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Historic BackgroundOnce housed in only one building, this museum now includes 8 structures on this site. The primary structure is a 1940 one-story adobe building of 3000 square feet. Originally used to house German prisoners of war captured in North Africa and later as housing for farm workers and then for the homeless, the building has a good deal of historic value in itself. The long linear building is made up of a series of cells. Only the east end space, the entry cell, is presently windowed. This area opens into the fenced complex of smaller outside buildings (Kreybill schoolhouse, prefabricated steel jail, coach house, 1882 wood jail, log stage station, non historic blacksmith shop, and restrooms). Large equipment is displayed outside, and a wagon and carriage are kept in the carriage house.
The Museum can be seen from Colorado Highway 101, and is several blocks south of US Highway 50. It was opened in 1961. It was first housed in one building, but the collection has expanded into other county buildings within a fenced compound. The original structure was constructed in 1940 to house German prisoners of war captured in North Africa. Later on it house farm workers and then the homeless. The east end of the building serves as the entry area. There are restrooms, snack machines, and exhibits available on site. This Museum is closely allied with the nearby Boggsville Historical Site.
The Kit Carson Museum exists to collect and interpret the history of the County in the context of the larger region and nation of which it is a part. The frontpiece of the museum bulletin given to visitors eloquently speaks of the wealth of our heritage in this particular place.
“If the land, the rivers and the winds of Bent County could speak, they
would whisper of a history so rich it would dull the imagination of any
fiction writer of western lore. From the untold stories of the Kiowa,
Commanche, Arapahoe and Cheyenne Indians, to the more recent and verifiable
exploits of the Spaniards, fur trappers, traders and eventually the settlers
of the area, the land and people have played a significant role in the
development of Colorado and the entire Southwest.”
One particular element of the Museum collection is valuable for other
than local history reason. That is the Lewellen Thompson (U.S. Ambassador
to Russia during World War II), exhibit. Though not necessarily a matter
of keen interest to a visitor from elsewhere, the portrayal of the exploits of
a famous son is wholly within the province of a museum of Bent County.
The exhibit vividly expresses the long reach across time and place of individual
persons, and this is important. The museum sponsors an annual essay contest where
local students interview senior family members or friends. The winning essays are
placed in the museum as a permanent historical record.
Collection, researching, and cataloging of historical and genealogical artifacts is ongoing. There is a large collection of letters, diaries, publications, and photographs, which will continue to be a valuable segment of this process. Much of what has been collected already must, because of display area available, be stored for later exhibit changes.
Within the grounds of the Museum one will find the original (moved from its original location) Kreybill School, a Blacksmith Shop (interior is authentic), a Carriage House, a Wood Jail (1882), the 1876 Bent County Jail (where Colorado's first judicial hanging took place), an Iron Jail, the Stage Station (1860), and a mixture of machinery.
The Kreybill School was first established around
1891 when several families from the Kreybill community felt the need to
educate their children. The district was formed that year and school
was held in an old dwelling near present-day US-50 and County Road 17.
It was called Gageby School, probably due to its proximity to nearby Gageby
Creek. The land for the school was donated by the Muvane Land Company.
The school was constructed in 1892 at a cost of
$1,200, including fixtures. A register for the year 1905 records
36 students from the families of Blackburn, Everhart, Peterson, Ashcroft,
Clay, Gass, Pointon, Ogden, Van Hee, Pierce, and Johnson. In 1907
the families of Bennett, Ford, Ranke, West, and Walker were added.
Additional Sources of Interest:
The archaeologist in residence is Richard
Carrillo of La Junta, Colorado.
Anyone wanting to help at the museum should call Barbara Busy at (719)456-1914.
Development Credit: Billie Jackson
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