While many buildings at Old Cowtown Museum are historical, others were built on site to help fill out the town. One such building is the Carpenter’s Shop. And it has a great story about volunteers coming together to achieve a goal.
During the late 1960s, the Women in Construction of Greater Wichita, Kansas Chapter 120 was told that Cowtown was not accepting carpentry tools because no such exhibit building existed to house them. So the chapter got together and decided to help. These women took it upon themselves to erect a building at Cowtown to house the tools.
Women in Construction of Greater Wichita, Kansas Chapter 120 members at the groundbreaking for the Carpenter Shop in 1969.
Carpenter's Shop after completion
After months of work, Kansas Chapter 120 completed the project, and the Carpenter’s Shop opened to the public in 1970. Now the museum was able to accept donations of tools.
Over the years, Cowtown has amassed quite a collection of hand tools, especially carpentry tools. Next time you visit Cowtown, please be sure to stop by the Carpenter's Shop and see the many chisels, planes, and saws on display. You may even find a carpenter inside working on a project!
