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Main Museum Display Building

1100 Mable Street   Trenton MO 64683   660 359-2411

Overview of the Museum and displays

The Grundy County Museum is composed of three physical facilities, the Main Museum Building, the Baker School Building, and the Annex Building remodeled in 2007.  All the Museum buildings are in close proximity and face Tinsman Avenue.  See individual building tabs to visit profiles of the Baker School and Annex buildings.

The three-level Main Museum Building was built in 1895 by William McVay where several businesses sold feed, seed, hardware, buggies, and farm equipment.  The building was donated to the Grundy County Historical Society in 1974 by Bert and Rose Hoover, dedicated as a museum in 1976, and remodeled in 1981-85. 

The Main Museum building features three floors of items and displays reflecting the history and heritage of Grundy County and the activities and achievements of the county's citizens.

Ground Floor - lower level

  • Indian Territory - Relics and artifacts from Grundy County sites
  • Dugout Canoe - Over 15' in length, this dugout wooden canoe found buried in the Thompson River, is carbon dated over 300 years old.
  • Weaving Loom
  • Country Store - typical items in a country store are displayed
  • Parlor Room with historic oak fireplace
  • Country Post Office
  • 1880's kitchen with period furnishings
  • Bedroom - typical period furniture
  • Music Room - instruments and record players
  • Farm Machinery - hand tools, plows, corn slicer, grader, drill, chore sled, cultivator, cradles
  • Cavalcade of power - small animal treadmill, vertical steam engine and hit and miss engine
  • Railroad (Rock Island) items - lanterns, signals, uniforms, keys, photos
  • Yearbooks and photos from Grundy County schools
  • In the Courtyard - accessed from the east door...
    • Rock Island Caboose
    • Aermotor 30' restored functioning farm windmill
    • Dinner Bells
    • Farm Equipment - mill stones, blacksmith's forge and bellows, sulky rake
    • Farm Machinery  - hand tools, plows, corn slicer, grader, drill, chore sled, cultivator, cradles

First Floor - Middle Level

  • The Middle Level is used for rotating exhibits, displays and special programs. See the Exhibit tab for information about scheduled exhibits.
  • Permanent displays include...
    • The Heritage Collection - six original drawings of  Trenton's past and classic buildings.
    • Letter written by Felix Grundy
    • Doll Collection
    • Historic Roll Top Desk
    • Thompson House - oil painting, photographs, and history.
    • Patriotic Display Case - with historic US flags

Second Floor - Upper Level

The second floor (upper level) features a Childrens Exhibit designed to convey to today's youth the kind of childhood their grand- great-grandparents experienced. This is a great starter for multigenerational discussions.