History housed at Curry County Fairgrounds

Patsy Delk nodded yes, slowly and deeply, when asked if she was overwhelmed by putting together the Curry County history museum. 

"Lots of sleepless nights," the president of the High Plains Historical Foundation would say.  

Delk is confident the museum at the Curry County Fairgrounds will be ready for its debut on Aug. 13, the first day of the county fair. But the clock is ticking and so much still needs to be done.   

If Delk and others can complete it, they'll succeed in two ways. First, it'll "carry on the legacy" of those who established Curry County. Second, making sure younger generations don't let those same legacies die.  

"Why did it take so long?" Delk asked about why it took 115 years – from the county's berth in 1909 – to open a comprehensive history museum. "Well, because people faded away. The older generation died, and the younger people coming in" aren't as interested.  

The project's vision began years ago, but came into focus in February with a $260,000 grant from the state of New Mexico. Delk said the reason for debuting during the county fair is for increased exposure that'll cater to younger attendees.  

Though it won't be 100% done, Delk said it just needs to be completed enough so educators can see it as a viable field trip destination for this upcoming school year and attendees will be interested in viewing it again next year.  

It hasn't been easy.  

The biggest to-do list item is a timeline of Curry County. The timeline will feature massive graphics with mini back stories to show how Curry Country morphed from relatively open land in the early 1900s into a fully functioning society with schools, doctors, government and a police department. 

On July 19, however, there were just pink Post-it notes indicating where each graphic will be placed.  

Then there are the seemingly unending small tasks. 

That includes painting donated artifacts, plus de-wrinkling donated clothes worn by mannequins.  

At one point, Delk moved a steamer in precise, vertical strokes over old-fashion jackets that'll be worn by Dr. Foster Scott – one of the county's first doctors – and his wife Fanny.  

A perfectionist with an eye for detail, Delk said Dr. Scott's character will be given a pocket watch, too.  

"It's little things like this that make a huge difference," Delk said.  

But what's truly overwhelming Delk is the "hundreds of hours" she and other historical society members spent researching, collecting artifacts and filtering out which artifacts stay, and which go. With so many artifacts to pick from, Delk had to be discerning so the museum wouldn't look like a "thrift store."  

When asked for a specific example, Delk pointed to a wagon. 

"Oh my gosh. Well, we have another wagon like this with yellow wheels. Which one do we want to put in? This one or that one? ... So we figured this one had more history than the other one (because) Pappy Thornton (pioneer farmer) owned this." 

Some nights, where stress prevented sleep, Delk would climb out of bed at "one or two" in the morning and headed to her kitchen table. She'd "start writing and drawing out, scaling out. I don't want to leave anything out. But you know, you're gonna leave something out," she said.  

Delk said her motivation for this is continuing and building upon what previous historians Don McAlavy and Harold Kilmer did to preserve history. On a more personal note, though, it's a way to honor those like her grandmother who traveled westward from far-flung states to capitalize on the 160 acres of free land bestowed by the Homestead Act.  

"It's honor," said Leigh Willmon, who has worked alongside Delk. "And showing what a hard time people had as pioneers and to persevere so that we can be here today." 

Just take the wood-burning stove Delk's grandmother brought over from Tennessee, which is on display.  

Before it baked golden, crispy cornbread for her granddaughter, the stove was placed on a horse-pulled wagon for a 1,000-plus mile journey, Delk said.  

While Delk's grandmother succeeded in her travels, others weren't so lucky.  

Many pioneers "would die from heat exhaustion, disease, the Spanish flu and pneumonia." And there were those whose lungs were ravaged by the Dust Bowl, Delk said.  

"They laid the foundation for us," Willmon said.  

Potentially even more impressive, in both Willmon and Delk's eyes, is how pioneers adapted agriculturally and in a societal sense.  

This has instilled a deep sense of community pride for Delk who's lived here her entire life. She's been the creative director behind local mural projects and even designed the Curry County flag. 

But during her time as a local art teacher, Delk said she's been perpetually reminded of the lack of knowledge and pride younger generations take in their community.  

She said it could be a product of the curriculum and children more interested in modern technology. Whatever the reason may be, however, she's more interested in being the solution.  

That's why she wants the museum to be interactive for young generations.  

That means 3-year-olds plopped on the back of a wagon, taking photos next to a sack of potatoes. Or, touching tools manufactured by a blacksmith and getting an up-close look at a plow.  

"I just don't like signs that say 'Do not touch.' That bothers me. I want them to be able to interact with history by coming up and touching it," she said.  

Even pictures. Hence the pressure for that timeline to be perfect.  

"Because a picture has 1,000 meanings to it when you look at it, right? It speaks to you," she said.  

For a moment, after turning on high-hanging spotlights, Delk stood at the front of the room. 

She closed her eyes to take it all in. Artifacts glistened. Her sparkling eye shadow glimmered.  

It'll be worth it, she thought.  

It'll be worth it.