Alamogordo Museum of History facts for kids

The Tularosa Basin Museum of History is a fascinating place in Alamogordo, New Mexico. It's a museum that collects and shares the history of Otero County, New Mexico. You can find old photographs, important documents, and cool historical items here. The museum is run by a group called the Tularosa Basin Historical Society. It used to be known as the Tularosa Basin Historical Society Museum.

Museum Collections and Exhibits

The Tularosa Basin Museum of History has many interesting things to see. It helps visitors learn about the local area's past.

The Rare 47-Star Flag

The museum's very rare 47-star U.S. Flag.

One of the most special items at the museum is a very rare 47-star U. S. flag. This flag is unique because the United States never officially had a 47-star flag.

Here's why it's so rare:

• New Mexico became the 47th state on January 6, 1912.
• Then, Arizona became the 48th state on February 14, 1912.
• According to the Flag Act of 1818, a new star is added to the flag on the Fourth of July after a new state joins.
• So, on July 4, 1912, the official flag design went straight from 46 stars to 48 stars. There was no official 47-star flag ever made by the government.

We don't know exactly where the museum's 47-star flag came from. It was probably made to celebrate New Mexico joining the country. For many years, this flag hung in a bar in Blue Lake, California. The bar owner, Wade Topping, used to live in Alamogordo. He knew how important the flag was and gave it to the museum in 1999.

These 47-star flags are extremely rare. No one knows exactly how many still exist. Another one is at the Museum at the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A curator there found a report of another 47-star flag at the Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore, Maryland. Also, a man named Bob Adamowski donated a 47-star flag to the Smithsonian Institution in 2005.

Other Interesting Exhibits

The museum has many other cool things that tell the story of local history. You can see:

• Personal stories and items from people who lived here long ago.
• A large bison head.
• A collection of pottery from the old La Luz Pottery Factory.
• Ancient tools and items from prehistoric Native American tribes. These were found in caves above Alamogordo.
• Over 3,000 historical photographs of the local area.
• An archive of historical documents for research.

The museum also has a gift shop where you can buy books about local history. There's also a special collection of local history books and documents that visitors can use right inside the museum.

The museum has moved locations over the years. It used to share a building with the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce. In 2006, the City of Alamogordo received money to buy a historic adobe building. This building, at White Sands Blvd. and Tenth Street, became the museum's new home. The museum is now located in this beautifully renovated historic adobe building.

Tularosa Basin Historical Society

The Tularosa Basin Historical Society runs the museum. This group is made up of volunteers who love history. They started in 1964 to help save and share the history of the Tularosa Basin. The society gets its money from donations, special events, and members who pay dues. In 2005, they had 220 members.

The society also publishes a series of books called The Pioneer (). These books come out twice a year and are about local history. Sometimes, they also publish other books, like a collection of stories about pioneer families in the area.