Medicine Mound Museum : A Diamond In The Rough

Around 1725, The Comanche tribe split from the Shoshone tribe and moved south from Colorado across the Great Plains. The Comanche nat ives eventually made the land around the Pease River the center of a vast chunk of of Texas and Oklahoma real estate known as the Comanchero. About 10 miles east from the new Copper Breaks State Park, the four conical Medicine Mounds rise from the flat plains. Medicine men and warriors alike visited the area to trade goods and drink from the gypsum-laced springs. This was a harsh land fraught with many difficulties for the early settlers. The little village of Medicine Mound had been a thriving community for years when brothers-in-law Ira Hicks and Lon L. Cobb opened their general merchandise store in 1927. Mr. Cobb died in 1942, but Mr. Hicks persevered. Since her father's passing in 1966, Myna (Hicks) Potts began collecting period artifacts, and in the late 1990's opened the private Medicine Mound Museum to visitors. At 79 years young, Myna still manages to open the Museum every Saturday, freely sharing her vast collections and knowledge with all. In 1999, the Medicine Mound Museum also received three historical marker plaques from the Texas Historical Commission. Thanks to the persistence of Myna and a few friends, the Medicine Mound Museum has operated for years without the benefit of outside funding. Over time, it became obvious that one woman could not "go it alone" much longer, which led to the formation of the Downtown Medicine Mound Preservation Group.

The museum facility itself needs somewhat less work than the W. W. Cole building - a new roof and updated wiring, better signage, interactive displays, and easier handicapped access, among other things. Our vision for the future of the Medicine Mound Museum includes stabilization of the building itself and employing modern conservation methods for our extensive collections to produce an exceptional learning environment for all. When all is said and done, we hope that the Medicine Mound Museum will serve as the focal point for educating the public about life in rural Texas.

One of our biggest challenges will be restoring the Hicks-Cobb General Store to its former glory while incorporating modern necessities such as environmental controls, interactive displays, handicapped access, fire suppression systems, and additional security. We want to retain the same "look and feel" of the place so that our guests will feel as if they are stepping back in time into the world of a small, frontier Texas town. Combining unobtrusive, modern conveniences and conservation methods is a huge challenge, requiring the services of preservation architects, curators, design staff, and more. Yes, it all costs money, so we are seeking some significant funding as we march into 2007. Stay tuned to our grants page for news on our progress !