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The Nowata County Historical Society (NCHS) will be closed all next week (Dec. 13-Dec. 17) to prepare for an exciting opportunity for the public.

Debbie Fink with NCHS says they will host a Smithsonian Museum exhibit called "Crossroads, Changes and Rural America" on Main Street in Nowata starting on Saturday, Dec. 18. She says they were one of six Oklahoma museums selected to put on the display.

Part of the reason the Smithsonian is putting on the exhibit is to spark a conversation about rural communities. Fink says the conversation is supposed to revolve around where rural communities have been in the past, where they are today, and what the hope for the future is like for those rural communities moving forward. She says they hope you will look at this exhibit seriously and look at rural communities with a sense of direction.

Fink says NCHS has been working on this project for 1.5 years. She says they have special activities planned for the whole family to enjoy.

Antique machines will be on site. Fink says a gentleman will bring, and give a presentation on, a chuck wagon. She says there will even be presentations on bull riding, cowboys, and rodeo clowns. On top of these presentations, there will be history adventure programs and Native American artisans talking about their culture. You won't want to miss the live music and photo opportunities either.

Fink says Nowata County needs positive change that will create a future for their children and grandchildren. She says they want to preserve their history, however, to show them where Nowata has been and how far they have come. The Smithsonian exhibit is a way to get people talking about change while also getting them to take pride in their community.

The "Crossroads, Changes and Rural America" exhibit started in Tishomingo. Fink says the display is currently in Fort Gibson. She says it will then come to Nowata for six weeks before heading to Woodward, Oklahoma. Pawnee and Boley are up next after Woodward

Fink says NCHS attended a training session in Tishomingo to better understand the exhibit and how it is to be set up. She says their volunteers are prepared and ready to go for when the exhibit comes to Nowata.

The display will be up through Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. Fink says NCHS would love for people from all over to come see the Smithsonian exhibit. She says they hope you fall in love with the NCHS Museum while you are there to see the display and get your friends excited about dropping by.

All artifacts at the NCHS Museum have been donated from all over Nowata County. Fink says they have items from old school houses to old business to show you. She says they have a 1912 auto wagon that has been donated to them. Oil field industry equipment, cowboy and ranching items, old toys, old jewelry, a Nowata County Veterans Center Memorial and much more are showcased as well.

The NCHS Museum is located at 136 S. Oak in Nowata. They are open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

***Reminder***

The museum will be closed Dec. 13 through Dec. 17 as the NCHS prepares for the grand opening of the Smithsonian exhibit on Dec. 18.