A.R. Bowman Museum
banner
bowmanmuseum.bsky.social
A.R. Bowman Museum
@bowmanmuseum.bsky.social
Launched in 1971 through the generosity of the Bowman family and the community, A.R. Bowman Museum serves more than 20,000 students, scholars and visitors each year. crookcountyhistorycenter.org
In 1882 Charlie acquired the ferry and property adjoining the river. He operated the ferry with a pulley system.
Charlie Clarno and the John Day Queen - A.R. Bowman Museum
The John Day River is a relatively slow moving stream during the summer months and can easily be forded in many places.
crookcountyhistorycenter.org
December 5, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Archaeology and Science at the Paisley Caves November 20 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm FREE Event!

#prinevilleoregon #oregonhistory #oregonarchaeology #oregonmuseums
Archaeology and Science at the Paisley Caves - A.R. Bowman Museum
On Thursday, November 20 at 6:00 PM, renowned archaeologist Dr. Dennis Jenkins will present “Archaeology and Science at the Paisley Caves.”
crookcountyhistorycenter.org
November 7, 2025 at 3:28 PM
November 13 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm - Discover Oregon’s Hidden History with Chelsea Rose and the Chinese Diaspora Project #freeevent #speakerevent #prinevilloregon #oregonhistory
Discover Oregon’s Hidden History with Chelsea Rose and the Chinese Diaspora Project - A.R. Bowman Museum
Crook County Historical Society and Friends of the Crook County Library invite the public to the next installment of the Saunders Memorial Lecture Series at
crookcountyhistorycenter.org
November 7, 2025 at 3:27 PM
In the early 1900s, the high desert towns of Central Oregon were still more accustomed to rodeos and rifle contests than cleats and touchdowns. Full story below. #prineville #oregonhistory #centraloregon #oregonmuseum
When Prineville Took the Field: The Birth of Football in Central Oregon
Football was a novelty in rural Oregon during the early 1900s, but on a crisp fall day in 1911, the sport made its debut in Central Oregon.
crookcountyhistorycenter.org
August 8, 2025 at 8:06 PM
If you drive through the Old Mill District in Bend today, it’s hard to imagine that this bustling hub of shops, restaurants, and river trails was once the end of the line for massive steam trains hauling ponderosa pine logs from deep in the Central Oregon forest. Read more below. #prinevilleor
Life in the Logging Camps of Central Oregon
Logging operations were portable by design. Shevlin-Hixon, for instance, maintained a self-contained railroad logging town that moved with the timber, hauling its buildings, families, and operations t...
crookcountyhistorycenter.org
August 8, 2025 at 8:05 PM
After supper, Howard picked up an empty frying pan, walked down to the water, and began to swirl gravel and black sand. Within minutes, a glint appeared—a telltale shimmer that caught the firelight and held it. Gold. Full story below. #prinevilleOregon #museum #oregonhistory
Gold Dust and Gunpowder: The Story of the Mayflower Mine
Also known as the Ochoco Mine, the Mayflower was located just northeast of the present-day Ochoco Ranger Station. Unlike the flash-in-the-pan camps elsewhere, this one dug deep—nearly 1,500 feet into ...
crookcountyhistorycenter.org
August 8, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Before the town of Frenchglen became a dot on the map, it was the beating heart of a vast and ambitious cattle empire—an enterprise rooted in California ambition and Oregon frontier grit. At the center of it all were two men: Hugh James Glenn and Peter French. #prinevilleoregon #oregonhistory
The Legacy of Hugh Glenn and Peter French
From gold fields to gunfire, land deals to legacy, the rise and fall of the French-Glenn Livestock Company helped shape the high desert we know today.
crookcountyhistorycenter.org
August 8, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Before the days of humming refrigerators and convenience-store freezers, keeping food cold in Central Oregon took equal parts ingenuity, grit, and a little bit of luck from Mother Nature. Read more below. #prinevilleoregon #forgottenhistory #bowmanmuseum #arnoldicecave
Chiseling Out a Living: Ice Harvesting in Central Oregon
Before the days of humming refrigerators and convenience store freezers, keeping food cold in Central Oregon took equal parts ingenuity, grit, and a little bit of luck from Mother Nature.
crookcountyhistorycenter.org
June 28, 2025 at 2:17 PM
That summer, Prineville was hosting a three-game tournament against Silver Lake, and things weren’t going well.... Read the full story below. #prinevilleoregon #oregonhistory #bowmanmuseum #baseballhistory
The Bet That Changed the Game—and Oregon
In the summer of 1910, a small-town baseball game, a $1,000 bet, and a well-timed round of drinks may have shaped Oregon history. This is the true story of Prineville’s most legendary comeback.
bit.ly
June 20, 2025 at 7:32 PM
In the summer of 1908, Central Oregon was abuzz with a different kind of gold rush — this time, for black gold. Read the full story below. #prinevilleoregon #oregonhistory #oregonmuseums #bowmanmuseum
Striking Out on Grizzly Mountain | A.R. Bowman Museum
In the summer of 1908, Central Oregon was abuzz with a different kind of gold rush — this time, for black gold.
crookcountyhistorycenter.org
June 13, 2025 at 5:02 PM
In the early years of the 20th century, a young man named William Britton Morse left the plains of Kansas in search of something new. Read the full story below. #prinevilleoregon #oregonpioneers #oregonmuseums
Building Prineville: The Civic Life of William B. Morse
William B. Morse didn’t build a legacy with fanfare—he built it with consistency, service, and a lifelong commitment to Prineville.
crookcountyhistorycenter.org
June 6, 2025 at 3:27 PM
This community-driven film digs deep into the dust and soul of Oregon’s high desert, sharing the real-life stories of those who’ve weathered it, worked it, and called it home. Learn more below. #prinevilleoregon #oregonhistory #unspokengrit
New Documentary Unspoken Grit
On Friday, June 20 at 6:00 PM, the Bowman Museum will host the premiere of Unspoken Grit: Crook County – Part I, the first installment in a four-part video documentary series.
crookcountyhistorycenter.org
June 6, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Tucked into the northern slope of Lookout Mountain, just above Canyon Creek, the Mother Lode Mine holds the kind of gritty history that shaped early industry in the Ochoco Mountains. Read the full story below.

#prinevilleoregon #oregonhistory #mercurymining #oregonmuseum
Red Rock and Liquid Silver: The Hidden History of Mother Lode Mine
Tucked into the northern slope of Lookout Mountain, just above Canyon Creek, the Mother Lode Mine holds the kind of gritty history that shaped early industry in the Ochoco Mountains.
crookcountyhistorycenter.org
May 30, 2025 at 4:46 PM
In frontier-era Prineville, the backyard outhouse was more than a fixture—it was a fact of life. Read the full story below. #prinevilleoregon #oregonhistory #oregonmuseum
From Outback to Indoor Plumbing | A.R. Bowman Museum
In frontier-era Prineville, the backyard outhouse was more than a fixture—it was a fact of life.
crookcountyhistorycenter.org
May 30, 2025 at 4:44 PM
James Hardin and Amos Riley didn’t just raise cattle—they helped shape the early economic backbone of Central and Eastern Oregon. #prinevilleoregon #oregonhistory #oregonmuseum
Hardin and Riley: Cattle Kings of the Oregon Frontier
Before Harney County had roads, railways, or even a name, two men were carving out a cattle empire on its vast, wind-swept plains. James Hardin and Amos Riley.
crookcountyhistorycenter.org
May 16, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Edith Smith Moore came to Oregon in the late 1800s, building a life with her husband William on the rugged land of Agency Plains. Through dryland farming, homesteading, hotelkeeping, and running a local café, Edith embodied the grit and adaptability of early settlers. #prinevilleoregon #oregonmuseum
The Enduring Pioneer Spirit of Edith Smith Moore
Born in Michigan in 1873, Edith Smith came west with her family in 1889, part of the great wave of settlers drawn to Oregon’s promise of land and opportunity. A few years later, she met William Moore—...
crookcountyhistorycenter.org
May 9, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Once a bustling stop for gold rush travelers and wheat farmers, Boyd, Oregon was a thriving community in the late 1800s. But when progress passed it by, the town slowly faded into history. crookcountyhistorycenter.org/2025/04/boom... #oregonhistory #oregonmuseum #prineville
April 18, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Moro’s story begins in the 1860s, when Euro-American settlers first arrived in the area. Among them was Henry Barnum, who built a homestead in 1868 and later ran a trading post that became the nucleus of what would become Moro. #oregonhistory #prineville #shermancountyoregon
From Trading Post to County Seat | A.R. Bowman Museum
Moro’s story begins in the 1860s, when Euro-American settlers first arrived in the area. Among them was Henry Barnum, who built a homestead in 1868 and later ran a trading post that became the nucleus...
bit.ly
April 11, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Once the scene of industrial ambition and fierce competition, Dant now lies behind a locked gate, its story half-lost to time—except to those curious enough to dig a little deeper. #oregonhhistory #prinevilleoregon #oregonmuseums #railroadhistory #oregon #prineville
Railroad Rivalry, Mining Ambition and Legacy | A.R. Bowman Museum
The origins of Dant, Oregon go back to the great railroad race of 1909. Two giants of the American West—the Oregon Trunk Railway and the Deschutes Railroad—set their sights on Central Oregon.
crookcountyhistorycenter.org
April 4, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Marcus Powell: The Golden Voice of Prineville and Crook County’s First Elected Assessor -- Read this amazing story by following the link below. #prinevilleoregon #oregonhistory #oregonmuseums
Marcus Powell Crook County’s First Elected Assessor
Marcus Powell’s life story is a testament to resilience and community dedication in the early days of Prineville.
crookcountyhistorycenter.org
March 28, 2025 at 4:27 PM
A pioneering spirit, a compassionate caregiver, and the founder of Prineville’s first hospital, Sarah Stevens dedicated her life to serving the community. Read the full story below.
#prinevilleoregon #oregonhistory #womenpioneers
Sarah Thompson Stevens: The Woman Who Brought Healing to Prineville
A pioneering spirit, a compassionate caregiver, and the founder of Prineville’s first hospital, Sarah Stevens dedicated her life to serving the community.
bit.ly
March 21, 2025 at 4:19 PM