A. R. Bowman Memorial Museum facts for kids
Old Crook County Bank building
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| Established | 1971 |
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| Location | Prineville, Oregon, U.S.A. |
| Type | Oregon history |
The A. R. Bowman Memorial Museum is a cool place to learn about local history in Prineville, Oregon, United States. It opened in 1971. The museum is inside an old building that used to be the Crook County Bank. This building is so special that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Crook County Historical Society runs the museum. It shows off the history of Crook County and the middle part of Oregon. You can see old pioneer tools, a big train display, and exhibits about ranching and logging. There are also old clothes, furniture, and historic photographs. The museum even has a special room where you can do research.
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Who Was Arthur Bowman?
The museum is named after a very important person named Arthur Ray Bowman. He was a businessman and a leader in Prineville. Arthur was born in Kansas and moved to Prineville in 1910. He had studied law at the University of Washington.
Arthur started a successful business that helped people with property and insurance. He was always involved in helping his community. He worked as the County Judge for Crook County from 1936 to 1942. This job was like being a leader for the county.
He also helped create the Ochoco Irrigation District, which brought water to farms. He helped build the Prineville Airport too. Arthur even helped bring U.S. Highway 26 through Crook County. He was very interested in building the Prineville Dam on the Crooked River. Because he worked so hard on it, the dam was renamed the Arthur R. Bowman Dam in his honor. Arthur Bowman passed away in 1970. He left behind a great example of being a successful businessman and a helpful citizen.
In 1971, Arthur Bowman's wife and two daughters gave the old Crook County Bank building to Crook County. They wanted it to be used as a museum. The Crook County Historical Society then agreed to run the A. R. Bowman Memorial Museum.
The Historic Museum Building
The museum is located in the historic Crook County Bank building. This building was built in 1910. It's a two-story building made from stone blocks. These stones came from a local quarry near the Ochoco Viewpoint. The same quarry provided the stone for the Crook County Courthouse in 1909.
The inside of the building still looks much like it did when it was a bank. On the first floor, you can see the bank's original bronze teller cages. These are like the windows where bank tellers used to help customers. There are also marble counters, fancy etched glass, and beautiful chandeliers. The rich mahogany wood panels show how important and fancy banks were a long time ago.
The Crook County Bank was the first bank in the building. After it left in 1923, other banks used the building. During the Great Depression, one of those banks had problems. Arthur R. Bowman then bought the building in 1935 for his own businesses. He used the building until he passed away in 1970.
The old bank building is a great example of how Prineville grew in the early 1900s. Because of its unique style and its importance to Prineville's history, the Crook County Bank Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 19, 1991.
What You Can See at the Museum
The Crook County Historical Society runs the museum. It shows the history of Crook County and central Oregon. The museum uses the original bank interior as part of its layout. There are big sections about local industries, transportation, and even military history.
On the first floor, you'll find the Hall of History. This area shows off Crook County's past. You can see exhibits about the City of Prineville Railroad and the local timber industry. There are also displays about the United States Forest Service. You'll find pioneer furniture, old clothes, tools, and other items from the past. Many photos show people, famous places, and historic events in Crook County. You can even look inside the bank's old safe. It has old ledgers and other documents on display.
Upstairs on the second floor, there are more rooms to explore. You can see a ranch tack room with horse gear. There's also an old-time bedroom and a dining room. One special exhibit is a re-creation of the old Paulina store and post office. You can also see early medical and dental equipment. The museum's research library is also on the second floor. This room has about 700 books about Oregon history. People can research topics like the local timber industry or the Crook County range war. The museum's gift shop sells books about local history and souvenirs.
In 1980, the Crook County Historical Society was offered a 1907 Studebaker Phaeton car. They also got some old farm equipment. But there wasn't enough space in the main museum for these big items. So, the Society started raising money for another building. In 1987, a museum annex was built at the Crook County fairgrounds. Crook County owns this building, but the Historical Society runs it.
In 1996, the Bowman Museum hosted a special traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian. It was called Barn Again. This was the first time a Smithsonian exhibit was shown in central Oregon! In 1997, the museum received a special grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. This was a big deal because only a small number of museums received this national grant.
How to Visit
The A.R. Bowman Memorial Museum is located at the corner of Third and Main Street in Prineville. The museum is open all year long. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, it's open every day. For the rest of the year, the museum is open five days a week, from Tuesday through Saturday. It's usually open from mid-morning until late afternoon.
