Smithsonian Museum partners with Winslow Museum
Journey Stores on display June 22-Aug. 4, 2013

WINSLOW, Ariz. - A free traveling exhibit sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution, Arizona Humanities Council and our local Old Trails Museum will be on display in Winslow from June 22, 2013 until Aug. 4, 2013. The title is "Journey Stories," which is about westward migration in the United States, histories of our rural areas and the people involved. The Winslow Old Trails Museum is coordinating weekend local displays and events, which will be an adjunct to the Smithsonian traveling show. Winslow will be the opening location of "Journeys," which will continue on to Springerville, Kingman, Florence, Patagonia and Sierra Vista. The traveling display from the Smithsonian will be housed for it's Winslow duration at La Posada Hotel.

At the hotel you will see six separate exhibits, breaking the westward migration into later and later time frames: One Way Trip, Early immigrants many nations and motives, and the interaction between settlers and Native Americans. Pushing The Boundaries, Americans pushed at the western edges of the colonies in the 1700s. Some native nations migrated seasonally, Mexicans moved north to settle the southwest and European trappers settled and created now roads and trails.

Across the Great Desert to the West, Pioneers followed those popular trails to cross the Great Plains and reach the West, Southwest and Pacific Coast in the 1800s. Railroads Span The Nation, the remarkable growth of railroad networks and their impact on settlement and travel in the second half of the 19th Century.

Accelerated Mobility, the explosion of transportation options for Americans in the first half of the 20th Century. Our Expanded World, how Americans today view and use their personal mobility and the role the transportation plays in modern commerce."

This last exhibit is probably one reason Winslow is selected to be the starting point for the Journeys exhibit, since Route 66 is a key migration pathway through U.S. history. Some of the displays will be interactive and there will also be an opportunity for viewers to add their recollections to the area history by giving their oral history input.

It's very appropriate to a small town on Route 66 highlighted when talking about Journeys, although Winslow was not always considered a small town. There was a time when Winslow was one of the largest towns in the state and always played huge part in westward migration and travel. Reason that the Smithsonian focuses on rural areas is because 43 percent of all U.S. museums are located in small towns. Small towns often lack the resources necessary to promote wider cultural attractions. The Museum on Main Street division of the Smithsonian brings to rural areas ideas, history and stimulation not normally accessible. This "Journeys Stories" event is an example. Watch for future notices for updates on the specifics coming up next year.

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