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It seems that every small town has a of way of commemorating its history. Some build memorials or parks. Others celebrate by showcasing the parts of history most significant to them on or inside a museum. One history enthusiast, Brantley Baird, owner of Rock Art Ranch in Winslow and a native to the area, took a bit of a different approach when he decided he wanted to leave some of his pioneer ancestry to future generations of the area.
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Originally from the Show Low/Shumway area, growing up Baird was familiar with some of the ways of the old pioneers. “My great-grandfather was one of the early pioneers of the area and so was my wife’s. He was of the first cowboys inducted into the cowboy hall of fame in Oklahoma City.”
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Baird moved to Joseph City in the 1940’s and graduated from Holbrook in 1954. At some point he moved to Winslow, where he worked for the railroad after diesel trains replaced the old steam engines that once dominated the railroad. After two years with the railroad, he returned to Joseph City where he worked for Arizona Public Service at the Cholla Power Plant.
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One could say that Baird has left his imprint across Navajo County, which explains why he chose the neutral location in Joseph City to host his museum.
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Baird says he has always taken an interest in the way pioneers lived and wanted to share a piece of what he considers an important part of his history.
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In an interview at the Pioneer Museum with Baird, located on Main Street in Joseph City, Baird reminisced about his childhood fascination with the equipment used for the various needs of the time. Pointing to all the metal machinery on the property that includes old well rigs, some nearly 100 years old, and corn cribs the pioneers used to store their corn he said, “I used to watch some of them use these. As I grew older, people stopped using them and I would buy them. It’s taken years to collect all these.”
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He explained that part of the motivation for building the museum, which is still in progress, is to educate future generations. The plan is to provide information in video form for each piece of machinery on the property that demonstrates how they were used. “I grew up with it so I know what these are, most people can’t tell by looking at it.” Baird expressed how he felt it was important to show the younger generations a different time of self-sufficiency and resilience. “They lived off the back of a horse. Day in and day out.”
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The museum has a long way to go according to Baird, but he continues to work at it. When the exhibit is complete, Baird said there will be a blacksmith shop and a building to house the smaller inside gadgets that were used, as well as showcase of various types of wagons that were used by the pioneers.
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Baird said he started the museum for the sole purpose of keeping the history close to home. “When I’m gone, I don’t just want this stuff to go anywhere. I want it to stay here, for our kids; for them to learn about the history.”
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Baird said that anyone wanting to view the museum is welcomed free of charge. Because the safety barriers have not yet been set around the machinery, he strongly encourages that parents attend with and watch their children.
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