Steelworks Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 2007 |
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| Location | Pueblo, Colorado |
| Type | Industrial museum |
| Owner | Steelworks Center of the West |
The Steelworks Museum is a cool place in Pueblo, Colorado. It's run by the Steelworks Center of the West. The museum is inside an old building called the Minnequa Steel Works Office Building and Dispensary. This building used to belong to the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company.
The museum shows how people in the area used to mine coal and make steel. You can also learn about railroads and the workers who built them. It explains how the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company changed the region.
Contents
Discovering the Museum's Past
The museum has an interesting history. In 2000, a group called the Bessemer Historical Society was formed. They worked with the city and state of Colorado. Their goal was to protect old records, items, and buildings. These things all belonged to the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company. This society became a special non-profit group.
Protecting Important Buildings
The Bessemer Historical Society raised a lot of money, about $1.7 million. With this money, they bought the main office buildings and land. These buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. This means they are very important historical sites.
Amazing Archives and Opening Day
The museum also got grants from groups like Save America’s Treasures. These grants helped them organize all the old company records. The Steelworks Archives is now one of the biggest company archives in America. Anyone can come and look at these records. The Steelworks Museum first opened its doors in 2007. It was called the "Steel Works Museum of Industry and Culture" back then. Later, the Bessemer Historical Society changed its name. It is now known as the "Steelworks Center of the West."
What You Can See at the Museum
The Steelworks Museum has many cool things to explore.
- The Steelworks Archives: This is a huge collection of company records. It has over 6,000 big boxes of papers. There are also 228 films and 100,000 photos. Plus, you can find 30,000 maps and drawings.
- CF&I Mine Rescue Car No. 1: This is a special old wooden train car. It was used to rescue miners. People believe it's the only one of its kind left in America.
- Historic Buildings: You can see three of the old main office buildings. These buildings were once used by the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company.
- Preserved Medical Dispensary: This is an old medical office. It shows how doctors used to care for workers.
More to Explore
- Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex
