Bowman Museum, educating students about history

Students enjoy learning about Crook County history

Bringing History to Life

Since 1971 Bowman Museum has worked to bring Central Oregon’s history to life for thousands of students, community members and tourists. Local school children visit every year for hands-on and eye-opening learning experiences by browsing exhibits, listening to staff tell stories, participating in museum inspired games, and asking questions. Student history education field trips take place about once a month during the school year. The museum staff enjoy helping to highlight and point out the most intriguing aspects of local history to students and teachers alike.

December's first tour was no different as no less than 60 Powell Butte Middle School students packed into the museum under the direction of teacher Aubrey Wardle. Two young students from the field trip approached Collections Assistant, Mekia Ogborn to ask her if she would provide them with a question pertaining to history.

"I presented them with this question: If you were working here in 1910 when the museum opened as a bank, what job would you want? These girls cracked me up because the first girl immediately says “Security!” I think girls back in 1910 probably couldn’t even have imagined being employed in such a position, but today girls can! I had expected them to say tellers, but these kids are thinking outside the box like no other generation had the opportunity to imagine. I think that's pretty cool."


Students from Crook County Middle School toured the museum earlier this year as part of the Avid Program. Their teacher is Becky Carter. As part of that tour students were asked by Ms. Carter to write letters to the museum describing their experience. Those letters are presented below.