THE TOWN OF ROANOKE HAS USED THE EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF ONE MAN AS A
NUCLEUS FOR A TOWN MUSEUM.
SAM WAS A UNIQUE PERSON. HE WAS A NATURALIST, A TAXI DETERMINIST.
A COLLECTOR OF WILD ANIMALS
WHICH HE MOUNTED AND DISPLAYED
IN HIS MUSEUM AT HOME.
>> NOT ONLY WAS SAM A COLLECTOR,
BUT SO WAS HIS BROTHER, AND
THEIR HOME QUICKLY BECAME
CRAMPED.
UNFORTUNATELY AFTER THEIR
DEATHS, THE FARMHOUSE WAS BROKEN
INTO AND MOST OF THE COLLECTION
DISAPPEARED.
WHAT REMAINED BECAME THE SEED
FOR ROANOKE'S MUSEUM.
>> THEY CAN SEE THE THINGS THAT
FRANK AND SAM CHECKED, MOSTLY
SAM'S.
HE WOULD COLLECT THE DIFFERENT
ANIMALS WHICH INCLUDED SNAKES,
BIRDS, ALLIGATORS, SHELLS,
INDIAN ARTIFACTS.
. THE BUTTERFLY COLLECTION IS
FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
SAM WOULD COLLECT THESE IF THEY
WERE LOCAL.
IF YOU WANTED SOMETHING THAT WAS
UNIQUE, HE WOULD WRITE TO
DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.
SNAKE SKINS THAT ARE ON DISPLAY
ARE TYPICAL OF FLORIDA AND
ILLINOIS.
A LOT OF THEM ARE THE
DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKES THERE
ARE ON DISPLAY.
CORRAL SNAKES, COPPERHEADS.
MOST OF THEM ARE ALL POISONOUS
SNAKES.
HE ALSO WAS A STAMP COLLECTOR.
WE HAVE STAMPS THAT DATE BACK TO
1857.
WE HAVE SOME VERY RARE STAMPS
AND SOME VERY COMMON STAMPS THAT
HE COLLECTED THESE AS HE WROTE
TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
AND AS THEY WROTE BACK TO HIM.
THE MUSEUM IS ALSO A COMMUNITY
COLLECTION, TOO.
WHEN THE MUSEUM WAS OPENED, WE
HAD VERY FEW ITEMS.
FROM THE HUNTSINGERS'S TO
DISPLAY.
WE WENT TO THE COMMUNITY TO ASK
FOR DONATIONS.
THEY RESPONDED TREMENDOUSLY.
WE HAVE A SECTION DEVOTED TO THE
PAST BUSINESSES OF ROANOKE
SHOWING HOW THE BUSINESS GREW.
WE HAVE A SECTION THAT DEALS
WITH THE MINE.
THE MINE WAS PROBABLY THE NUMBER
ONE THING IN ROANOKE THAT HELPED
ROANOKE GROW AND DEVELOP.
WE HAVE A SCHOOL SECTION THAT
DEALS WITH THE EARLY LEARNING
SUBJECTS.
WE HAVE THREE DIFFERENT ROOM
SETTINGS, KITCHEN, DINING ROOM,
BEDROOM FROM THE EARLY 1900'S
THAT SHOW HOW PEOPLE LIVED AND
WORKED AT THAT TIME.
WE HAVE ONE OF THE VERY FIRST
TELEVISIONS THAT WAS MADE.
IT IS A FIRST TV THAT WAS IN
ROANOKE.
IT WAS LOCATED IN A TAVERN.
IT WAS SHOWN ON SATURDAY NIGHTS
FOR THE SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS.
BECAUSE THE SCREEN WAS SO SMALL,
THEY HAD TO USE AN ENLARGER TO
ENLARGE THE SIZE OF THE SCREEN
SO MORE PATRONS COULD SEE THE
TELEVISION.
WE HAVE ONE UNIQUE ITEM FROM THE
DRESS AREA, IN THE CLOTHING
EXHIBIT.
IT IS A CIVIL WAR WEDDING GOWN
THAT WAS WORN BY A LOCAL
RESIDENT THAT USED TO LIVE HERE.
AFTER HER MARRIAGE, HER AND HER
HUSBAND MOUNTED A TRAIN TO TAKE
DOWN TO HIS ENCAMPMENT IN THE
SOUTH.
AS THEY WERE PASSING THROUGH THE
SOUTH, THE CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS
BOARDED THE TRAIN AND IN ORDER
TO HIDE HIM, SHE HID HIM UNDER
THE PETTICOATS OF HER WEDDING
GOWN.
WHAT SAM AND HIS BROTHER BEGAN
IN THEIR HOME BECAME THE SEED
FOR A MUSEUM THAT IS NOW BECOME
THE PRIDE AND JOY OF THE TOWN OF
ROANOKE.
>> THE MUSEUM IS OPENED JUNE
THROUGH SEPTEMBER ON SUNDAY'S,
AND WE GENERALLY HAVE A GOOD
CROWD EVERY SUNDAY TO COME
THROUGH THE MUSEUM.
>> FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE HUNZINGER MUSEUM CALL ROANOKE VILLAGE HALL
(309)923-3661.