The day will also have Kiddieland open at noon and the 905 Train Depot Museum open, food trucks and live music.
The event will also bring a corn hole contest, a hot dog eating contest and more traditional Fourth of July activities.
Halliburton, hereos and healthcare
Leading up to the big celebration, Colley said the 250th anniversary of America is mentioned in numerous ways at museun, from Erle P. Halliburton’ s life, to the military and healthcare.
Colley said history is talked about with kids from the 1800s, such as the war in 1863.
During these talks, Colley said kids love to see what was used before a modern day washing machine.
Colley also has old farm equipment he can show the kids, so they can see how seeds were planted manually, without tractors.
Colley said the museum is also working to display the life of Erle P. Halliburton. After reading Halliburton’ s memoirs, Colley said he learned about the heart he had for his employees and people, in general, whether it was during the depression or on trips.
“ We wouldn’ t be Duncan without Halliburton,” he said.
Colley said the Halliburton exhibit will get modernized as well to include everything at the museum.
“ You won’ t even recognize the exhibit when we’ re done,” he said.“ We are telling the story of Mr. Halliburton and his wife,” he said.
Colley said the museum will bring the STEM program into the exhibit.
“ It’ s going to be very interactive,” he said.
With the first two walls up at the entrance of the exhibit, Colley said there are pictures of the new exhibits to come, along with a timeline and more.
Colley said military heroes are also a large part of history, not only for the country, but also for the county.
“ We wouldn’ t be a country today if it wasn’ t for our military,” he said.
Colley said the county has also made large strides in healthcare.
“ We have strides from when the
NED, THE STEPHENS COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM’ S NEW MASCOT, PURCHAS- ES A TICKET TO A MOVIE AT THE HISTORICAL PALACE THEATRE IN DOWNTOWN DUNCAN. NED WILL MAKE APPEARANCES ACROSS STEPHENS COUNTY.
doctor got on horseback and went to somebody’ s house,” he said.“ That happened here, I’ ve got those stories.”
Colley said one end of the museum will get converted 100 % into healthcare. He said there’ s a sign to showcase all of the hospitals in Stephens County.
“ We’ re doing a design on the floor and you’ ll be able to walk on it and it’ ll have all the hospitals over there and how they literally came together, and that’ s how DRH is here,” he said.
Colley said there’ s a horse and buggy at the museum with a doctor bag, foot warmers and more.
Even the smaller artifacts housed in the museum tell a story.
Colley said the museum houses a canister fired on the Fourth of July 1976, as well as an exhibit for Herman C. Wallace who risked his own life when he stepped on a land mine.
To match the theme of celebrating history, Colley said they wrote a song about all of the towns in Stephens County. He said there is also a slideshow of everything since Stephens County began.
When families walk through the big red doors, Colley said they will learn about the 250th anniversary of America. He said the event will also focus on the 119 years as a county.
For the kids
To engage the youth, Colley released his book,“ Ned and the Mystery Behind the Big Red Doors After Dark” which is all about Ned at a museum. He said the story is about a boy who stays behind at the museum and does an all night tour with Ned until the next morning.
After doing a little research, Colley said woolly mammoth bones were found on the museum grounds by Halliburton.
He said he wrote the book about a little boy named named Sam, who stayed behind at the museum after it closed.
“ He had seen Ned, because he’ s a statue, but Ned comes alive at night,” he said.
The book will eventually become a series and is avaiable to purchase on Amazon.
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