The Big Timbers Museum collection focuses on the history and legacy of Southeastern Colorado. Displays include artifacts from Native Americans, homesteaders,farming, ranching, the railroad, churches, schools, organizations, and family histories.
The Fleagle Bank Robbery exhibit chronicles the first case in 1928 of a SINGLE fingerprint being used to prosecute a case This crime was so famous that it is cited as being the source for the Walt Disney characters and arch villains of Scrooge McDuck known as the Beagle Brothers. Cartoonist Al Capp, in his comic strip “Lil Abner” dubbed one of the villains “Evil-eye Fleagle” after Jake Fleagle, the leader of the gang.
The museum houses one of Colorado’s most extensive WWI poster collections and displays war memorabilia including an original 10 star Confederate Battle Flag from the Civil War captured on the battlefield.
Doc Johnson, a geologist; who traveled the world collecting rocks left his personal collection to the museum and it is a favorite of all ages. Many of specimens are local finds.
Big Timbers Museum exhibits several noteworth garments in the textile collection. Among them is a wedding gown from the House of Worth, the famous 19th century designer Charles Frederick Worth, who is credited with starting haute couture. His design house was the first to sew labels into frocks identifying the designer. A trousseau dress by Worth is also on display at the museum, as are other wedding dresses through the ages.
We now have a six case display of artifacts from Sand Creek, loaned by the Bowen family. These are from their ranch, which was located on one side of the official site. Items include arrowheads, bullets, cannonball fragments, campsite artifacts and informational panels.