In the days following the flooding that greatly impacted the Pagosa Springs History Museum, a lot has happened.
It is estimated that 80 percent of the collection was able to be removed from the museum structure following the event. With the help of many, the interior was shored up to stabilize the building, and crews packed up artifacts and brought them out to safety.
The eagle created by Worthe Crouse, one of our founders, is safe.
The quilts are safe. This includes the “Pine Trees of Pagosa” and the redwork top that recorded so many of the names of people in our community from the early 1900s.
The history vault is safe. The history vault was created this past season as a collection of history of the area and includes many stories donated by families that settled the area.
There are areas of the museum that are unable to be accessed for safety reasons, and some items were too large to remove through the opening into the museum.
The major loss of the collection is the farming and ranching exhibit that dropped into the rushing waters as the floor of the museum fell.
What’s next
The museum structure needs to be demolished and the materials hauled away for safety reasons. The museum board is working with the Town of Pagosa Springs and other agencies to move forward with this. A timeline has not yet been established for when this will happen.
The museum board is working with state and local agencies who have experience in protecting and recovering cultural heritage in the event of an emergency. These professionals reached out immediately following the news of the flooding and the impact on the museum and are helping with resources.
After these first steps are completed, the museum board will consider the future of the museum. Many decisions will need to be made, one step at a time.
Contributions to the museum may be made by going to pagosamuseum.org and clicking on the “Donate” link or mailing a check directly to the museum at P.O. Box 1711, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147.
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