When high school alumni come home to the Wolf Point area for the annual Wolf Point Wild Horse Stampede in mid-July, there’s a chance they’ll find themselves staring at their own picture hanging on the walls of the local museum.
It’s part of the charm and draw of the Wolf Point Area Museum which, among many other items of the area’s history, features a section dedicated to displaying high school sports squads.
“The high school alumni section has all the pictures of the old teams,” said Herman Shumway, museum president and its former curator. “It goes back to 1914, or somewhere around there, with some of the old basketball photos.”
Found in the northeastern Montana town of Wolf Point, at 203 Highway 2, the museum is open from May 15 to Sept. 15, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
It originally opened in 1972 in the small basement of the city’s library but, in 2007, moved into a newly-remodeled, 7,200-square-foot building, giving it more space to show off and bring in exhibits.
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Those exhibits focus on the history of Wolf Point and the surrounding areas, including Valley, McCone and Daniels counties.
“We’ve got just about everything from our area,” Shumway said.
Included in that coverage are exhibits showing the areas Native American history and the homesteader tradition dating back to the 1800s, complete with stoves, cooking gear and a kitchen setup.
The museum also pays special attention to military history, with a “beautiful firearm collection” and displays from various American wars.
“We go clear back to the Civil War on that,” Shumway said.
According to the City of Wolf Point website, the museum also has life-size statue of artist Charles M. Russell, which was created by local high school art teacher Archie Graber.
Other displays include Sherman T. Cogswell’s 1910 National cash register, old printing presses, clocks, phonographs, a 1915 Bible and an arrowhead collection. Many of the items on display come from historic area residents, businesses and buildings.
“We have a lot of old furniture and things of that nature,” Shumway said.
For visitors looking to double up on attractions, Shumway said that July 10-13 is the perfect time to visit Wolf Point and the museum because those are the dates this year for the annual Wolf Point Wild Horse Stampede.
The stampede, now in its 91st year, features a PRCA rodeo and a weekend filled with events, including a carnival.
It intersects with the museum during the annual pancake breakfast that Saturday, which is held at the museum and acts as a fundraiser.
“That’s turned out really great because your alumni and everybody come home for class reunions and the stampede,” he said. “It’s turned into a really great yearly deal.” n
