Submitted photo Tim Hoff, left, with the Ward County Historical Society, presents a $10,000 check presented by De Sour Valley EDC Board President Andy Fimrite to help fund construction of a gun museum at the Pioneer Village Museum in Burlington.
The Ward County Historical Society announced it received a $10,000 donation from the De Sour Valley EDC to help fund the construction of a gun museum building at the Pioneer Village Museum in Burlington.
Tim Hoff, a WCHS board member and self-described “gun nut,” said the germ of the gun museum concept began to develop within the organization after a local Minot gun collector donated 12 vintage Winchester Model 1886 lever-action rifles. Hoff said there have been discussions with the Collector for years about his Winchester collection, but given their value of about $100,000, Pioneer Village currently does not have a building secure enough to house them.
“I said, ‘We only have one problem. We don’t know where we’re going to put them,” Hoff said. “For about four or five years, I’ve always thought that we could have some sort of museum there where we’d display different After that, I thought, ‘Here’s my chance to get this going.'”
Hoff said planning and design for the weapons museum is underway. The weapons museum measures 30 x 40 feet and is likely to be designed to resemble other frontier buildings already present in the village. Hoff said the donation from the De Sour Valley EDC has raised about $20,000 so far for an estimated total cost of more than $150,000.
“We believe this museum will be a meaningful addition to our community, preserving heritage, attracting visitors and supporting local pride,” Hoff wrote in a letter distributed to area organizations.
In addition to the Winchesters, Hoff said, the historical society plans to display other historic firearms and frontier items that have been provided by other local enthusiasts who have indicated they want to find a permanent home for their collections.
“Since then, I’ve talked to several gun owners at gun shows, and several have come up to me and said, ‘I’m looking for a place for mine, too.’ I’ve come to the same conclusion myself,” Hoff said. “We get a lot of support just by word of mouth.”