Display is known by locals as the home for the Moffat County High School class composites it actually houses much more than that. In fact, Moffat County originally had 37 school districts with well over a hundred schools. It wasn't until the 1950's that consolidation came to Moffat County, at the insistence of the state government. The School Display pays tribute to these schools. For example, the Schoolhouse Display contains the original desks from the Waddle Creek Schoolhouse. The Waddle Creed school was located on the Williams Fork south of Craig. This part of the display also contains a pot-bellied stove that was used to heat the Lower Big Gulch School until it closed in 1959. The School Display is also home to the 1916 Cornerstone from the Breeze School that was demolished in 1981.The School Display shows the transition from the school name of "Craig High School" to "Moffat County Highschool". This can be seen from the engravings on the class ring display where until 1945 the rings were engraved with "CHS" and afterwards with "MCHS". The School display is a hidden gem that highlights the uniqueness of Craig, CO.

The downstairs level (basement) of the Museum houses the School Display. The School Display contains class composites, a small setup of an old school room building, and memorabilia from the Craig schools. This display is where most locals like to venture to look for their old class picture or find their family members among the many photos on the wall.

School Display

The Cowboy and Gunfighter collection is extraordinary in more ways than one. Not only is it one of the largest of its kind, but it also contains many one of a kind items such as: "Wild Horse Jack's" Remarkable Chaps, Brigham Young’s “Destroying Angel”, and one of the world's rarest Winchesters. All three of these items were collected by Bill Mackin and are on display in the Museum. They are just a few of the hundreds of items that the Cowboy and Gunfighter collection houses.The Museum's "Museum Marvels" is an ongoing project done by the Assistant Director Paul Knowles. Mr. Knowles features individual items and gives them a little more detail than what can be provided on the plaques in the Museum. Many of the featured items in the "Museum Marvels" series are items located in the Cowboy and Gunfighter collection. They can be found by a silver star with a corresponding number. If you stop into the Museum there are paper booklets (free for guests) located in the front entrance. If you can't stop in, don't worry, the Museum also features these items weekly on their Facebook Page.

The Museum has one of the largest cowboy gun/leather/spur collections ever on public display. It is one of the finest of its kind and represents 50 years of collecting by its original owner, Bill Mackin. It is the basis of his own book, "Cowboy and Gunfighter Collectibles" (available in the Museum Gift Shop). Parts of the collection have been featured in numerous other publications and TV shows. The collection is displayed on the second floor of the museum in its entirety.

Cowboy and Gunfighter Exhibit

Artifacts on display on the museums second floor landing include artifacts from Ann Bassett, the Queen of the cattle rustlers; Harry Tracy, the outlaw &amp; murderer; Isam Dart, the beloved cowboy murdered by Tom Horn; Jim Baker, one of the last true mountain men, and "Bad Bob" Meldrum, a man who played many roles: lawman, artist and killer.Additionally, on display is a Harper's Ferry M1795 Conversion Musket from 1812. Another artifact is Buffalo Bill Cody's saddle, made by Fred Ross, who had a saddle shop in Craig, CO from 1891 to 1905. The saddle on display was made for Cody in 1900 for the New York Exhibition of 1901. Additional items such as spurs, chaps, reins, and bridals are also on display on the second floor landing.

The Museum of Northwest Colorado's entry to the second floor includes three areas: a mezzanine, the landing itself and an additional exhibit area. The mezzanine area showcases rotating exhibits such as local art, Remington prints, photo compilations and more. The landing area itself contains several artifacts depicting the varied and exciting history of Northwest Colorado. The second floor landing is also the entry to the Cowboy & Gunfighter exhibit. 

Museum 2nd Floor Landing

Northwest Colorado is considered one of the last regions of the United States to rely on horse-drawn stage services for a majority of the transportation in and out of the area and horse-drawn stage services did not become obsolete until 1915. Stagecoach services provided essential passenger service and U.S. Mail transportation to the region. In 1890 the stage route Craig to Hayden took three hours (today 20 minutes) and cost $4.00. The railroad arrived in Steamboat Springs in 1909 and Craig in 1913, this playing a part in the demise of the stagecoach. The arrival of the automobile and auto-roads also played a part. When the Moffat Railroad Line reached Craig in 1913 the citizens were rightfully excited. The Moffat Road and the Moffat Tunnel were essential for a variety of reasons. The tunnel cut the distance between Denver and Northwestern Colorado by many miles, reducing the multiple grades, as well as reducing the winter blockades. The railroad provided connections for local farmers, cattle and sheep ranchers and miners to markets across the United States. More wool shipped out of Craig via rail than almost anywhere else. David Moffat planned to continue the railroad line through Craig west into Salt Lake City, Utah but funds dried up and he died in 1914, ending the line in Craig. When the big homesteading wave came in the 1920s-30s, potential homesteaders were able to load their possessions onboard rail cars and set off to a new land. The railroad took weeks off the trip over the mountains for them. Residents of the Yampa Valley were able to take the train up or down valley to conduct business or travel farther east to the bright lights and more established cities on the other side of the Continental Divide. Tourists learned about the beauty of the high country and were able to board a train in New England and travel by rail all the way to the end of the line in Craig. Hunters and fishermen came as well as those who just wanted to experience the West. The trip was still difficult during the winter months, when enormous drifts blocked the rails. Sometimes it took several days to clear the tracks and resume service. As larger engines were put on the line, the stoppages became fewer and farther apart. The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad took over the Moffat Line in 1947, including the Moffat Tunnel that had been built using public funds. Within twenty-years the D&amp;RGW decided that passenger service was no longer profitable. The last passenger train to arrive in Craig pulled in on April 7, 1968. Today, although trains still run on what was the Moffat Road, they carry only coal and occasionally fuel and supplies. The dead-end line stops at Colowyo Mine south of Craig.

Transportation in Northwest Colorado and the Yampa Valley has evolved as time has passed... horseback, wagons, stagecoach, train, and  automobile and auto-roads. These lifelines have connected the wild and remote region of Northwest Colorado with the rest of the country. The Stagecoach and Train Exhibits detail this pivotal part of the regions history. 

Stagecoach & Train Exhibits

Augusta Higgins Farnham and Allen Grant Wallihan both came to Northwest Colorado in 1882 and were married in 1885. They settled in Lay where A.G. took the position of postmaster. Around 1889, at the urging and assistance of Augusta, A.G. began taking photos of the abundant local wildlife and soon established a reputation as pioneers in the unexplored field of wildlife photography. Previous to this wildlife photography was primarily staged due to the size of the cameras and difficulty processing the photos. Photographing wildlife required incredible patience and physical stamina. If they were fortunate, Augusta and A.G. might achieve one good photo a day. They pursued their photographic endeavors with such excellence that they were invited to the Paris World Exposition of 1900 where they showcased their work to the 51 million people attending the exposition. They exhibited again in 1904, at the St. Louis World's Fair where they received a bronze medal. The Wallihans also published two widely circulated books featuring their photographs and which included forewords by Theodore Roosevelt, who was a frequent visitor and hunter to the area. By the early 1900s the Wallihans’ activity in wildlife photography was waning, but they remained active in the Lay community until their deaths. Augusta passed in 1922, and A.G. passed in 1935. A.G. is one of the longest serving postmasters in in the history of the United States Postal Service.

Augusta and A.G. Wallihan were pioneers in the field of wildlife photography. They homesteaded near Lay, 17 miles west of Craig, CO in 1885. They began taking photos of the abundant local wildlife and soon established a reputation for excellence. The Museum of Northwest Colorado has multiple examples of their work on permanent exhibit, not limited to Augusta’s hunting rifle, their marriage license, and the Wallihan's "Universal" 8x10 Rochester Optical Company camera that A.G. purchased in 1894. This camera is on loan from the History Colorado Center to the Museum.

Augusta and A.G. Wallihan Photography Exhibit

The National Defense Act of 1920 provided for a comprehensive and well organized plan of national defense, establishing the Army Reserves and the Army National Guard. Colorado was quick to respond to the federal mandate and in its 23rd General Assembly a bill was introduced and passed to provide $500,000 to construct armories across the state to house the newly created Colorado National Guard units. In response in 1921 Craig, CO established a National Guard unit with nearly 60 men enlisted in the Colorado National Guard within twenty-four hours on March 30, 1921. The unit was established as Company A, 157th Infantry of the Colorado National Guard. With an established National Guard unit in Craig, the unit needed a home. By late fall of 1921 funding had been obtained and a site selected for the new armory and soon after construction began on the three-story building. Construction continued as possible through the winter of 1921-1922 and was completed in June 1922. In addition to a hardwood-floored drill floor – which was lined for basketball –, the building had a full stage with drop sceneries, a kitchen and mess hall, balconies and a swimming pool.Craig will always have the distinction of receiving the first National Guard armory built in Colorado. Over time, a total of 16 armories were built around the state. 12 of those buildings were built with the same plan as the Craig building. John J. Huddart, architect for the state military department drew the plans and oversaw the construction. Of these, the Craig armory is the last still in use today. In time the National Guard Unit outgrew the armory and a new armory was built on the east end of Craig and the original building was turned over to Moffat County for the sum of $1. In 1990, the Moffat County commissioners decided that the best use for the building would be to house the growing collection of the Museum of Northwest Colorado which was in the Moffat County Courthouse. After some repair and renovation to the interior and exterior of the armory building, the new Museum opened its doors to the public on Memorial Day, 1991. Today, the building has been added to the National Register of Historical Places and welcomes visitors from around the world as well as hosting meetings for Moffat County residents. The beautiful restoration suits its current purpose well and visitors frequently comment on the quality of the Museum and its home.

The Museum of Northwest Colorado is housed in the Craig Armory building, built between 1921 and 1922, which is listed on the National Registrar of Historic Places. The Armory is a beautiful structure with a varied history. Military training, boxing matches, basketball games, dances, concerts, plays, roller skating, funerals etc. were all held in the armory in its first fifty years of life. It has housed the Museum of Northwest Colorado since 1991.

Museum of Northwest Colorado

The Armory Entryway

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources