What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/935454
8 WHAT'S UP! FEBRUARY 4-10, 2018 BECCA MARTIN-BROWN NWA Democrat-Gazette C arolyn Reno has had a uniquely fortunate position with the Shiloh Museum for 34 years of its 50-year history. She is the one who knows its collections most intimately. "When I got to the museum [in February 1984], the collections were nicely organized on open shelves so it was easy to see a lot of them," Reno recalls. "We started an inventory soon after I arrived, so I got to see a lot of the collections through that process. I had to pack up the collections when we moved out of the old museum building so the current building could be constructed. That was about 1989. I trained volunteers how to pack the collections and again, got to see all of them as they got boxed up." So when the museum was preparing to celebrate its 50th birthday in 2018, Reno wanted to put her expertise to good use. "I suggested that we do an exhibit featuring 50 objects, one from each year between 1968 and 2018," she explains. "The selection process involved me looking back through each year to find historic, unique or compelling objects that would represent the scope of the collection and the scope of the museum's field of interest — Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas Ozarks. "There were few donations in the early years, so selection was fairly easy. It wasn't so easy in later years because of greater number of donations. That took a while. I also thought about what the public might enjoy seeing. It was tough work to make the selections. I could have done a 100 things and more, but we don't have the space at this time due to ongoing renovations." 'Fifty From Fifty' Shiloh Museum showcases pieces of past 1981 Block-gear pattern made by the Becker Machine Shop, Springdale, about 1935. J.W.G. Becker had a machine shop on Monitor Road where he offered ornamental iron work, pattern making and repair service for all kinds of engines, pumps and mills. — Margaret Lester and Mary King collection COVER STORY 1998 Chevrolet sign from the Mooney- Barker Drug Store, Pettigrew (Madison County), 1930s. The Mooney-Barker Drug Store served the small lumber town of Pettigrew for nearly 70 years, selling everything from "drugs to axle grease" to meet customers needs. In the 1930s Barker applied for a Chevrolet dealership. — Wayne Martin collection