Preserving History: Deadwood Museum features historical artifacts from the Days of ’76 celebration, local heritage

And during the other 51 weeks of the year, the Days of ’76 Museum tells the story.

The museum’s collection consists of four parts: the horse-drawn vehicles, one of the largest private collections in the country; the collection of miscellaneous historical artifacts, informally called the Don Clauser Collection, after Clauser, who owned a trading post in the city and collected all sorts of things; the firearms collection; and the rodeo exhibit.

The most impressive items in the museum are the horse-drawn vehicles. With 55 vehicles, the collection is extensive and ranges from stagecoaches to hearses, from a Montgomery Ward farm wagon to a tank car, and more.

One of the most unique carriages in the museum, according to Pat Roberts, longtime member of the Days of ’76 rodeo committee, is the original stagecoach, known as a “mud coach,” that traveled from Deadwood to Cheyenne. It is the last known stagecoach of its kind in existence and is irreplaceable, Roberts said.

A variety of firearms, from rifles to pistols to revolvers, plus holsters, make up the museum’s firearms section. Many were donated by Lester Nielsen, with a few from the Clauser Collection. Several hundred guns are on display, including a German military smoothbore musket, an 1860s precision twelve-gauge shotgun, an 1874 Remington military rolling block rifle, and a Winchester Model 1897 purchased by the Homestake Mining Co. during the 1909-10 strike.

Some of the vehicles and weapons are “working collections,” Roberts said. Many are used for the Days of ’76 celebration. Teamsters come to town and drive the floats in the two parades, which are July 26 at 1:30 p.m. and July 27 at 10 a.m. The guns are used in reenactments during the rodeo.

Another unusual part of the museum is the Clauser Collection. Clauser collected a variety of objects, some as a way to barter with Native Americans for goods, and some because he enjoyed the history of the area. Clauser items include a buckskin outfit worn by Deadwood Dick, arrowheads, an old cash register, even a stuffed bison given by Buffalo Bill Cody to his friend, Mike Russell (the two started Deadwood’s first bar, the Buffalo Bar.)

The fourth section of the museum consists of rodeo artifacts from the ’76 era.

A taxidermy from the Burch Rodeo Co. greets museum visitors as they enter, and a clown barrel is also on display, as is a chariot from the rodeo’s chariot racing days. Historic photographs of the rodeo are part of the exhibits.

The car collection is special, said Jim Williams, president of Deadwood History, Inc., the company that oversees the Days of ’76 Museum.

“It’s a point of pride for the rodeo,” he said, “for the generations of families who have supported and worked with the museum.”

He said it is especially moving when the drivers pull the wagons in the procession.

“Those two days in July, when they drive up Main Street, that’s Deadwood. That’s the history of horse-drawn vehicles, and how this community was created, and we continue to thrive on that history.

“I love that the museum celebrates the dedication of the people who created the Days of ’76 celebration to continuing the rodeo culture and that it articulates the history of Deadwood.”

The museum “is a phenomenal investment in Deadwood’s past and future.”

The museum is open to the public daily from 9am to 5pm, from May to September. From October to April, the museum is open from 10am to 4pm, from Tuesday to Saturday.

The Days of ’76 rodeo will be held July 21-27. Performances will be held July 24-27 at 7:00 PM with a matinee at 1:30 PM on July 27. Steer roping slack will be held July 21. WPRA breakaway roping was added to the rodeo this year and slack will be held July 22, along with WPRA barrel racing. Timed event slack will be held July 23-25. Admission to slack is free.

Tickets range in price from $10-$100 and can be purchased online at Daysof76.com or at the gate. For more information, visit the website.

For more information about the museum and the rodeo, visit Daysof76.com.

– Days of ’76