Motley County Historical Museum facts for kids
The Motley County Historical Museum is a special place that keeps the history of Motley County alive. This county is a rural area, meaning it has lots of open land and small towns. The museum is located in Matador, Texas, at 828 Dundee Street. It's inside an old building that used to be the Traweek Hospital.
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The Old Traweek Hospital
The building where the museum is now was built between 1927 and 1928. It was a hospital started by Dr. Albert Carroll Traweek, Sr. He was born in 1875 and passed away in 1959. Dr. Traweek came from Fort Worth and was the very first doctor in Motley County. He was also the county's first health officer.
Building the Hospital
Dr. Traweek's uncle, Charles Stephen Oates, designed the hospital. Charles Oates was a well-known builder in West Texas. The hospital was built to be very modern for its time.
Doctor's Visits and New Technology
Dr. Traweek would travel to see his patients in many ways. He used a horse-and-buggy, a motorcycle, and even a special car called a Bendix touring car. These cars were only made for a short time, from 1908 to 1909.
Dr. Traweek and his oldest son, Dr. A. C. Traweek, Jr. (who lived from 1898 to 1991), made sure their hospital had the best technology. It was a two-story building with some cool features:
- There was one large bathroom for all the patient rooms upstairs.
- The operating room had hot and cold running water, which was very advanced then.
- The building had asbestos insulation to keep it warm or cool.
- There was even a ramp from a back door upstairs down to the alley. This made it easier to move things or people.
What Happened to the Hospital?
In 1991, the hospital building was given to the county. During this time, a large medical device called an iron lung was moved. An iron lung was used to help people breathe, especially those who had polio. As workers moved it from the second floor to the ground, it accidentally broke into many pieces.
Today, you can still see parts of the old hospital inside the museum. The operating room, one patient room, and the bathroom have been kept as they were. This helps visitors understand what early medical care was like.
What You Can See at the Museum
The Motley County Historical Museum has many different rooms, each showing a part of the county's history.
Life in Motley County
You can learn about:
- Ranching: How people raised animals and worked on ranches.
- Saddlemaking: How saddles for horses were made.
- Indian culture: The history and way of life of the Native American people in the area.
- County history: Important events and changes in Motley County over time.
- Music: The musical traditions of the area.
- Veterans: Stories and items from people who served in the military.
- Lifestyles: How people lived their daily lives long ago.
Research and Exhibits
The museum also has a large collection of old newspapers. Researchers can look through files from the Matador Tribune and the Motley County Tribune.
One exciting exhibit is a diorama of early Matador. A diorama is a 3D model that shows a scene. This one shows what Matador looked like between 1891 and 1910.
Other things you can see include:
- Old clothing
- Home furnishings (furniture and decorations)
- Tools used in the past
- Firearms (old guns)
- Early photographs of ranch life
- Items from old schools
Visiting the Museum
The museum is open on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. It also serves as the office for the Chamber of Commerce in Matador.
You can find the museum at the corner of Dundee and Bundy Streets. It's right across from the Matador United Methodist Church, which is at 902 Dundee Street.
