View the history of Churchill County contained within our walls...

Collections

The Churchill County Museum Association's Board of Directors is guided in artifact collection by our mission statement: to collect, preserve, exhibit and share those artifacts, photographs and documents that serve to illustrate the story of man and nature in Churchill County.

Our artifact collection, numbering over 16,000 items, is continually growing thanks to generous donations from our visitors and members of the community. Our photograph collection, procured in the same manner, numbers nearly 25,000 images.

	Clothing and rope made from sagebrush bark, duck decoys fashioned from tule (pronounced "two-lee") reeds, baskets woven from willows and covered in pine pitch for waterproofing are just some of the artifacts that serve to illustrate the survival arts of the early Native American inhabitants in the Lahontan Valley.		A feminine exhibit of hats and personal accessories are on display in the Bluebird Hat Shop exhibit. The shop existed in Fallon during the 1920s so the clothing, hats, and accessories are all from that time period.
	This Flow Blue China gravy boat and saucer were manufactured in the early 1900s. Flow Blue China was mass-produced, making this china very affordable. It could be found in nearly every household in England and America during the 18th century.		Numerous quilts of all ages and types are on display in the museum. Our collections contain over 40 quilts and these are rotated in and out of the exhibit area approximately every 6 months.
	This rototiller/cultivator from the early 1900's was used in the Lahtonan Valley. Pulled behind a tractor, it helped prepare fields for planting.		While mining in Churchill County was not as prevalent as in other parts of the state, there were still a number of mines that made a profit for their owners. Ore carts like these were a necessity for miners during the early years of the 20th century.

What kinds of artifacts does the Churchill County Museum Collect?

Here's a small example:

Archival reference materials bound newspapers photographs clothing and accessories textiles (including quilts) decorative arts household and kitchen accessories outdoor farming equipment including tractors, mowers and a large steam-powered tractor local school bells

Native American baskets and arrowheads petrified wood an extensive rock collection wagons (including a doctor's buggy) an extensive blacksmith shop with tools a 1908 Oldsmobile (on loan) a refurbished Red Crown gas pump and the familiar outhouse next to our Woodliff building