An exterior view of a rustic wooden building with a staircase leading up to it. — **Plate I.** Stamp mill building, Western Museum of Mining & Industry. From wmmi.org

A white wooden house with a metal roof and a covered porch. — **Plate II.** Reynolds house, Western Museum of Mining & Industry. From wmmi.org

A large vintage industrial steam engine inside a wooden structure. — **Plate III.** Machinery exhibit, Western Museum of Mining & Industry. From wmmi.org

A large vintage industrial engine inside a rustic wooden building. — **Plate IV.** Corliss Steam Engine, Western Museum of Mining & Industry. From wmmi.org

Western Museum of Mining & Industry

Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado. Interactive museum of mining and industry.

Details

Map. Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado. Larger map

Where: 225 North Gate Blvd Colorado Springs CO 80921, Colorado Springs, CO 80921. Directions
When: Reynolds Ranch House farmhouse tours Mondays at 11:30am and 2:30pm; reservation required.
Season: Open year-round; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day.
Getting there: Just off I-25 at exit 156 (North Gate Blvd); head east and take the first right.
Fees: Adult $14; Military/Teacher/First Responder $12; Senior (60+)/AAA $12; Student 13+ $9; Child 4-12 $7; children under 3 free with paid adult; members free.
Hours: Monday - Saturday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm.
Access: Handicap accessible parking; service animals allowed; when machines are operating it can be quite loud and hearing protection is recommended.
Walk-in or reserve: Walk-in tours are first come first serve; advance reservations for tours are not accepted.
Phone: (719) 488-0880
Managed by: Western Museum of Mining & Industry.
Established: 1970.

Working machinery, a model mining drift and gold panning stations in the 12,200 square foot exhibit hall, plus historic buildings and machinery on a 27 acre campus.

Notable Events

1830sBuilt in Cornwall, England, and sold to Virginia's Vaucluse Gold Mine, where it powered the ore-crushing stamp mill and other machines until just before the Civil War. hmdb.org
1890sJoseph E. Reynolds, a Civil War veteran settled in the Husted area with his wife Sarah, built the Victorian-era farmhouse. gazette.com
1893The hay barn later adapted as a rental venue is described as historic and dating to 1893. coloradogives.org
1894The feature describes the Reynolds Ranch House as dating to 1894 and as the last building left from Husted. gazette.com
1901The Reynolds family owned the farm until 1901. wp.ocn.me
1920sThe museum's steam shovel was built in Marion, Ohio, in the 1920s. hmdb.org
1929Dug iron ore at the Wyoming open-pit Sunrise Mine before later disassembly and removal. hmdb.org
1930Ford rescued the rusted engine and took it to his Deerfield Village museum in Dearborn, Michigan, as the marker names it. hmdb.org
1945After being disassembled and hauled outside the mine, the steam shovel continued doing odd jobs until 1945. hmdb.org
1970Opened as the Museum of the West on a 20-acre site with much of the collection drawn from the Farrars' contributed mining artifacts. gazette.com
1970WMMI purchased the contents of the original Yellow Jacket Stamp Mill of the Montezuma Mining District and erected a replica mill building to house the two 5-stamp batteries and amalgamation tables. wmmi.org
1972The Museum of the West's name changed to Western Museum of Mining & Industry. dncr.nc.gov
1977In August 1977, the museum purchased a 27-acre parcel of land adjacent to I-25 and the present North Gate Boulevard. The land included the historic Reynolds farmhouse, 2 barns, and 2 bunkhouses. coloradogives.org
1979The first structure erected on the newly purchased land was the Yellow Jacket II Stamp Mill, completed in June 1979; a month later construction started on an exhibits building. coloradogives.org
1979Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums since 1979. dncr.nc.gov
1982Construction started on an exhibits building a month after the stamp mill was completed, and the building was opened to the public in July 1982. coloradogives.org
1982Moved to its current site at 225 North Gate Blvd.; the former site was subsequently used to store collection items not displayed. gazette.com
1982The museum's Corliss engine was completely reassembled and run for the first time on July 28, 1982, the day before the exhibit building's grand opening. gazette.com
1982Colorado Fuel & Iron donated the steam shovel to the museum. hmdb.org
1983The Ford museum deaccessioned the beam engine and transferred it to WMMI. hmdb.org
1987WMMI placed the transferred beam engine on exhibit. hmdb.org
2016Foundation work was complete by the newsletter account, funded in part by a $117,502 History Colorado grant. palmerdividehistory.org
2021Introduced a new rental venue in the historic 1893 hay barn. coloradogives.org
2021Completed a three-phase, $550,000 rehabilitation of the historic 1890s Reynolds House. coloradogives.org
A ribbon cutting unveiled the new entrance with the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce, construction partners and community members. gazette.com

People

Frederick M. Farrar, Museum president and contact in a director-recruitment notice.
Frederick McMenemy Farrar, Contributed mining artifacts forming the nucleus of the collection.
Jeff Tapparo, Board member participating in a steam-shovel demonstration at the anniversary celebration.
Katherine Thatcher Farrar, Supplied artifacts with which the museum began (1970).
Rick Sauers, Museum executive director discussing a proposed renovation and expansion.
Robert Phillips, Metallurgical expert announced as lecturer for the Artistic Reflections of Mining Structures exhibit.
Steve Berry, Volunteer participating in a steam-shovel demonstration at the anniversary celebration.
Winfield Scott Stratton, Independence Mine owner whose ledgers and correspondence are included in the museum's research library and archives.
Joseph Reynolds, homesteader of Reynolds Ranch, part of which became the museum site (late 1880s).
Sarah Reynolds, Named as wife of ranch owner John Reynolds, portrayed by Diane Kokes.
Grant Dewey, Museum executive director describing replacement of the old ranch-drive entrance.
Joseph E. Reynolds, Civil War veteran who settled with his wife Sarah in the Husted area and built the Reynolds Ranch House (1890s).
Henry Ford, Purchased the former mine property and rescued the beam engine later transferred to WMMI (1930).
Loretta Howden, Museum contact on its volunteering organization page.
FM Farrar, Museum president and contact for recruiting a director.
Frederick Farrar, Supplied artifacts with which the museum began (1970).
Annie Judd, Kitchen manager figure portrayed by Jeannine Engel at Reynolds Ranch Family History Day.
Barb Morehead, Interpreter portraying the household manager at the ranch.
Diane Kokes, Historical Society interpreter portraying Sarah Reynolds at the ranch.
Doris Baker, Interpreter portraying a librarian and teacher at the ranch.
Gary Atkins, Interpreter portraying the ranch manager.
Heather Kruger, Interpreter portraying the children's upstairs nanny at the ranch.
Jeannine Engel, Interpreter portraying Annie Judd, kitchen manager.
John Reynolds, Named in this account as owner of the ranch and husband of Sarah Reynolds.
Kathie Lombardy Kauffer, Historical Society member pictured in historical garb with the Reynolds Ranch interpreters.
Patricia Atkins, Interpreter portraying Miss Patricia, schoolmarm, at the ranch.
Wayne Russert, Historical Society member pictured in historical garb with the Reynolds Ranch interpreters.

Details

Notable Events

People

Sources