
Window on the Plains
Museum
1820 South Dumas Ave
Dumas, TX 79029
Located on the southwest corner of Dumas
on busy Highway 87-287
(806) 935-3113 Fax (806) 934-3621
dumasmuseum@windstream.net
Hours: Monday - Saturday 10:00a.m. - 5:00p.m.
Watch for Special
Don Ray Exhibit coming soon.
Window on the Plains Museum began in 1976 as Moore County Historical Museum.
The facility was housed in the ballroom of a landmark hotel until 2001, when it
was moved to its
permanent home and became Window on the Plains Museum.
In addition to extensive displays centered around farming
and ranching, industry, business,
family life and wildlife, the museum houses a
research and archives center.

The following are pictures of some of the displays in
the Museum
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1900's Street Scene
A view of businesses 100 years ago can be seen
in the
replica of a 1900's street scene. A general store,
post office and
doctor's office can be seen by walking
down a
wooden sidewalk. |
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Phillips and Son General Store
A general store was started in Dumas
as early
as 1892. It later became
the
Phillips and Son General Store
that operated until 1994 |
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Physician, Druggist, and Dentist Office
Early day doctors took care not only of
medical problems,
but also served as
druggists and dentists. |
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Early Moore County Ranch House
Ranching was one of the early
occupations
for Moore County. This replica of a typical rancher's home
was constructed of wood from
a barn that was over
100 years old. |
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Ranch House Office
An inlaid bookcase from the Sneed ranch
decorated
the ranch office.
Some other
items date back to 1903 and 1905 |
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Ranch House Kitchen
A beautiful Majestic wood stove was
donated by
the Irwin Wiseman family.
The stove and several of
the other kitchen
furnishings came from the
Wiseman
family. |
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1920's - 1930's House in Moore County
Many years of experience by a master carpenter
helped
design this
replica of an early
1920's family home. |
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Early Moore County Home
Most 1920's to 1930's homes were small,
usually
just four or five rooms.
This home
has a dining
room, parlor and bedroom
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Dining Area in 1920's House
This dining area includes a wall crank telephone.
The table and sidebar are gifts from the Irwin
Wiseman family. An étagère
holds a collection
of china
and crystal. |
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Bedroom Area of 1920's House
A beautiful bird's eye maple bedroom suite
fills the
bedroom of the
1920's home.
Other decorations include
a wall hanging
woven from human
hair and
a sewing machine brought by ship
from White Russia in the early
1900's. |
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Clothes Washing
The weekly chore of doing family laundry has evolved
from the use of an
open pot over a fire to today's
automatic washing machine. |
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Blacksmith Shop
The replica of a blacksmith shop includes a
forge used by Dumas'
original
blacksmith and
the original insurance
policy that covered his
business. |
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Roundup Scene
Saddles cover the fence surrounding the campfire
area of a cattle
roundup. The cowboy represents
Marshall Cator, a well known local
rancher, who is
recognized in the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.
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Tent Meeting
Camp meetings were held by traveling
preachers to bring religion to the
scattered
communities. Tents were set up and visitors
would camp in
the area and attend the meetings.
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Playa Lake
Playa lakes are important for both ranching and
for wild life. Runoff from rain gathers in low
areas and provides
water for cattle and
wildlife.
During dry seasons many
of the lakes dry up. |
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Farming and Ranching
Farming and ranching opportunities brought the
first settlers to the area,
and remain a staple
of High Plains economy and culture |
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Early Communication
When telephones first came to Moore County,
the lines were sometimes run
on top of fences.
Switchboards and many styles of telephones
are displayed
in the Agriculture/Industry Addition. |
An outdoor display of farming, ranching and industrial
artifacts
is being developed on the back
of the ten-acre tract that is home to
the Window on the Plains Museum.

A group of volunteers called "Windmillers" help staff the
museum. Their
responsibilities include cleaning displays, greeting
visitors, helping with tours,
staffing the gift shop and inventorying and
cataloging artifacts.
Most of the work that has brought Window on the Plains
Museum into being
has been done
by volunteers, who have labored at every stage
of its creation.
They have torn down old barns,
erected walls, built
displays, washed dishes,
mopped floors and worked at many small and thankless
tasks to bring the museum to life. Your enjoyment of the museum displays
and artifacts is their greatest reward.
Click here to go to The Art Center
homepage.
