EXHIBITS

Washoe

The Washoe Indians historically lived on the Western edge of the Great Basin, from Walker River on the south, to Honey Lake on the north.
Fishing, hunting, and gathering of wild foods each helped sustain these indigenous peoples, and played a role in their seasonal movements from high in the mountains in the summers, to the valley regions in the winter and spring.
One staple food was the pinenut, gathered in large, conical baskets in the fall. The nuts were heated and shelled, winnowed in flat winnowing baskets, and then ground into flour on a special grindstone, and used to make soup or biscuits.
The Washo are deservedly famous for their beautiful basket-making. Washo baskets often feature intricate woven patterns or designs. These traditional baskets were usually woven of willow, using fern root to make black patterns and redbud for a reddish hue.

Old County General Store

Monte Wolfe

He was one of the last mountain men who roamed the Sierra Nevada Mountains during the early 1900’s. Monte was a trapper, hermit, loner of the wilds, and to some a thief.
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Some speculated he returned to the city, others that he disappeared into the woods. Either way he remains one of the most mysterious figures of Alpine County.

Snowshoe Thompson

The man who introduced skiing to the Sierra Nevada.  He brought his knowledge of snow and skiing/snowshoeing from his home country of Norway and was the first man to successfully deliver the mail across the Sierra Nevada during the treacherous winters.   See his homemade snowshoes (skis) that he used to carry the mail on his back up and down the snowy mountains.

Mining in Silver Mountain City

Walt Monroe

He was born in the mining town of Monitor on February 2, 1881. Walt never married and spent much of his time roaming California’s High Sierras with his motorcycle and sidecar filled with easels and paints.
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He was also a skilled woodcarver and when money was scarce he was known to paint on backs of tin signs, wood crates and common items for his work.

Old Webster Schoolhouse

The one room Webster Schoolhouse was built by the people of Markleeville in 1883, and was abandoned as a school in 1929, when the “New Webster School” was built at the foot of the hill (Today’s Library). By 1966, the old school was sadly deteriorated, and the Historical Society took on the project of renovating the old building, completing the work in 1968.
Today, the interior of the school has been restored to the way it looked when it was in use. Original artwork by former students still adorns the walls.

Jail

Here at the museum, you can still step inside one of Silver Mountain’s original iron jail cells, purchased in 1867. The two metal cells were moved to Markleeville in 1876 when it became the county seat, and a log jail building constructed around them.
The Old Log Jail was moved from its original site on Webster Street to the museum grounds in 1969.
The jail features an unusual mortise-and-tenon construction, with vertical logs fitted into a slot in the top and bottom plates. Corners feature half-lap joints, and are secured with wooden pins. Outside is the board-and batten siding from 1876.

Blacksmith’s Shop

The blacksmith fashioned raw iron into horse shoes, wagon rims, candle picks and the hundreds of useful items he was called upon to make. The blacksmith tools exhibited are but a sample of the tongs, hammers, fullers and hardies he would have manufactured from his forge swage block and anvil.

Stamp Mill