Coleman Building

ABOUT THIS ATTRACTION

The first section of the three-stage construction of this building was completed in 1981. This building contains horse drawn vehicles (buggies, milk wagon, prairie schooners, hearse and taxi), saddles and western memorabilia, cow camp and western hat collection. There are also displays for a carpenter's shop, print shop, blacksmith shop, a collection of taxidermy and the Gunnison High School bus wreck display. Also housed in this building is the oldest vehicle in the museum…an ox cart.

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QWEST TELECOM PIONEERS

This exhibit started in the fall of 2000 when the Golden West Council of the Telephone Pioneers of America in Grand Junction brought telephone items they had collected to Gunnison. This delivery included two switchboards, a Step-By-Step test frame, a test bench with tools, numerous telephones, test equipment, etc. and two display cabinets. This exhibit was initially located in the Old Main building.

Under the leadership of President C.J. Miller of the Gunnison Pioneer and Historical Society, the exhibit continued to grow. Members of the Telephone Pioneers were pleased with Miller's enthusiasm and willingness to make room for addtional items. Of significant importance was the fact that items were open to the public for viewing and not kept under lock and key. Often museums located in Telephone Company buildings can only be seen by appointment and require special permission.

In 2002, Miller moved the exhibit to its current location in the Coleman Building. This allowed for expansion as donations continued to come in. In 2008, Larry Bellmire of Delta donated his extensive and varied telephone colelction along with items from the Delta Central Office. In 2010, another significant addition occurred when Pinky Graham of Colorado Springs arranged for the donation of Sam McCullough's collection. This included a display board with a magneto switchboard from Divide, CO and numerous old telephones and devices. Also in 2010, Graham, a member of the Colorado Springs Plains and Peak Club, donated two early switchboards from the club. The Longs Peak/Front Range Council of Boulder also donated telephone items and a display case. In 2010, Jane Gray, a past president of the now defunct Southern Colorado Club of Pueblo donated additional museum pieces and Graham again was involved in moving all of these telephone items from Pueblo as well as those from the Plains and Peak Club in Colorado Springs.