Dear Friends,
This has been another exciting year of activities and changes at the RANGE RIDERS MUSEUM. A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE SUPPORTED THE MUSEUM THROUGH THE FUNDRAISERS, GIFT SHOP, AND DONATIONS.
- ASSISTED MANY RESEARCHERS IN THE ARCHIVES from individuals writing books to family research to property history.
- SCHOOL TOURS from Colstrip, Forsyth, Glendive, Plevna, and Miles City with a yearly total of about 300 students.
- BUS TOURS from ABC tour from Billings and some of the private tours were for the South Eastern Rodeo Royalty, Red River Broadcasting, and Chuck Haney a photographer from Mt. Tourism.
- FORT KEOGH OFFICERS QUARTERS- We received a donation and a grant to finish the inside of the east side of the building. Then we will be able to start putting up more displays.
- Members of the board helped to Paint the garage and part of the house, repaired and painted the outside benches, freshened the paint on the Clark Gun Building and helped set up a new windmill including a tank and pump for authenticity.
- The new fence was finished around the parking lot, which gives us room for more brands to be placed. If you wish to place a brand ,contact us and there is a price of $275.
- We had extra help from the community, NORTHWEST FARM CREDIT SERVES,1ST INTERSTATE BANK, and LA CASA DIAMONDS all came to help us paint and clean in preparationto open for the season.
RECEIVED MANY NEW ARTIFACTS from long time families to help tell the history of our area, such as historical pictures, artifacts that fit in our displays, a sheep wagon, clothes and toys.
A comment we often hear is “ I have lived in this town for—- and have never been here till today and I’m going to be telling everyone I know about this treasure”. To me that says it all. This museum showcases our area history and we are can all be proud.
Work will continue next year with:
- REPAIR IN FORT KEOGH OFFICERS QUARTER setting up displays and repairing the other side, and finish the dormers.
- Sorting all of the extra pictures we have to be displayed.
- Chinking and putting a resurfacing product on the Pioneer Home.
FOR THE MUSEUM TO CONTINUE TO BE THE KEEPER OF THE HISTORY OF OUR AREA AS A CENTER FOR HISTORICAL LEARNING AND VISITOR DISCOVERY, YOUR MEMBERSHIP AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT ARE CRUCIAL. This is the only way the Museum is able to continue to gather, display and preserve the history of our area. DID YOU KNOW THAT THE MUSEUM WAS BUILT AND OPERATES WITHOUT $1.00 OF YOUR TAXES? This is why your membership and generous giving are so important.
Today the Museum stands as a monument to their commitment and foresight: something they would greatly appreciate and the whole county can be proud of.
We are approaching the opening in April, hope to see you this season.
Sincerely,
Bunny Miller-Curator
P.S. HERE ARE SOME WAYS YOU CAN HELP:
- Please renew your membership and invite your friends to join. Remember the Lifetime members have their name on the plaque in the Memorial Hall.
- Make a tax deductible charitable gift.
- Give a gift in memory of a loved one or in honor of someone special. Remember to include the name. address of a family member of the deceased to notify or, in the case of an honor gift, the address of the person being honored.
- Shop at oud gift shop.