Wells Fargo Museum (Phoenix) facts for kids
Wells Fargo Museum
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| Dissolved | September 2020 |
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| Location | 145 W Adams St Phoenix, Arizona |
The Wells Fargo Museum in Phoenix was one of several museums run by Wells Fargo Bank across the United States. These museums helped tell the story of how Wells Fargo played a part in American history. The Phoenix museum was located right in downtown Phoenix.
This museum showed how Wells Fargo helped pioneers settle the Territory of Arizona. It had many cool exhibits. One popular exhibit was a copy of a Wells Fargo bank from the 1800s. The museum closed in September 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most other Wells Fargo Museums also closed at that time.
Contents
Exploring the Museum's Cool Exhibits
The Wells Fargo Museum had many interesting things to see. Here are some of the main exhibits:
- An actual stagecoach from 1879, used by Wells Fargo.
- A copy of a stagecoach that visitors could climb inside.
- Real gold and other valuable minerals.
- A working telegraph machine.
- Two old-fashioned telephones where visitors could talk to each other.
The Isaias W. Hellman Collection
Isaias W. Hellman was a successful businessman. He came from Bavaria and started his first bank in his store. Later, he owned the Nevada National Bank. His bank joined with Wells Fargo in 1905. Hellman was also a big collector of historical firearms. He was the president of Wells Fargo until he passed away in 1920. His amazing collection was given to the museum for everyone to see.
Discovering Art at the Museum
The museum also had a special art gallery. It showed artworks by famous artists like N.C. Wyeth and Frank Earle Schoonover.
N.C. Wyeth's Western Art
The museum had the largest collection of N.C. Wyeth’s western-themed art. Wyeth was a famous illustrator. He traveled to the western United States to learn about mining. He also collected cowboy and Native American clothing. His trips inspired him to create dramatic paintings of the Old West.
Frank Earle Schoonover's Illustrations
Frank Earle Schoonover was an artist who drew pictures for books and magazines. He illustrated stories like "Hopalong Cassidy" and "A Princess of Mars." The museum displayed his painting "There’ll Be Hell to Pay," which was part of the Hopalong Cassidy series. Schoonover also helped start what is now the Delaware Art Museum.
Trustrim Connell's Medal of Honor Story
The museum had a display about Captain Trustrim Connell. He was a brave soldier who received the Medal of Honor. This is the highest award for military bravery. Connell was part of the Union Army during the American Civil War.
During a battle in Virginia, Corporal Connell captured a Confederate flag. This act of bravery was enough to earn him the Medal of Honor. He received his award on May 10, 1865. After the war, Connell was put in charge of the Indian territory. This included all of Wells Fargo's business in Arizona. In 1898, his family moved to Phoenix. In 1907, he received a special Gold Medal that said "For Valor." He worked for the American Railway Express Company in Phoenix until he retired in 1925.
Images for kids
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1879 Wells fargo Stagecoach
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Front view of the 1879 Wells Fargo Stagecoach.
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Inside the 1879 stagecoach.
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A 1920s Tellers Cage.
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A 1920s Bank Manager's Office.
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A bank exhibit.
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One of many exhibits.
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The gold exhibit.
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The I. W. Hellman Gun Collection.
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The Art Gallery.
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"The Pay Stage" by N.C. Wyeth.
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"There'll Be Hell to Pay" by Frank Schoonover.
See also
