A Museum of History and Significance
With a newly hired curator and director at the Mineral County Museum, located in Hawthorne, across from the notable Veteran’s Park, the vast number of displays and collections continue to be preserved with a continued respect for the past, while venturing into the technology of today. Kathy Kacheiries has begun using bar codes that sync up to Smart Phones or electronic tablets to provide an extended experience of linking the workable items to a YouTube display so visitors can see the item visually moving.
“It seems essential that a viewer would become more engaged in seeing a gold mining piece working to appreciate the process by which the equipment was used in it’s original location. By connecting a visitor to this newer access, it is an optional aspect which many visitors may enjoy,” Kacheiries shared.
Every intricate display case and every vignette already tells a story of historical significance, but Kacheiries is beginning her endeavor to create actual recordings, with firsthand interviews that accompany the donated items of interest. She has been reaching out to those within Nevada to stop by and shed light on the stories behind the collections, so a personal approach to the museum can be achieved.
This 14,000 square feet Mineral County Museum began as a true hometown labor of love, then grew into it’s current location and beyond. Stories of dump-picking came from the beginning stages of securing photos to salvaging iconic pieces of the past, just to build a historic gathering place for people to enjoy and learn from. Storage rooms are still full of donations that require research, repair and relocation, but as far as museums go, this one is top notch. Rich in historic origin, there is truly something for everyone within the building’s treasury.
Taxidermy native animals stand frozen amidst a room scene reproduced from the local terrain. An old corner pharmacy is replicated behind glass, showing the era’s furnishings and Victorian clothing arranged among the bottles and artifacts.
Come in to find fossils to flying birds; vintage garments to garage-sized transportation, such as full sized carriages and fire engines. Linger among the early age of office equipment and banking displays or reminisce with the aged dolls, toys and cultural literature found in cases or hanging on the walls among endless items. Adults enjoy the self-guided tours, while children gawk at the skeletons of animal heads or marvel at the rock formations salvaged into displays. Visitors can obtain maps, brochures, books, and souvenir items at a nominal fee. An array of jewelry, post cards and more can be obtained to assist in defraying the museum’s costs as well as appreciated donations, as this is a free-to-the-public museum. Hours are generally Noon to 4 pm, Tuesday through Saturday, or arrangements can be made in advance for group tours by calling (775) 945-5142.
— Sheri Samson
