Where Am I To Go

Take yourself back to the days of the 20's, 30's, and 40's when mineral water, gambling, bootlegging, and other extreme pleasures brought visitors from all over the world to Hot Springs, Arkansas. The Gangster Museum of America is an historic and entertaining account of how some of the most notorious criminals in America co-existed with the quaint population of this little valley town in the mountains of central Arkansas. The audiovisual experience of the seven galleries is in itself worth the price of admission. Play in the antique casino and hear the historian in the museum theater relate who, what, when, and where stories that are fascinating, informative, and educational.

In loving memory of Loren Alberts, whose heart and passion was to share the world and it's many wonders through his vision and voice, inspiring kindred spirits to seek the adventure of a wonder-filled journey.

The Martin & Frances Lehnis Railroad Museum became a reality in 2007, as a result of several years' work done by people both in Brownwood and in the railroad community. Martin & Frances Lehnis had a farm east of Early, Texas for many years, where they raised their son and collected thousands of railroad artifacts. Martin ("Buster") had worked for the Santa Fe railroad just 2 months shy of 50 years. Upon his retirement, he switched from full-scale railroading to model railroading. Martin & Frances even went so far as to build their own 7 1/2" gauge railroad on their farm, giving rides to kids over the years. As they grew older, they began planning out what to do with their massive collection of historic railroad artifacts- including a 1931 Santa Fe Caboose, 1929 Pullman Superintendent's Car, and Kress Depot. The railroad community feared the collection would be  sent all over the country. William Osborn an attorney in Austin, a rail fan and collector, helped the Lehnises form a contract with the City of Brownwood. The donated collection would help in establishing a transportation museum.

Unfortunately, Frances passed in November 2004 and Martin shortly after in February 2005; neither of them ever saw the completion of the museum. TXDOT approved a grant to build the museum and the City of Brownwood supplied the matching funds. After the contract was completed, Mary Irving, Curator of the Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum, worked on the Lehnis collection for three years. She was then hired on at the newly built Martin & Frances Lehnis Railroad Museum as the full time Curator. 

After several months of preparation of exhibits, the museum opened its doors to the public on September 14, 2007 during Brownwood's Reunion Celebration. The museum's exhibits are a result of the City of Brownwood's support, the amazing talents of volunteers from all over the country, and donations from members of our community. The museum continues to grow and flourish from the efforts of so many, and is truly a museum that volunteers built. 

The mission of the Martin & Frances Lehnis Railroad Museum is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and educate the public about the role of Brownwood, Texas in the railroad history of Texas  and that of the American Southwest. 

In loving memory of Loren Alberts, whose heart and passion was to share the world and it's many wonders through his vision and voice, inspiring kindred spirits to seek the adventure of a wonder-filled journey.

In 1942, as the country reeled from the attack on Pearl Harbor, trained male pilots were in short supply. Qualified pilots were needed to fight the war. The Army also was desperate for pilots to deliver newly built trainer aircraft to the flight schools in the South. Twenty-eight experienced civilian women pilots volunteered to take those ferrying jobs. They formed the country’s first female squadron late summer 1942.

Between November 1942 and December 1944, 1,074 more women were trained to fly first in Houston and then moved to Avenger Field in Sweetwater, TX. Nancy Love and Jacqueline Cochran founded the two programs (Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron and Women’s Flying Training Detachment) that became the WASP.

WASP flew every aircraft in the Army’s arsenal. In addition to ferrying, they towed gunnery targets, transported equipment and non-flying personnel, and flight-tested aircraft that had been repaired before the men were allowed to fly them again. For over two years, the WASP went on to perform a wide variety of aviation-related jobs and to serve at more than 120 bases around the country.

The man who championed the WASP was Army Air Forces Commanding General “Hap” Arnold. He was revered by the U.S. Congress, but in June 1944 when he sought to officially designate the WASP as members of the United States military, Congress said “no.” After a protracted fight, the WASP were granted military status in 1977, thanks to a law signed by President Carter. These 1,102 Women Airforce Service Pilots flew wingtip to wingtip with their male counterparts and were just as vital to the war effort.

Sarah Byrn Rickman, WASP author and historian

In loving memory of Loren Alberts, whose heart and passion was to share the world and it's many wonders through his vision and voice, inspiring kindred spirits to seek the adventure of a wonder-filled journey.

Salt, Societies, and Spirituality: A Tale of Two Cultures.Tucked away in the middle of New Mexico you’ll find Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument.  Its three distinct sites offer a glimpse into a unique time in history—a time entrenched with cultural borrowing, conflict and struggles.  These sites continue to stand as reminders of the Spanish and Pueblo peoples’ early encounters and prompt exploration of today’s interactions among different people.

In loving memory of Loren Alberts, whose heart and passion was to share the world and it's many wonders through his vision and voice, inspiring kindred spirits to seek the adventure of a wonder-filled journey.

The Miniatures and Curious Collections Museum Is dedicated to preserving the heritage of Roswell’s Los Pocos Locos Miniature Society active in Roswell from the 1980’s to the early 2000’s, and to tell the story of its members:

To continue the craft of miniature making and showcase contemporary miniaturists and artists;

To display collections of fine, odd, antique or otherwise deemed interesting objects;

To entertain visitors with rotating exhibits of curious collections;

To provide a place for children to creatively play;

and to stock a gift shop with novelty, educational, artistic and interesting items for all ages and occasions, and a Buy-zaar with interesting retro, antique or second-hand items.

In loving memory of Loren Alberts, whose heart and passion was to share the world and it's many wonders through his vision and voice, inspiring kindred spirits to seek the adventure of a wonder-filled journey.

On the Billy the Kid Trail

Billy The Kid Museum is located in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, on Highway 60-84, 2 miles east of downtown. It is one of the most complete museums in the Southwest and features relics of the historic past of one of Billy the Kid’s favorite haunts. Scores of items are one of a kind and are not seen elsewhere. The museum appeals to old and young alike.

Billy the Kid was a frequent visitor in Fort Sumner where the 21 year old outlaw was shot to death in 1881 by Lincoln County Sheriff, Pat Garrett. The Kid used William H. Bonney as his name even though he was born Henry McCarty. He also use the name Henry Antrium, taking the name of his stepfather. It’s all blurred in the mists of myth that leaves the name ‘Billy the Kid’ indelibly imprinted in folklore.

One item in the museum is a rifle that belonged to Billy the Kid, along with the documentation. Other interesting things are the door Billy backed through the night he was slain and two curtains that came out of Pete Maxwell’s bedroom where Billy was shot. There is a large rock he carved his name on. Also, on display you will see the chaps and spurs Billy liked to wear to the dances. Billy was a very good dancer and singer and was much admired by the young ladies.

The museum’s collection included antique cars, wagons, and buggies along with a horse drawn hearse and memorabilia from the once Fort Sumner military fort. Some of the most interesting items are an army blanket, cash box, and spurs that belonged to General Edwin Vose Sumner, the Civil War General for whom the fort was named in this eastern New Mexico town. There is a letter from his daughter giving the items to the museum.
Billy The Kid is known the world over and has great appeal as an outlaw legend. Visitors have come from every state and 50 or more foreign countries.

There is a large souvenir and gift shop in the front entrance to the museum where visitors may purchase items for the entire family. There is ample free parking around the museum.

In loving memory of Loren Alberts, whose heart and passion was to share the world and it's many wonders through his vision and voice, inspiring kindred spirits to seek the adventure of a wonder-filled journey.

The center of a million-acre reservation known as the Bosque Redondo, this site represents one of the most tragic periods in American history.

As Spaniards, Mexicans and Americans settled in the territory of New Mexico, they were subject to raids from the Diné (Navajo) and Ndé (Mescalero Apache) people who fought to maintain their traditional homelands and to obtain valuable resources from the settlers.  In efforts to control the raiding the Spanish, the Mexicans and then the Americans, fought the Indians.  Treaties were written and broken, nothing much changed.  Raiding continued until the early 1860s when a significant military force became available.

In 1863, when the US Army had defeated the invading Confederates in New Mexico, there was a large enough military force available to deal with the “Indian problem”.  It was decided that these "problematic" indigenous people would be brought to a spot far away from the populated areas of the Territory.  There they could be taught to farm and learn the ways of the white man as means of assimilation and cultural genocide.

The Ndé were the first to be subdued and brought to Bosque Redondo early in 1863. They were promised that if the moved to Bosque Redondo and behaved, they would be cared for.

Known by the Diné as the "Long Walk," over 50 different groups were forced to walk a distance of more than 350 miles to the reservation in east central New Mexico.  It was an arduous journey that saw them travel 12-15 miles a day, often in chilling cold or stifling heat.  Hundreds of Diné died as a result of these conditions.  As well, those who could not keep up with this pace (tribal elders, the sick, pregnant women) were shot.  The Diné continued to arrive at Bosque Redondo for a period of over two years.

At its peak in the winter of 1864, more than 8,500 Diné and nearly 500 Ndé people were held at the Bosque Redondo Indian Reservation.

Most of the Ndé became so disenchanted with life as farmers and the meager rations that they left in the night during November of 1865 to go home.  A small group who could not keep pace with the hasty departure, stayed behind to keep the campfires going so the army would not realize that the tribe had left.  The Mescaleros scattered to create many trails and frustrate their pursuers. Some headed to Mexico, some joined the Warm Springs and Lipan Apaches, and some joined Comanche bands.  Small groups of Ndé wandered for years until negotiations began for the Mescalero Apache Reservation in the early 1870s.  In 1871 A. J. Curtis, acting Agent for the Ndé, based out of Fort Stanton, proposed a reservation be established for the tribe within their ancestral mountains, the White and Sacrementos.  On May 29, 1873, by executive order of President Ulysses S. Grant, the Mescalero Apache Reservation was authorized.  Although this provided a promise of refuge for the Ndé, it came at a great cost to their freedom.

For the Diné, another three years of crop failures, suffering and death preceded the arrival of General Sherman and his Peace Commission to investigate reports of government waste and mistreatment of the Diné.  He found the reports to be true and began to affect solutions; he first offered the Diné leaders an expense paid trip to Oklahoma.  They turned him down and instead asked to go home. Talks began between the Diné headmen and the Peace Commission.

Negotiations with the Diné resulted in the Treaty of 1868 signed on June 1st, 1868.  The Diné were allowed to return to their traditional homelands in the four corners region of the southwest.

Today the Navajo Nation is the largest Native American group in the United States with a population of nearly 400,000.

In loving memory of Loren Alberts, whose heart and passion was to share the world and it's many wonders through his vision and voice, inspiring kindred spirits to seek the adventure of a wonder-filled journey.

You'll Have New Respect For The Phone In Your Pocket

That slick iPhone or amazing Android of yours is just the latest frontier of the wondrous telephone. But do you know how your cell phone actually works? Or did you know that the first pay phones were placed in the men's restrooms of fine hotels? Or that, as of 2009, pay phones themselves are no longer being manufactured?

 The answers to these-and lots of other phone questions can be found in one of the most unique museums found anywhere: the Telephone Museum of New Mexico. (In fact, the staff here at the Museum report that "This is cool!" are usually the most uttered words by visitors, who are typically surprised that something they take for granted-the phone-has such a fun and interesting history.)

 Housed in a four-floor space in a historic building in downtown Albuquerque, the museum offers as much history about New Mexico as it does about the beautiful technology of the telephone. The museum's hands-on Learning Center will show you a wide variety of interesting information, like how coin-operated phones work, and what 911 operators are required to do during emergency phone calls.

 You'll also learn fun facts of history about Alexander Graham Bell (he didn't intend to be an inventor; his goal had been to become a musician) and the American workforce (in the early 1900s, women were not allowed to work if they were married). And did you know that a switchboard was used to warn of the attack by Pancho Villa on the town of Columbus, N.M. in 1916? You'll learn the details as you see the actual

switchboard-which is on display here!

 The museum, which opened in 1997, also has a myriad of photographs, historical displays, and literature from the earliest times of the telephone industry. Of course, some of the most interesting and curious items are the phones themselves, more than 100 of which are on display, from party-line phones, to rotary dial models, to military field phones, and even the first portable phones.

 There's even a Resource Center in the museum, containing historical, social and technical publications that go back more than a century-including actual telephone directories from the early 1900s.

 There are also six interactive audio stations throughout the museum, all with short clips filled with interesting facts and stories that are sure to hold the attention of visitors of all ages. And don't forget the museum gift shop, stocked with unique telephone memorabilia, gifts, jewelry and books you won't find anywhere else.

In loving memory of Loren Alberts, whose heart and passion was to share the world and it's many wonders through his vision and voice, inspiring kindred spirits to seek the adventure of a wonder-filled journey.

The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History was established in 1969 as an intriguing place to learn the story of the Atomic Age, from early research of nuclear development through today’s peaceful uses of nuclear technology. Visitors can explore how nuclear science continues to influence our world. The museum strives to present, through permanent and changing exhibits and displays, the diverse applications of nuclear science in the past, present and future along with the stories of the field’s pioneers.

The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History is a Smithsonian Affiliate and is accredited through the American Alliance of Museums.

The creation of the Museum in 1969 was the result of a six-year effort to establish a museum to tell the story of the base and the development of nuclear weapons. The Museum was located on Kirtland Air Force Base. In 1973, the museum name was changed to National Atomic Museum to reflect the growing national and international audience and the fact that it was the only public museum that preserved the history of the nuclear industry. The Museum closed its doors at the Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico on September 11, 2001, due to heightened security measures at the Base. The National Atomic Museum was in its rented Old Town location from May 11, 2002 to February 7, 2009; the Museum re-opened in its current location in southeast Albuquerque in April 2009, when it was renamed The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History.

The Museum’s mission is “to serve as America’s resource for nuclear history and science. The Museum presents exhibits and quality educational programs that convey the diversity of individuals and events that shape the historical and technical context of the nuclear age.”

In loving memory of Loren Alberts, whose heart and passion was to share the world and it's many wonders through his vision and voice, inspiring kindred spirits to seek the adventure of a wonder-filled journey.

The Pioneer Store was built by Mr. James Dalglish in 1880. He had come to the southwest from eastern Canada to improve his failing health. He built the large, log building of hand-hewn Ponderosa Pine logs harvested from the mountain forests to the west of present day Chloride.

By late 1880, the building was completed and The Pioneer Store opened for business. Mr. Dalglish operated it throughout the Silver Boom years of 1880 through 1897, carrying all the goods needed for the miners and their families. The store stocked all manner of household goods, including food for residents and their animals, clothes for the entire family, mining equipment and tools, and ranch equipment and supplies. Wagons, buggies, and other large items could be ordered, as well as such specialty items as brides' trousseaus.

A United States Post Office was established in the front part of the store building in 1881, and a newspaper, The Black Range, began publishing weekly from the upstairs rooms in 1882. The large safe in the store building served as a local Bank for the remote mining operators and for the scattered ranches. It also served as a ‘Pawn Shop’, as records show “--- $2.00 loaned on watch in the safe."

When the Silver Boom ended in 1896, Mr. Dalglish leased the building to others who continued its operation until 1908. At that time, the building and its contents were purchased by the U.S. Treasury Mining Company. That company soon became the property of the James Family, who had arrived in Chloride in 1882.

In loving memory of Loren Alberts, whose heart and passion was to share the world and it's many wonders through his vision and voice, inspiring kindred spirits to seek the adventure of a wonder-filled journey.