Thursday, May 16, 2024
“(Devil’s Rope) That’s what the Indians called barbed wire because it tore up the men, the cows and horses.”
She has worked at the museum four years and got that job after working at another museum in McLean, a city with a population of less than 800.
“I learned about barbed wire pretty quick. We have a lot of it.”
The museum is a popular stop for people traveling along the old Route 66.
“We don’t say so much that it’s a barbed wire museum, because people just yawn and go on,” says Mike Oldham, museum president. “We tell them it’s a western heritage and Route 66 museum and that kind of encompasses what we do and brings in a lot more general interest. There’s no admission, but we appreciate a donation. We have a gift shop that has some great t-shirts and similar items that brings in a little income.”
His folks, Ruth and Delbert True, started the museum in 1991. They both are in their nineties, and last year turned the museum over to Mike.
I was there on a Saturday around noon. That morning, two different groups, totaling 120 people had gone through the museum. One was from a car rally. The other was a large number of motorcycle riders.
“They were lined up all the way to the highway,” says Charla. “They were here a long time and had fun seeing all the stuff we have here. I had them sign in. We have a whole lot of books with names of people who have been here.”
Then a busload of people from Central Iowa came in. It was a busy place.
“It sure was this morning,” says Mike. “Then on some days there might be two people come in all day.”
Millions of people have traveled Route 66. Mike says he’s surprised at the popularity of the famous highway.
“About a third of our visitors are from overseas. We hear all sorts of languages. They’re fascinated with all the western displays we have. They can learn a lot about cowboys and ranching here.”
The museum has some interesting barbed-wire sculptures. One is a cowboy hat. Another is a brassiere. Mike’s brother made them.
“That barbed wire brassiere gets more comment than anything else in here. This building was a brassiere factory that once employed a hundred women at one time. The name was Marie’s Foundations. It was a pretty big deal. They used to call McLean the uplift town.”
