Revisiting the West Texas Trail Museum in Moorcroft

by Larry Miller

Three years ago, friend Don Matthesen and I made a trek to nearby Moorcroft, Wyoming for a visit to the West Texas Trail Museum. When we arrived, we discovered they were in the midst of a major expansion and renovation; nonetheless, museum director Cynthia Clonch very graciously allowed us to explore the museum, even providing much background and information about the many exhibits that were still on display during their "remodeling" and expansion.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and vowed that we would return after the expansion was completed in September 2013.  Alas, as often happens, time got away from us.  We continued to explore other museums in Wyoming, South Dakota and Montana, but we didn't make it back to Moorcroft that fall -- or the next season -- or even last year.  So our return to the West Texas Trail Museum last week (4/21/16) was long overdue.

Joining us on this trip was Nebraska native and Spearfish resident Perry Beguin.  Now that he, too, is retired, perhaps he'll be able to join us more frequently on our occasional jaunts to things historic across our region.  Museums have been favorites, but we've also explored the remnants of the 1894 Spearfish Electric Light and Power Company about three miles up Spearfish Canyon.  But I digress....

The Hub in downtown Moorcroft, Wyoming

Plans for breakfast in Sundance en route to Moorcraft had to be scrapped as we discovered that Higbee's Cafe was closed for a couple of weeks, and we could find no other home style cafe open.  There's a Subway, but we saved that for a "dessert stop" on the way home.

Arriving in Moorcroft late in the morning, we elected to first find a place to eat and then "play" later at the museum.  

Thus, we found ourselves pulling up in front of the Hub Cafe, about a half block or so north of the railroad tracks in downtown Moorcroft.  

Museum guys Miller, Beguin and Matthesen

Don Matthesen remembered the Hub from his years as a teenager in nearby  Sundance.

After a hearty breakfast and good conversation, we met up with Babe (Hoshaw) Lynch, whose parents ran the restaurant about a half century ago.  And she has returned remodel and run the business again.. That must be a record of sorts in Moorcroft.  It's rare to find an old building that's occupied by a business that's continuing to provide the same kinds of services many decades later.  That would be the Hub.

With breakfast -- including cinnamon rolls -- behind us, we forged ahead to the West Texas Trail Museum.  Although we missed director Cynthia Clonch, volunteers graciously welcomed us and gave us an overview of the "new" museum, including a peek at the traveling exhibit from the Sweetwater County Historical Museum.  It's a wonderful collection of photos and display boards with information about the rough and tough years in the late 19th century.  It's called Wyoming's Outlaw Trail, and it's well worth traveling an hour or two to see it.  

We spent three hours in the museum, re-visiting earlier exhibits -- but spending more time poring through the traveling exhibit. We're told it was organized three years ago by author Mac Blewer and Sweetwater County Historical Museum Exhibits Coordinator Dave Mead.  It's replete with photos and information from Blewer's Arcadia Publishing book by the same name, Wyoming's Outlaw Trail.  The Wyoming Humanities Council provided a grant to help the project get off the ground.

Wyoming's Outlaw Trail exhibit will remain on display at the Moorcroft museum until May 20th.  Then it's slated to be a part of and "Outlaw Symposium" in Vernal, Utah, beginning June 10th.

As with our last trip, I've posted a collection of photos illustrative of the many exhibits in the museum.  You'll find them in this gallery entitled West Texas Trail Museum  - Revisited!

The West Texas Trail Museum is located at 100 E. Weston Street in Moorcroft.  They're open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.  Question?  Give them a call at 307-756-9300.  Admission is free.