Collections: Artifacts

History is more than names and dates; it is about people, places and events. One of the best ways to understand and appreciate the past is to see the relics of those who went before us. In short, artifacts help remind us that the past is real and more than a collection of stories. The NRHC has a large and growing collection of material culture that helps to bring history alive and remind us all that real people, very much like you, faced the joys and hardships of life in the vast vistas of the American West.

The NRHC has two main types of artifacts. First, there are the buildings. The structures are the most imposing artifacts in the collection and are popular with visitors. People compare the living conditions of the structures with their own.  Other visitors relate with the buildings in a personal manner by telling stories of ancestors who had lived in a similar fashion. Some visitors examine the rail depot and recall having waited for a train in a wooden train station, and others walk through the 6666 Barn and recall their childhood. Other visitors stare in awe and try to imagine “living back then.” In the past few years, structures have been added to the collection and have enhanced the NRHC artifact collection.

The other group of artifacts ranges from letters to saddles to wagons to a locomotive. This is the largest group of artifacts in the NRHC collections.  Within this group are small donations and large donations.  Among the largest donations are the James Wheat Spur and Bit Collection which consists of over 1,000 spur pairs and singles as well as bits. Moreover, the Tandy Firearm Collection has no less than 180 vintage and antique firearms and accessories. The NRHC receives new donations of non-structure artifacts every month, and many items from this group of artifacts are on exhibit. 

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