September 14, 2021

The Sweetwater County Historical Museum’s new special exhibit, “Crossroads: Change in Rural America,” is now open at the Green River Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center. The exhibit is presented in cooperation with Wyoming Humanities / thinkWY and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.

“Crossroads” examines the evolving landscape of rural America, and will open and on view through October 24, 2021. There is no charge for admission.

The Sweetwater County Historical Museum and the communities of Sweetwater County were expressly chosen by Wyoming Humanities / thinkWY to host “Crossroads” as part of the Museum on Main Street program—a national/state/local partnership to bring exhibitions and programs to rural cultural organizations. “Crossroads” explores how rural American communities changed in the 20th century. The vast majority of the United States landscape remains rural, with only 3.5% of the landmass considered urban. Since 1900, the percentage of Americans living in rural areas dropped from 60% to 17%. The exhibit looks at that remarkable societal change and how rural Americans responded

The elaborate exhibit, which covers over 750 square feet of floor space, is part of Museum on Main Street, a unique collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), state humanities councils across the nation, and local host institutions. In addition to Sweetwater County, “Crossroads” will tour five other communities in Wyoming through June 18, 2022; the Homesteaders Museum in Torrington, beginning October 2021, the Laramie County Library in Cheyenne, in January 2022, the Nicolaysen Museum at Casper College, February 2022, the Homesteader Museum in Powell, March 2022, and the Converse County Library in Douglas, May 2022.

To learn more about “Crossroads” and other Museum on Main Street exhibitions, visit www.museumonmainstreet.org.

An official grand opening for the exhibit is scheduled at the Visitor Center at 1155 W. Flaming Gorge Way for Friday, September 17, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5:30. Refreshments and snacks will be served, a cash bar will be available for those 21 or over, and the public is invited to attend.

The museum is also sponsoring “Music of the Community,” a combination concert and panel discussion emceed by Andrea Graham, a University of Wyoming Folkore Specialist, on Friday, September 24th, at the Broadway Theater in Rock Springs. Performing will be local talent ZamTrip, Sickamore Treezy, and Dave Pedri and the EIO Band. The doors at the Broadway will open at 5:30 PM, the panel opens at 6:00, and the concert will begin at 7:15. Admission will be free, and a cash bar will be available for those 21 and over.

You can see a preview of the exhibit here on our YouTube Channel.