In 1863, placer gold was discovered in Alder Gulch in Montana and the rush to find the mother lode began. Nevada City and Virginia City soon became boom towns. Between 1945 and 1978 Nevada City was restored as a living historical museum which includes over 100 buildings, most of which were moved to this site from other Montana locations and restored. Today this is a living history museum. The gunsmith shop functioned as more than just a shop that repaired and sold guns: it was actually a sporting goods store.
Shown in the foreground is a loading press used for reloading rifle, pistol, and shotgun shells.
A closeup of the loading press.
Shown above is a duck decoy.
More duck decoys.
Hanging on one of the ceiling beams are some ice skates.
Shown above are some of the animal traps which were hanging from the beams.
Shown above is a large animal (bear?) trap.
Shown above is a portion of a buffalo skull.
Museums 101
Museums are not just interesting places to visit: they are often places that help bring history to life, making history more than just a bunch of words in a dusty old book. Museums 101 is a series of photo tours of various museum exhibits. More from this series:
Museums 101: The Second Floor of the Anderson Homestead (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Nevada City Homestead Cabins (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: A Collection of Guns (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The General Store (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Old West Room in the Presby House Museum (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Fishing and Glass Net Floats (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Western Room in the Fort Dalles Museum (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Railroad Food Services (Photo Diary)