The Museum's collection is housed in three historic buildings on the square in Wellington, across the street east of the courthouse. The Pruden Building houses the Art Center which features the work of local artists, special exhibits, or works from the permanent collection. The Pruden Building was a gift of the Wellington State Bank. The Sullivan Buildings were a gift of the Sullivan Family.

The buildings of the former Sullivan Hardware and Furniture Stores house the main collection of historical items from the settlement of the county in about 1880. Included are items from the Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrows' plunge into Salt Fork of Red River, schoolroom, Templeton Law Office, soda fountain, Mothuskek square piano; military gear from all twentieth century campaigns, a wise men collection (seasonal), quilts, crocheted items and other handwork. Children are invited to pet the coyote and racoon that greet you as you enter. These buildings feature the original embossed tin ceilings and balconies.

Oil paintings by local artist Henry Sullivan depict the settlement of the county from the day of buffalos to tractors.

The museum's first home at 1404 Fifteenth Street (a gift of R. H. and Mildred Tyler) houses agricultural and ranching items and is open by appointment.

Situated across from our historic art-deco courthouse, the museum is a pleasant place to begin exploring the history of the region, doing genealogical research, or taking a break if you happen to be headed through Wellington on the way to somewhere else.

More information about Wellington can be found at the community web site.

The collection features the life and history of the people who settled Collingsworth County and this part of the Texas Panhandle. Some of the greatest ranches of the west were carved out of land that now makes up Collingsworth County. The Rocking Chair Ranche, later broken up into the Mill Iron Ranche, is still owned by residents of Wellington. We have assembled the following links to help you in your exploration of Panhandle history.

Red River Indian Wars: army campaign to wipe out Indians from the Southern Plains
Old Mobeetie: settlement that sprung up next to Fort Elliot, one of the two original settlements in the Panhandle
Old Tascosa/Boot Hill: settlement that sprung up around buffalo hunting; situated on the Canadian River
Texas Ranches: book that somewhat arbitrarily lists the various "big spreads" in the state
Exploration and Settlement of the Panhandle: history of who came here, why, and what happened to them
Panhandle-Plains Wildlife Trail: driving trail that goes through Wellington, introducing flora and fauna to nature enthusiasts
Pioneer Life: a look at the lives of women who lived in the 19th Century
Pioneer Clothing: description of how clothes were made
Traditional Texas Cooking: hundreds of simple, easy recipes for traditional Texas foods
Pioneer Foods in the 19th Century: description of how folks used to eat--before the Big M
Farming in the Texas Panhandle: general description of Panhandle soils and other historical info
Indians of the Panhandle: this web site on Texas Indians has info about the Comanches, Kiowa, and others
Texas Courthouses: info about the Collingsworth County Courthouse, with photo
Rodeos in Texas: schedule of Texas rodeos for 2004

Collingsworth County Museum
E-mail 806-447-5327, PO Box 495, Wellington, TX 79095