LIMON, Colo. — Visiting a small town like Limon can feel like stepping back in time. But visitors can literally walk through history at the Limon Heritage Museum, a major point of pride in the community.
In mid-April, Denver7 | Your Voice traveled out east to the Town of Limon, home to about 2,000 residents. One of our stops was the heritage museum, located at 701 1st Street.
The museum, which opens for the season each Memorial Day, provides a look at life on the plains dating back more than a century. On display are pieces from the prairies, the railroads of the 19th century, a replica Native American tipi and even an exhibit on World War II artifacts and uniforms.
All have been donated by community members from Limon and Colorado’s High Plains.
“The jewel of the plains, definitely,” said Sharick Wade, operations manager for the museum. “It's a good slice of Americana, especially Western Americana.”
Museum Co-Director Tony Wernsman added that every year, they get visitors from all over the world. It’s also a personal collection for Wernsman, whose great-grandmother’s wedding dress is on display.
Harold and Vivian Lowe, once hotel owners in Limon, started the collection decades ago while also running short train rides out of the town’s depot to treat guests to dining and entertainment. Their collection became a museum after a massive tornado tore through the town in June 1990.
“Fortunately, nobody got killed,” Wernsman recalled. “When the tornado went through, a lot of history was lost, especially building wise… Harold and Vivian… started talking about, if we're gonna save our history, we probably ought to get something going."
Then came the Limon Heritage Society, and around the turn of the century, a new building where the museum is today.
“A great community,” Wernsman said of the support the museum has received. “A lot of people step up… A lot of pride in their ancestors… Some of the things they went through with the Dust Bowl, and they stayed here and gutted through it and got through it.”
The community wants the collection to keep growing. Wernsman said the museum’s board reviews dozens of donations every year, and most of the guides and workers at the museum are volunteers.
“It kind of sells itself,” he said. “I think once people see what goes on here and get involved, they want to stay involved.”
Wade commutes from Colorado Springs a few days a week.
“Everyone else tells us they're so surprised to find a museum like this in a little town like Limon,” he said. “And so when I found out there was an opening here, then I jumped at the chance.”
Last summer, the museum unveiled the Russell Gates Mercantile Co. home across the street, finished with antique donations to reflect life in the ‘30s or ‘40s. The home is a replica of the home mercantile managers lived in during that time. Wade said the building was physically moved across its lot to a spot directly across the street from the museum building.
The whole museum area is a community pillar of pride.
“I think we do get overlooked a little bit with stuff,” Wernsman said. “But there's a lot of gems out here on the Eastern Plains.”
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