In 1902 the federal government established the Reclamation Service (now know as the Bureau of Reclamation) to oversee water resource management. An early project involved finding property with the potential to become productive farmland when irrigated. With that in mind the federal government bought twenty-seven thousand acres of the Crow Reservation and distributed plots through a lottery to future farmers. The project and farmers had several setbacks in the early years but now, over 100 years later, descendants of many of the original families still manage successful sugar beet and alfalfa farms on the irrigated land.
Old relocated and newly constructed buildings are scattered over the museum grounds. A one room, mail order, homestead house is opened for viewing. Items donated by local families are displayed in a large museum building. Seven buildings have been relocated and set into position along a boardwalk to form a small town street. Old farm equipment, including a really cool ditch digger, is displayed in barns and lined up in rows outside. Two school houses have also been relocated to the property. We didn’t view all of the buildings. Some are not accessible and some still need to be renovated. To get the full picture of the project take a guided tour of the grounds.
The large museum building is accessible. An accessible boardwalk leads to the town street. The doctors office and bank are accessible. Other buildings along the street and on the rest of the property have steps. The grounds are uneven and grassy.
RVs will fit in the small lot in front of the museum property or along the street. Museum
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