As the "Local Option Levy," which helps fund the Bowman Museum, is once again up for renewal on the May ballot, the importance of this event must not be overlooked. Bowman Museum and the Historical Society continue to provide an important role in our local economy as it has for more than 50 years. The museum offers an enhancement of education for students and adults of all ages and serves as a renowned center of entertainment featuring a wide array of local and national talent. Obviously, the museum also acts as the primary repository for Crook County history while hosting informative traveling exhibits, on-going lectures, historic reenactments and community meetings throughout the year.
Making history accessible to everyone
Over the years, and thanks to generous public and private support, the Bowman Museum has created a vivid and growing collection of pioneer history and organized programs serving more than 15,000 people annually. The iconic main building housing the museum has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1991 and has won national recognition from the Institute of Museum Services.
Today, in addition to hosting educational tours for about 500 school age students annually, the Bowman Museum also publishes books and field guides, conducts historical field trips, and through the Internet links its collection with museums and libraries throughout the world. More recently, to preserve railroad history the Caboose Park was installed and where the old Hans building once stood a brand-new privately funded exhibits center will help to expand the museum collection and create even more new and interesting exhibits and narratives on our local history and lore.
Reaching the world, keeping it local
As a worldwide attraction, every year more than 20,000 people search for The Bowman Museum online with about 50 percent of those searches bringing people directly to the museum, either virtually or in person. This activity helps to expand interest in Crook County history to the world and provides a boost to the local economy as visitors from across the globe stay overnight in hotels, eat at restaurants, refuel vehicles, and browse local shops. Over the past 12 months more than 15,500 people have walked through our doors to take part in events, view displays, take educational tours and delve into local genealogy.
Vote Yes! to Keep History Alive
The museum is funded in three primary ways. One source of income is a small percent of the County's general fund. Another source comes from the transient room (luxury) tax. The third important source of income is the Levy which will provide 6 cents per thousand dollars of taxable assessed property valuation. For instance, the Levy will cost an owner $12/year for a home with a $200,000 taxable assessed value. The current tax levy funding will expire on June 30. On the May ballot the museum will be asking for a five-year local option levy with a continuance of the current level of funding that has been approved for the last 25 years. Voting YES will ensure that Bowman Museum will continue to be an invaluable resource to locals and visitors alike for years to come.
What you can do to help
To help bring awareness to the importance of passing the Levy in May we are asking everyone to help spread the word and show support. Letters of support and comments may be submitted to us for publication on our website by emailing info@crookcountyhistorycenter.org. And please contact the museum to get your free lawn sign today.