A. R. Bowman Memorial Museum
Encyclopedia
The A. R. Bowman Memorial Museum is a local history museum in Prineville
, Oregon
, United States
. Opened in 1971, the museum is housed in the old Crook County Bank Building
which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. The museum is run by the Crook County Historical Society and highlights the history of Crook County
and central Oregon
. Its collection includes many original pioneer artifacts, a large railroad exhibit, ranching and timber industry
displays, furniture, garments, and historic photographs. The museum also has a research library
.
and came to Prineville in 1910 after receiving a law degree from the University of Washington
. He established a successful title and insurance company in Prineville the county seat of Crook County. Bowman was active in civic affairs throughout his life. He served as the County Judge for Crook County from 1936 to 1942. He also helped establish the Ochoco Irrigation District and the Prineville Airport. Bowman helped bring U.S. Highway 26 through Crook County. He was particularly interested in the construction of the Prineville Dam on the Crooked River
. Because of his dedication to the project, the dam was renamed the Arthur R. Bowman Dam
in his honor. He died in 1970, leaving a legacy of business success and civic responsibility.
In 1971, Bowman’s wife and two daughters donated the Crook County Bank building to Crook County for use as a museum. At that time, the Crook County Historical Society assumed the responsibility of operating the A. R. Bowman Memorial Museum through a contractual agreement with Crook County.
The building’s interior has not significantly changed since it was a community bank. The first floor still has the bank’s original bronze teller cages, marble counter tops, etched art-glass, gilt and alabaster chandeliers, and the mahogany paneling that were the trappings of a prestigious banking institution in the first half of the 20th century.
The building was first occupied by the Crook County Bank. When the Crook County Bank left in 1923, it was replaced by the Bank of Prineville and later the Prineville National Bank. When that bank became insolvent during the Great Depression
, the building was purchased by A. R. Bowman for his title and insurance business. Bowman used the building for his various businesses from 1935 until his death in 1970.
The bank is an excellent example of Prineville’s early twentieth century development. Because of the its unique architecture and its importance to the history of Prineville, the Crook County Bank Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 19 June 1991.
.
On the first floor is the Hall of History, which highlights Crook County's past. This includes exhibits on the City of Prineville Railroad, the local timber industry and United States Forest Service
as well as pioneer furniture, garments, tools, and other artifacts. There are also many photographs of Crook County people, local landmarks, and historic event. The museum’s displays include the bank's original teller cages with their marble counters and elegant woodwork. Museum visitors can look inside bank’s safe and see old ledgers and other documents on display.
The second floor rooms include a ranch tack room
, an old-time bedroom, a dining room, a re-creation of the old Paulina store and post office
, and exhibits of early medical and dental equipment. The museum’s research library is also located on the second floor. The museum’s research room contains approximately 700 reference books on Oregon history. Researchers can investigate the local timber industry, the Crook County range war between cattlemen and sheepherders, the Lost Meek Wagon Train, and many other subjects. The museum’s gift shop has books on local history as well as souvenirs.
In 1980, the Crook County Historical Society was offered a 1907 Studebaker
Phaeton
along with some old farm equipment. However, there was no place in the museum to house the vehicle and the large artifacts. As a result, the Society established a building fund to raise money for another building. In 1987, a museum annex was constructed at the Crook County fairgrounds. The building is owned by Crook County, but is operated by the Crook County Historical Society in the same manner as the main Bowman Museum.
In 1996, the Bowman Museum hosted a Smithsonian traveling exhibit called Barn Again. That was the first time a traveling Smithsonian exhibit was shown in central Oregon. In 1997, the museum was awarded a general operating support grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services
, an independent agency of the United States Federal Government
. That was a significant achievement since less than 20 percent of more than 1,000 institutional applicants received one of the Institute’s competitive national grants.
through Labor Day
, the museum is open every day. The rest of the year, the museum is open five days a week, Tuesday through Saturday, The operating hour are normally from mid-morning until late afternoon.
Prineville, Oregon
Prineville is a city in and the county seat of Crook County, Oregon, United States. It was named for the first merchant located in the present location, Barney Prine. The population was 9,253 at the 2010 census.- History :...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Opened in 1971, the museum is housed in the old Crook County Bank Building
Crook County Bank Building
The Crook County Bank is a historic bank building in Prineville, Oregon, United States. It was built in 1910 using stone blocks from a local quarry. The building was first use as a bank and then occupied by title and insurance business until 1971, when ownership was transferred to Crook County...
which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The museum is run by the Crook County Historical Society and highlights the history of Crook County
Crook County, Oregon
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 19,182 people, 7,354 households, and 5,427 families residing in the county. The population density was 6 people per square mile . There were 8,264 housing units at an average density of 3 per square mile...
and central Oregon
Central Oregon
Central Oregon is a geographic region in the U.S. state of Oregon and is traditionally considered to be made up of Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook counties. Other definitions include larger areas, often encompassing areas to the north towards the Columbia River, eastward towards Burns, or south...
. Its collection includes many original pioneer artifacts, a large railroad exhibit, ranching and timber industry
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
displays, furniture, garments, and historic photographs. The museum also has a research library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
.
Arthur Bowman
The museum is named after Arthur Ray Bowman, a Prineville businessman and civic leader. Bowman was born in KansasKansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
and came to Prineville in 1910 after receiving a law degree from the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
. He established a successful title and insurance company in Prineville the county seat of Crook County. Bowman was active in civic affairs throughout his life. He served as the County Judge for Crook County from 1936 to 1942. He also helped establish the Ochoco Irrigation District and the Prineville Airport. Bowman helped bring U.S. Highway 26 through Crook County. He was particularly interested in the construction of the Prineville Dam on the Crooked River
Crooked River (Oregon)
The Crooked River is a tributary, long, of the Deschutes River in the U.S. state of Oregon. The river begins at the confluence of South Fork Crooked River and Beaver Creek. Of the two tributaries, the South Fork Crooked River is the larger and is sometimes considered part of the Crooked River proper...
. Because of his dedication to the project, the dam was renamed the Arthur R. Bowman Dam
Arthur R. Bowman Dam
Arthur R. Bowman Dam is an earth-type irrigation dam on the Crooked River in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in Crook County. Its reservoir is called Prineville Reservoir.-References:...
in his honor. He died in 1970, leaving a legacy of business success and civic responsibility.
In 1971, Bowman’s wife and two daughters donated the Crook County Bank building to Crook County for use as a museum. At that time, the Crook County Historical Society assumed the responsibility of operating the A. R. Bowman Memorial Museum through a contractual agreement with Crook County.
Historic building
The museum is housed in the historic Crook County Bank building. The building was constructed in 1910. It is a two-story Romanesque style building constructed using stone blocks from a local quarry located west of the Ochoco Viewpoint. This is the same quarry that provided the stone used to build the Crook County Courthouse in 1909.The building’s interior has not significantly changed since it was a community bank. The first floor still has the bank’s original bronze teller cages, marble counter tops, etched art-glass, gilt and alabaster chandeliers, and the mahogany paneling that were the trappings of a prestigious banking institution in the first half of the 20th century.
The building was first occupied by the Crook County Bank. When the Crook County Bank left in 1923, it was replaced by the Bank of Prineville and later the Prineville National Bank. When that bank became insolvent during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, the building was purchased by A. R. Bowman for his title and insurance business. Bowman used the building for his various businesses from 1935 until his death in 1970.
The bank is an excellent example of Prineville’s early twentieth century development. Because of the its unique architecture and its importance to the history of Prineville, the Crook County Bank Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 19 June 1991.
Museum exhibits
The museum is run by the Crook County Historical Society and highlights the history of Crook County and central Oregon. The building’s original bank interior has been maintained and is utilized in the museum’s floor plan. There are major sections on local industry, transportation, and military historyMilitary history
Military history is a humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, their cultures, economies and changing intra and international relationships....
.
On the first floor is the Hall of History, which highlights Crook County's past. This includes exhibits on the City of Prineville Railroad, the local timber industry and United States Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
as well as pioneer furniture, garments, tools, and other artifacts. There are also many photographs of Crook County people, local landmarks, and historic event. The museum’s displays include the bank's original teller cages with their marble counters and elegant woodwork. Museum visitors can look inside bank’s safe and see old ledgers and other documents on display.
The second floor rooms include a ranch tack room
Horse tack
Tack is a term used to describe any of the various equipment and accessories worn by horses in the course of their use as domesticated animals. Saddles, stirrups, bridles, halters, reins, bits, harnesses, martingales, and breastplates are all forms of horse tack...
, an old-time bedroom, a dining room, a re-creation of the old Paulina store and post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, and exhibits of early medical and dental equipment. The museum’s research library is also located on the second floor. The museum’s research room contains approximately 700 reference books on Oregon history. Researchers can investigate the local timber industry, the Crook County range war between cattlemen and sheepherders, the Lost Meek Wagon Train, and many other subjects. The museum’s gift shop has books on local history as well as souvenirs.
In 1980, the Crook County Historical Society was offered a 1907 Studebaker
Studebaker
Studebaker Corporation was a United States wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 under the name of the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, the company was originally a producer of wagons for farmers, miners, and the...
Phaeton
Phaeton body
A Phaeton is a style of open car or carriage without proper weather protection for passengers. Use of this name for automobiles was limited to North America or its products....
along with some old farm equipment. However, there was no place in the museum to house the vehicle and the large artifacts. As a result, the Society established a building fund to raise money for another building. In 1987, a museum annex was constructed at the Crook County fairgrounds. The building is owned by Crook County, but is operated by the Crook County Historical Society in the same manner as the main Bowman Museum.
In 1996, the Bowman Museum hosted a Smithsonian traveling exhibit called Barn Again. That was the first time a traveling Smithsonian exhibit was shown in central Oregon. In 1997, the museum was awarded a general operating support grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services
Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independent agency of the United States federal government established in 1996. It is the main source of federal support for libraries and museums within the United States, having the mission to "create strong libraries and museums that connect...
, an independent agency of the United States Federal Government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
. That was a significant achievement since less than 20 percent of more than 1,000 institutional applicants received one of the Institute’s competitive national grants.
Visiting
The A.R. Bowman Memorial Museum is located on the southeast corner of Third and Main Street in Prineville. The museum is open year around. From Memorial DayMemorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
through Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
, the museum is open every day. The rest of the year, the museum is open five days a week, Tuesday through Saturday, The operating hour are normally from mid-morning until late afternoon.