The Chance building is named for a gold mining town in the southeast corner of the county on the Cochetopa about 14 miles from Gunnison. In this building you will find what we call the house of dolls.

When you visit the display of dolls in the Chance Building one of the first things that will come to your attention is that several of these dolls are from the late 1870s to the early 1900s. We have had many gracious donors of dolls since we opened our museum. We have dolls that were donated to the museum by the four Dutemeyer Sisters, by Luanne Groth (whole collection), Helen Zugelder, Hazel B. Murrey, Margaret B. Kyffin, Joanne Elsass, Evelyn Houser, C.J. and Anne Miller, Paige Eberhard, Ann Laguen and her sister Mary Elisabeth Doyle. We also have dolls that were donated by Diane Miller, Nancy Rockwell Pressler and her sister Norma Rockwell. You will also notice all of the girls no matter when they were born love DOLLS.

Some of the dolls that are on display:

The Princess Doll. Her head and limbs are made of bisque porcelain; body is cloth. She has blonde corkscrew curls, hand-painted features with brown eyes. The princess is dressed in a long satin gown with train.

“Arctic Kids” Eskimo doll. Her hands and face are porcelain, and her features are painted on. She has brown eyes and black hair. She is wearing winter clothing of brown and grey fur. The jacket is yellow-brown with brown grim at the hems and ends of the sleeves.

Elvis Presley Doll. On the label: “Elvis, the Comeback Special edition, “and on the inside: “First issue in the Elvis Lifetime of a Legend collection. Elvis is dressed totally in black “leather.” His Waist-length jacket has a turned up collar and pockets on either side of the front.

Luanne Groth donated “Soda Fountain Sweetheart:” Barbie Collector edition, first in a series. Coca Cola fashion Classic Series. Barbie is dressed in an old fashioned style. Her dress is white satin with widely spaced polka dots. Her skirt is long, and tied at the waist with a red bow.

The collection of collector dolls were donated by Paige Eberhard. A large doll in a doll bed and a little baby in a carriage along with six other dolls located in the glass display case with other dolls.

“Peggy Sue Rock ‘N’ Roll Doll.” She comes with a Certificate of Authenticity from the Heritage Signature Collection. Her head and arms are made of porcelain and hand painted features. Peggy Sue is wearing a pink knot sweater, white blouse that buttons down on the front and a blue felt poodle skirt. Peggy Sue is accompanied by a white ceramic poodle with pink ribbons in his long curly ears.

“The Little Girl With a Curl,” Mother Goose collection. No. 6247 E. She has had a bad day and is “horrid” this moment. She is dressed in a white cotton tunic, with wide lace collar trimmed with pink ribbon. The long sleeves are puffed at the top, tight at the wrists and of the same material as the collar. The dropped waist is trimmed with insertion ribbon and a pink cotton bows.

The Rockwell sisters Nancy Rockwell Pressler and Norma Rockwell donated 25 Dolls. Some of these dolls are: Shirley Temple, Charlie McCarthy, Dolly Madison, Little Miss Muffet and Mary, Mary Quite Contrary.

When you come to the museum the above are just a few of the over 180 dolls.

I would like to thank Ann Goldberg, Betty Eberhard and Alice Fulton for the helping me with this story, being a man I never had much use for dolls. So I went to some experts to help me.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!

As you can see we have something for everybody. We are in the second week of being open this year. We would like for everyone to see the real history of Gunnison. Please hop into your car and bring the family to the museum this week end. Your whole family will be so amazed at all the different displays that you will find and that there is something for everybody.