The Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum in Buffalo, WY is a historian’s treasure trove of Native American artifacts and history. The building, a Carnegie Library, in which his collection is found, was built in 1909. The grounds also include a 1916 homestead cabin that was relocated from southern Johnson County. Jim Gatchell was a local pharmacist in Buffalo. However before that, during his childhood, he mixed with and developed friendships with the Cheyenne, with whom he learned their sign language. In addition he learned the Lakota language from his Indian friends.
All this intermingling with Native Americans while growing up naturally led to an interest in Indian artifacts, and Rocky Mountain West history. Additionally he acquired many Indian artifacts as gifts from his longtime friends, and in particular from a dear friend, Weasel Bear. In fact it was his profession as a pharmacist that created his continued friendship with the Indians of the Bighorn Mountains and who, as a respected “medicine man’, was the recipient of numerous rare gifts. Over time Jim became well known for his collection which he proudly displayed in his pharmacy until his death in 1954.
Just as other noteworthy western museums we have celebrated in other articles, the Jim Gatchell Museum presents our Western heritage through artifacts of the Native American Indian. The museum requests that neither photographs nor videos be taken inside the museum. Accordingly the best way to experience this large and valuable Northeastern Wyoming Plains Indians collection is to visit Buffalo, WY and enjoy the history lesson. Go to www.rickpicks.com for other reviews, critiques and essays with links to area attractions and a more detailed review of rv parks as well as reviews of restaurants, etc.
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