Well over a hundred people visited the Big Sandy Museum this summer and from the comments received around town, those people knew they had been somewhere and seen something.
Our Big Sandy Museum may not be world class but it is certainly in an upper class when comparing it to other museums in Montana.
Tina Rodewald is the Director of the museum. Traci Rodewald is the curator and Dale Morey is the volunteer who put in countless hours just for the love of the Museum and Big Sandy.
There are new signs going up to let people see where the Museum is more plainly and as always, there are displays changing and additions that mean so much to the Museum and the community as well.
It is quite a thing when you think of it to know that Big Sandy has a brand new library which is a repository of the community as well as functioning as a beacon to the rest of the world. And, right down the street is this wonderful Museum which connects the present with the past and is a wonderful place to see our place in Montana and the United States.
In 2004 the Big Sandy Historical Board wrote a wonderful paper about the Museum. It is a history from the beginning of dreams to an actual Big Sandy Museum. It is printed here as the paper itself represents the history of this area.
However, the last paragraph is the best of all. You will read it at the end of that Museum history but here it is again just so you don't miss what the Museum is all about.
"We welcome visitors to our Museum so we can show to the world what has made this tiny rural community of Big Sandy such a special place to live. Our ancestors felt the call of the west and settled into a lifestyle that is unique to this area alone---------we want to share this with everyone we can. Relive history by taking a stroll through the Museum."
In 1987 there was a great deal of interest in preserving our local history and collecting items for a Museum. With the Big Sandy community and outlying areas being a "Homestead Community" there was a need to develop and preserve those things that had made this community home to our early day settlers. When Burlington Northern donated the railroad depot to the newly organized Big Sandy Historical Society in 1988, the door was open to what would become a wonderful display and arrangement of history. Community volunteers spent countless hours transforming and adding on to the depot to create a building with approximately 8,000 square feet of display space. With hard work ad creative and artistic flair these volunteers built the Museum into a "one of a kind" facility. It is an awesome tribute to our ancestors and the lifestyle that made this community unique. Visitors to the Museum are always impressed with what a small town has done with their collections and the way it is presented to the public.
The Museum is an integral part of the community. During the summer months of June, July and August it is open every afternoon to local visitors and tourists traveling through Big Sandy on their way to destinations unknown. The remainder of the year it is open by appointment only. With memorabilia and pictures dating back to the last 1800's and early 1900's there is something to see for everyone. The "Old Jail", a cement structure built in 1912 was refurbished by the Museum and is dubbed Big Sandy's fist "Bed and Breakfast". It is a popular destination for tourists and locals – for picture taking, that is!
We are proud of what the Museum has to offer as we willingly share our space with special groups when they need a meeting place. Our Social Hall, also known as our "Heritage Gallery" because of the 400 plus portraits of our ancestors that hang on the walls, is available to anyone who wishes a space to hold an event or function. Family reunions, birthday and graduation parties, organizational meetings and seminars, funeral and memorial services and/or lunches, special occasion luncheons, meals, barbecues – are just a few of the events that take place at the Museum throughout a years time. There is a comfort factor in this room knowing that we are surrounded by family and friends.
Because the Museum operates on donations and memberships, we offer some fundraising events throughout the year. A big event is the Memorial Day breakfast. Volunteers serve a wonderful meal to about 400 people who are in town for the days activities. The event like a homecoming, bringing folks to town, and a lot of reminiscing is done over one more cup of coffee.
We welcome visitors to our Museum so we can show to the world what has made this tiny rural community of Big Sandy such a special place to live. Our ancestors felt the call of the west and settled into a lifestyle that is unique to this area alone- we want to share this with everyone we can. Relive history by taking a stroll through the Museum!!
