T.J. Walker Site Project
Dear friends,
Have you visited the Ransom County Museum lately? It may have changed since you were there
last. Volunteers have been donating many hours to our current project concerning the
entire T.J. Walker Historic Site. This year we have begun work on reaching our goal of
creating an exciting site incorporating all the structures.
Please, read on and let us tell you more about it.
Sincerely,
Sara McManigle
RCHS member
The Museum
Currently, we are working on the museum itself, which is housed in T.J. Walker's General
Store. Repairs to the foundation, windows, and wiring need to be made.
We also want to improve the interior to make the exhibit more creative, educational, and
fun. For this we need to repair display cases and increase lighting. We also are trying to
raise money for a computer system for visitors to access more information about the
collection and site.
Finally, and most importantly, the entire collection
is being catalogued. Every item is entered into a database that will help us to organize
the collection and make the information available to other museums and the public.
The T.J. Walker House
We are very excited about the renovation of the T.J. Walker house, located adjacent to the
museum. We plan to restore the structure and turn it into a bed and breakfast. The rooms
will be furnished and decorated to look similar to the style the Walker family used a
century ago.
Watch for its opening in the future, and keep us in mind for reunions, business trips,
weddings, and times you just want to get away and let someone take care of you!
Funding
Eventually, we will move on to the remaining buildings. Needless to say, these projects
will take years and a lot of money. We are applying for grants to start working on the
museum.
Keep your fingers crossed!
The Flour Mill
Two ideas we have are using the flour mill as a coffeehouse which would overlook the dam,
and turning the barn into a recreational spot for dances and other activities.
Contact:
Sara McManigle
345 7th St. NE
Valley City, ND 58072
(701) 845-0561
Sara_McManigle@mail.vcsu.nodak.edu
