Roosevelt County Historical Museum

The museum was founded in 1940 through funding provided by the Works Project Administration (WPA). A couple of New Deal art pieces are housed in the building. It is located on the campus of Eastern New Mexico University. The museum is open to members of the public during regular houses and can host tours with advance notice.

The museum was founded in 1940 through funding and labor provided by the Works Project Administration (WPA) and is located on the campus of Eastern New Mexico University. An interest for a county museum was shown with the need for historic artifacts that would allow for county citizens to learn of the history of the area, and there were a number of items that needed to be preserved, including a skeleton that was found near Arch, New Mexico January of 1938 that was later found to be the skeleton of prehistoric man.^[1] The skeleton was shipped to Harvard University to be examined, and was returned in time for the opening of the museum.^[2]

The WPA allocated $19,000 for the construction of the building, and sponsors were making efforts to raise $3,000. The entire project was estimated to cost about $22,000.^[3] By October of 1939, Mr. Floyd Golden, the President of ENMU, received a letter from the district WPA supervisor stating that sponsor funds would be needed quickly in order to ensure that building material was available to start work on constructing the museum.^[4] WPA workers began the foundation on November 7, 1939, with the Portales Daily News urging sponsors to make the payments that were pledged so that materials could be made readily available.^[5] By December, materials were ready to begin construction of the walls, and there were efforts to raise another $1,000 to complete the second story while WPA labor could be utilized.^[6]

In February of 1940, the News was again advertising the need for an extra $1,000 to complete the second story. It was also reported that having museum located on the Eastern New Mexico College campus allowed Roosevelt County Society of Art, History and Archaeology to both accept WPA assistance in constructing the building, and save money on maintaining the museum.^[7] It was supplied with both permanent and travelling exhibits by the State Museum, of which it was designated a depository.^[8]

The formal opening of the museum was announced to be Sunday, November 17, 1940, and the opening exhibits were set to contain mainly local historical material, alongside other art displays and items provided by the State Museum.^[9] One of the displays on opening day was an American flag older than the state of New Mexico. The flag was donated to the museum by Mrs. J.E. Camp, and had only 46 stars.^[10] After the initial opening, the museum had regular hours in the afternoons from 2:30 to 5 o’clock.^[11]

• "The Spring" by Kenneth Adams: The drawing is an abstract picture of 2 women carrying water buckets. May have been conserved by the New Mexico Chapter of the NNDPA in 2010.
• "Christmas Eve" by Glenn Koss: This work displays the Taos Pueblo. It may have been conserved by the New Mexico Chapter of the NNDPA in 2010. Glenn Koss was an American painter who lived from 1903-1966.

1. "Need For Museum is Shown." Portales Daily News, February 16, 1938.
2. "Ogg Graduates At Harvard." Portales Daily News, January 22, 1940.
3. "Museum Society Plans Building of $23,000 Museum During Next Year." Portales Daily News, September 13, 1938.
4. "Museum Work To Start." Portales Daily News, October 20, 1938.
5. "Work Starts on Co. Museum." Portales Daily News, November 7, 1939.
6. "County Museum Progressing." Portales Daily News, December 7, 1939.
7. "Second Story to be Added to Museum Building." Portales Daily News, February 12, 1940.
8. "Museum to be Opened In August." Portales Daily News, June 25, 1940.
9. "To Open Museum On November 17." Portales Daily News, September 27, 1940.
10. "Officers of Museum In Opening Day." Portales Daily News, November 20, 1940.
11. "Museum Open In Afternoons." Portales Daily News, November 20, 1940.