Staff and volunteers at Crosbyton’s Memorial Pioneer Museum said the work they do to preserve the county’s rich history is symbolic of the roots many of the community members share.
“My father was the first president of the board, was president for 31 years and president of the building committee that put up the initial structures,” Museum Director Melinda Cagle said.
Cagle and other volunteers are working to expand the museum to carry on the legacy of the people who built Crosby County.
“We’re very proud of it,” Board of Directors member Joe Hargrove said. “Not very many little towns our size has a facility such as this.”
The museum started in 1957 thanks to an endowment. It now has four wings that tell the story of Crosby County.
“The museum started out portraying the early history, but the way that it has run also portrays the history of those that came later,” Cagle said. “So in essence it has grown as the community has grown.”
The oldest part of the museum is the Hank Smith Gallery. It’s an exhibit featuring the first settler, Hank Smith, in the 19th Century.
There’s also exhibits dedicated to cotton, ranching, housing, transportation and technology. Museum directors said they are also building a farming museum at a location across the street. The exhibit will feature a collection of antique farming equipment, buggies and even an old gas pump.
“Our economy evolves around this, it is our history,” Hargrove said.
They plan to have the farming exhibit up in a few years, and are looking for anyone who has anything they’d like to donate.
Staff and volunteers said they’re proud of the museum and are excited for its future.
If you’re interested in learning more about the museum click here.
