Activities at OIRM
Artifact of the Week — December 21, 2023
Milk Cart A few months ago I had an interesting conversation with Susan Matinchek, whose grandfather was Nels Barnett. The conversation focused on a milk delivery wagon once showcased at Old Independence Regional Museum. With the opening of the “A Taste of Community” exhibit, which is affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution, I was interested in … Continue reading
Artifact of the Week — November 30, 2023
Tea Time The Maxfield Store was renowned as one of the mercantiles in early Batesville history where patrons flocked from bordering states to purchase and sell their goods. One of the larger items sold at Maxfield’s was Banner Buggies. These versatile buggies originally looked more like what we would consider chariots: a two-wheeled vehicle propelled … Continue reading
Artifact of the Week — September 28, 2023
Kitchen Stove Old Independence Regional Museum recently hosted the Daughters of the American Revolution at the museum in honor of Constitution Day on September 17. One of the DAR members, Ms. Deanna Brown, was reminiscing about her family home and mentioned a stove. Because we are looking for kitchen appliances from the 1940s or before, … Continue reading
Artifact of the Week — August 10, 2023
“The Big Rock of Little Rock” Winthrop Rockefeller is remembered as an Arkansas governor, philanthropist, and former owner of Petit Jean Mountain. His indelible mark on Arkansas is easily noted throughout the state. Old Independence Regional Museum has a picture of “Win” Rockefeller in its collection. It is the epitome of a political campaign with … Continue reading
Artifact of the Week — July 13, 2023
Cave City Watermelon Festival When the Cave City Chamber of Commerce began looking at ways to best promote the town, their two options included the cave located in the middle of town or having the “world’s sweetest” watermelons. Chamber officials didn’t believe a “Cave Festival” sounded very appealing, but a Watermelon Festival did! The Cave City … Continue reading