Crawford County Museum, Cuba
May 2023
When you’re getting your kicks on Route 66, you might well find yourself cruising through Cuba, which proudly claims two miles of the historic Mother Road. For an interesting stop along the way, make a slight detour to the Crawford County Historical Museum, home of the Crawford County Historical Society and a treasure trove of interesting exhibits.
The museum is housed in what was originally part of the Cuba Public School complex. The 1934 rock building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was in use as a school until the 1960s. The museum covers the area’s history from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s via carefully designed displays, including hands-on areas for school children’s programs.
Naturally, there is a selection of Route 66 memorabilia, including a 1936 route map. Back in the heyday of America’s Main Street, Cuba offered a wide choice of lodgings for Route 66 travelers: Lazy Y Cabins, Red Horse Inn, Midway Rooms, Southern Hotel, Cuba Hotel and the famous Wagon Wheel Cabin Court, which has been renovated and is a popular stop for today’s Route 66 fans.
Other displays include the Native American area, focusing on the Osage tribe; a one-room school house interior, circa 1900; a gallery of wedding gowns, plus a selection of vintage undergarments; a children’s area with antique toys and bicycles; a dentist’s office circa 1920; blacksmith shop; military room; a kitchen with shelves packed full of vintage equipment and dishes; a wardrobe filled with mourning clothes; lots of quilts, hats, period clothing; and much more. As the museum likes to advertise, there are “three floors of history.”
The historical society offers a genealogy department that includes family histories, maps dating back to 1904, school yearbooks from 1923 on, cemetery books and census records from 1830, military listings for the Civil War and World War I and lists of churches, schools and businesses from 1829 to 1960. Visit the museum website for information on how to access the genealogy records.
Crawford County Historical Museum, is located at 308 North Smith Street. The museum is open late April through late November, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday or by appointment. (Hours may vary, so please call to verify.) Group tours can be arranged. Donations are requested for admission. There is a small gift shop area with history books, cookbooks, locally made items, hand-carved birds, postcards, notecards and more. Books also can be ordered online. The museum is part of Recklein Commons, along with the public library, auditorium and veterans memorial. For more information, call 573-885-6099 or visit CrawfordMoMuseum.com.