GEM of the West

When visiting the Grand Encampment Museum in Encampment, Wyoming it can be easy to see why it is the pride of the town. With historical buildings and replicas ranging from the two-story outhouse to the decommissioned United States Forest Service fire watch tower, a stroll along the boardwalk can truly immerse a visitor in the history of the area.

It is not by accident, either, that the Grand Encampment Museum is often called the GEM. While it is obviously an anagram of the museum's name, it also is a reminder that the town of Grand Encampment was once the "Gem of Wyoming" and had been under consideration as the state capitol during the copper boom.

This month, True West magazine has announced what many museum patrons and community members have known for quite some time; that the Grand Encampment Museum is the "Best in the West".

On December 16, 2020, True West magazine informed GEM Director Tim Nicklas that the museum had been selected as the "Best Living History Farm Museum" for 2021. While Nicklas had been informed of this award prior to December, both he and the board of directors had to wait until the official announcement.

"I was actually notified months ago about this but had to keep it on the down low. I did share it with the Board of Directors and we all just kept quiet about this until we got official notification," said Nicklas. "One of the representatives for True West sent this press release and, the moment I got it, I just sent it out and let everybody know about this."

Nicklas isn't shocked that the Grand Encampment Museum was awarded "Best Living History Farm Museum" for 2021, stating that the museum had made honorable mention for True West magazine in the past.

"Now, granted, Candy Moulton was the one who wrote the article, so that kind of helps," Nicklas said. "The nice thing about when Candy wrote it is, well, she's familiar with the museum."

Moulton, along with being a historical author and member of the Grand Encampment Museum Board, is a regular contributor to True West magazine. This year, the entry for Grand Encampment Museum was written by Stuart Rosebrook, senior editor of True West magazine.

"He's not really familiar with the museum. He goes around the country and visits museums but he's not going to be as intimately knowledgeable about our museum as Candy would, so he's a true visitor to the museum," said Nicklas. "I think, in a lot of ways, that makes it even greater to be recognized because it's just some random visitor (that) walks in and realizes what a special place this is. It's a big deal." 

While the Grand Encampment Museum had been on True West's radar, so to speak, Nicklas feels that what helped lead the magazine to recognizing the museum as "Best of the West" for 2021 was the planning of a history symposium that, unfortunately, was cancelled due to the novel coronavirus.

The symposium, named "True West History Symposium", aspired to draw a national crowd and many of the contributors to the magazine, including co-owner and publisher Bob Boze Bell.

"I think that our ambition to do such an event really put us more on the radar for True West magazine. It's not like we weren't on the radar for them before ... but to host that level of an event really drew their attention," Nicklas said. "It's not by accident, let's put it that way."

There are other connections that Nicklas has drawn on since he's started working for the Grand Encampment Museum that are beginning to lead to recognition for the museum. Along with being the museum director, Nicklas is an employee of the Western Writers of American and chair of the Spur Awards, the annual literary prizes awarded by the organization. 

"For me, I always want to connect the Grand Encampment Museum with all of that. That's first and foremost for me in everything I do is promote the museum," said Nicklas. "I think, when people realize I'm the director of the Grand Encampment Museum as well as the chair of the Spur Awards, it draws a lot of people this direction." 

While Nicklas may have not been entirely shocked that the Grand Encampment Museum has been awarded Best Living History Farm Museum for 2021, it is still a thrill. 

"To be the director of a museum that is nationally recognized is just an absolute thrill and it makes me very proud of this organization and it makes me very proud of our community because this museum is a community," Nicklas said. "It's a community effort. It always has been, from the very beginning, and it's this community that has added to it, made it grow. They're the ones who put all the work into it all these years. I've only been here for almost three years."

It appears that this award is just the beginning for major events for the museum, too. According to Nicklas, Wild West magazine's Linda Wommack will be writing a feature on the Grand Encampment Museum in the near future. Additionally, the museum will have some new additions to the museum for new and returning visitors.

Those additions include an introductory video to show to visitors that will be filmed at the Grand Encampment Museum with the help of a grant from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund. Another addition will be a 16 foot diorama of the tramway that once transported raw copper from the mines above Encampment.

"More stuff keeps coming. Just like how I've had to be quiet about the True West award, I do know of some other things that are coming down the pipe in the future, real soon," said Nicklas. "We're talking even bigger honors than this True West magazine award."