GEARY – The Canadian Rivers Historical Museum is seeking donations to repair various leaks and cracks in its roof and one of its windows.
The museum, which documents the history of Geary and the surrounding areas, is located in an old 1903 bank building and was recently donated to the City of Geary. The Gillespie Building that houses the museum is on the National Register of Historic Places, but will require repairs to maintain.
Roger Margerum, a longtime member of the Canadian Rivers Historical Society, told The Geary Star that a roofer recently quoted the city about $8,000 for a five-year patch job. “We’re kind of low on money,” Margerum said. “Then we had another thing come out where somebody shot a hole in one of our plate glass windows. There’s a lot more repairs (needed) than what we’re afraid we’re going to be able to pay for.”
The museum has been looking for donations for repairs for the past several months, but has yet to earn enough to begin. Those interested can donate at the Bank of Western Oklahoma or Geary City Hall.
“We’re kind of at a standstill. We want to get the glass fixed, first,” Margerum said. “Of course, nothing can be done in the museum, as far as upgrades or anything, until we get it dry.”
The museum is also searching for new members and volunteers who might be able to open it more often, Margerum said. The museum currently is open by appointment only.
“We’ve got down to where we’ve got just a handful of people to operate it, and some of those are getting older,” he said. The board hoped that donating the museum to the city might “stimulate some interest among a younger group of people.”
Those interested in volunteering can contact Margerum or Geary Mayor Bobby Allen for more information.
Margerum hopes the repairs and new blood will be enough to keep this slice of history alive. “We’re really kind of proud of what we’ve got in the museum,” he said. “We were open Saturday (during the Tri-County Fair), and a lot of people came through. You can’t see everything in one trip; we’ve got a lot of interesting stuff, a lot of pictures, a lot of old artifacts. We’re kind of proud of our little museum.”
The Canadian Rivers Historical Museum is located at 100 E Main in Geary. It is open by appointment at 405-884-5466.