The Oneida Pioneer Museum has a huge collection of books, journals, magazines, organization minutes, yearbooks, histories, and other types of paper artifacts.  Unfortunately, little has been done in recent years to organize the collection and make it usable for patrons.  When Margaret Thomas was the hostess, she organized the books then in the Museum with an indexing system, but the collection has grown since then.

Under the direction of Dotty Evanson, Display Committee Chair on the Museum Board, the entire archive area is being reorganized so that the diverse collection can be accessed. Besides the bookcases already in place, four bookcases acquired from the old Malad Elementary School library will provide shelving for at least six categories of materials: Malad Valley, Military, Church, School, Biographies/Histories, and Clubs/Organizations.  More categories may be created as the collection is dusted, repaired, and catalogued by Dotty and other members of the Museum Board. 

Besides the reorganization of the archives, other changes and improvements are being made in the Museum. The outside hanging sign, which is at least 30 years old, was taken down to be rebuilt and repainted by David Gilgen and Bill Lewis. Hopefully, the perpetual squeak that the sign made when the wind blew will disappear.

The displays on the main floor of the Museum are being switched around to allow different dresses and other items from the Museum’s impressive clothing collection to be seen. A kitchen area will be organized near the stove donated to the Museum by the U.S. Forest Service. More pioneer-era crayon portraits will be hung as space becomes available. The quilt display will be moved to the mezzanine.

The Museum Board was very grateful to the Malad High School Student Council for assisting with hauling things up and down the stairs. The students brought the heavy bookcases down from the top floor of the Museum and moved artifacts that needed to be switched to the mezzanine and top floor. The Museum Board needed the strength and flexibility of the students to enable the massive project to succeed.

Additional muscle for hauling bookcases was provided by Seth and Challis Sweeten.

The Museum will be ready for the public to view the new exhibits when it opens on Saturday, May 24, for the summer season. Community friends and visitors will enjoy seeing the changes at the Museum when they stop by for the traditional Bake Sale that marks the opening of
the Museum.