Oregon State University - Beaver Yearbook (Corvallis, OR)

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This moose head IS part of the Natural Science and History exhibit. Unique Collection The Horner Museum, officially ap proved in 1925, was begun by John B. Horner, a professor of English, Latin and History. Horner dubbed it the Museum of the Oregon Country and gathered collections from around campus in zoology, commerce and other departments as well as from his collector friends. The museum began in what was then the college library. It soon moved to what is now the basement of the playhouse and then moved to the basement of Gill Coliseum in 1950. The museum received donations of people's collections and then put together collections into displays. We have extensive collections, said Lucy Skjelstad, museum director. The museum displayed exhibits on natural science and history which displayed shells, insects, butterflies, fossils and geological specimens of rocks and ores. An Oregon History exhibit showed the Victorian influence and progressive times. A life size setting of a home with completely furnished rooms as well as Victorian handicrafts depict the era. A related exhibit on the railroad era in Oregon was also displayed. The museum also included an exhibit on the Native Americans. This exhibit displayed basketry, stone tool technology and a display of how food was pro- cessed. There was also an exhibit of the woolly mammoth and the Kalapuya Indians of the Willamette Valley. An exhibit featuring the DeMoss family singers who performed between 1872 and 1933, displayed a stagecoach, purchased in 1900, which carried the sing ers to their engagements. Also displayed were their instruments, photos, music and tickets to performances. There was also a changing exhibit which changed about once a year. For the first part of the year it showed Victorian beaded apparel and then in the spring was changed to an exhibit on games, put together by an international games collector. We try to deal with ideas and concepts about people as much or more than we do artifacts. said Skjelstad. We are always collecting for the future, said Skjelstad. Many of the things in storage aren't all that unusual right now. but in 25 to 50 years we ll be really glad we have them. It is important to have places that save our cultural heritage for the future. The museum was run by two full-time employees and the rest part-time and student help. Graduate research assistants in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs in Museum Studies worked in the museum as well as work study students. —Kami Smilfc A stagecoach purchaser! n the 1900s by the De-Moss family was used to transport them to their singing engagements. HORNER MUSEUM 29

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28 HORNER MUSEUM

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Crre»y O. S'afiotl 30 FINISH LINE