Minco Historical Society And Museum

The museum will be a place where anyone can learn of Minco's history in the form of pictures, artifacts, narratives, genealogies, and records.  Or one can just take a stroll down memory lane.

A goal of the Society and its museum is to seek out, both locally and across the US, recover, and preserve Minco's history that has departed due to its residents following the job market.

A descendant of Minco's Halversons has provided us with a valuable memoir and pictures of early Minco.  A G. A. Brown descendant has donated a 1906 announcement for Minco's El Meta Bond College that contains names, pictures, course outlines, behavior rules, and local advertising.  He also donated a 1930s era 45th Division Yearbook that contains a picture of Minco's members at that time.   Virgil Robbins left Minco with a large book of clippings and snapshots of Minco's history.  The museum was built to ensure that Minco's rich history does not escape us.

The museum has obtained historical data and photos that are very important to Minco's history.   Some is fascinating, as Minco had at one time a college that was recognized as one of the finest, if not the finest, in the Indian and Oklahoma territories and early Oklahoma statehood.   Minco was a focal point of cattle drives beginning in 1891 and long after the railroad was built further south, with the cattle drives a mile long coming from the west by the river and going through main street to the railroad's huge cattle pens.  The five wagon yards held farmers wagons on Saturdays, served as KOAs, and rented out wagons to salesmen who drove them to prospective customers in western and southwestern Oklahoma.   True cowboys came into town on Saturday nights, and shot up the town when they went back to their ranches late at night.  Knifings sometimes occurred at a hotel nick-named the "Bloody Bucket Hotel".   One cowboy was killed by another rancher's cowboy in an argument over stray cattle.  As late as 1908, gunfire could be heard coming from Main Street.

The Minco Historical Society and its Museum will work with the Minco Public Schools as a heritage research center.   Students may study Minco's history in conjunction with school activities and use the Museum resources.

The Society's funds have been depleted with the construction of the building, and we have yet to purchase the necessary display cases to house exhibits.  We have the hope that the community will support the museum with memberships, and those with annual memberships will continue to renew each year.  We have established a Perpetual Fund to ensure the museum will always have the funds to continue in operation for centuries.