Enter the Kersey Historical Museum to take a step back in time.  Learn about the railroad and its impact to the Kersey area. Enjoy a variety of ranching, farming, dairy items, household goods, furniture and clothing used in the past.  See various types of communication equipment.  Enter the Hardin Store and peruse all the interesting items on display.  Some of the artifacts in the museum date back to the 1800's.  Enjoy photos in the Kuner and Orchard areas taken during the filming of the movie Centennial, based on the book written by James A. Michener. See how education evolved in the area and so much more.  The Kersey Museum is open on Thursday mornings  9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.

Kersey began as a railroad stop called Orr, in 1893 and then changed its name when it became an incorporated town in 1908. Located on the eastern edge of irrigated land before the landscape gives way to the Eastern Plains, the Latham Ditch is the agricultural lifeline of Kersey. Beef, dairy, corn, hay, sugar beets, beans, and grains are the main agricultural components of our area.

The Friends of the Kersey Library and Museum

The Friends of the Kersey Library and Museum was established in October, 1993. We were, and continue to be, a group of citizens who wanted to start our own town library and museum to be housed in a downtown Kersey historical building. We combined several town functions into one multi-use building, hoping it would become a destination and strengthen our downtown district, which consists of thirteen businesses. Through grants and donations we were able to raise $27,000 and the old Kersey Fire Station became the town library-museum and recreation building. We opened our doors in June of 1994, staffed only by volunteers. Within a year we became a town budget line and had a salaried director.

In 2008 we became a 501(c)3 organization and Friends of Kersey Library and Museum, Inc. became our new name. We have been successful in receiving grants for our growing needs. As of January 21, 2013 the High Plains Library District has incorporated our library as a mini-branch. We are absolutely thrilled!

Growing the Museum

Our attention now turns to making our small museum grow. We began to sort and categorize our donations for cataloging in November 2012. In January 2013 we received a call from the City of Greeley Museums in regard to sharing any information we had on Marshall DeWolfe between the years of 1911-1915. DeWolfe was the stepson of President Warren G. Harding and he lived in Kersey and owned a small newspaper, The Kersey Surprise, for a period of time. Looking for clues about his life began in earnest. Some of our “urban legends” were verified when we compared information with Jonathan Anderson, researcher at the Harding Museum in Marion, Ohio. It has been a pleasure to piece together parts of history long forgotten until now. We are so excited to learn more about one of our past residents and bring a presidential connection to Kersey.

Donate

The Town of Kersey Museum is always looking to expand the collection to include more photos, yearbooks, documents, and other resources that are important to the history of the Kersey area. If you have any objects that you would like to donate or loan to the museum please contact us.