5 Things to Do at the Dickinson County Heritage Center

Most counties have a historical society, but few rival Abilene's Dickinson County Heritage Center. From telephones to farm machinery, quilts, and entrepreneurs, the Dickinson County Heritage Center brings history alive! 

1. Explore the Museum of Independent Telephony

Play the role of a telephone operator or dial a rotary telephone at the Museum of Independent Telephony, located within the Heritage Center museum building. This hands-on experience follows the
history of the telephone from Alexander Graham Bell's first message to Mr. Watson to the cellular phone.

Discover the story of local entrepreneur C. L. Brown, who after having his right arm amputated following a farming accident as a youngster took his misfortune and turned it into a global empire under the United Company umbrella, founding several businesses including one that later became Sprint Telecommunications.

2.  Learn about Wild Bill Hickok

See the horns of a stampeding longhorn that got away from the herd and was pummeling women and children until the beast took a bullet from a gun in the steady hands of Wild Bill Hickok. View a replica of the six-shooter he used to keep order in the town when rowdy cowboys celebrated heartily after herding thousands of cattle from Texas to this city on the plains.

3. Celebrate Education in a One-Room Schoolhouse

Ring the school bell, then sit at a desk in the one-room schoolhouse and test your knowledge with the arithmetic problem on the blackboard.

4. Appreciate Pioneer Life

Step inside the original one-room Volkman log cabin and see the porcelain basin used for washing dishes by hand, the kerosene lanterns that provided the only light, and the wood-fired stove on which meals were cooked. 

5. Take a Spin on the  1901 C.W. Parker Carousel

Take a spin on the oldest operational C.W. Parker carousel known to exist, still delighting children of all ages as it did in the Gilded Age prior to World War I.

Learn the rags to riches story of Charles Wallace Parker, who spent his last dollar to buy his daughter rides on a carousel instead of purchasing groceries. Seeing the excitement on her face, he decided to get into the carousel business and later became known as the “Amusement King”.
The carousel features horses and chariots artistically hand-carved by German immigrants.

Hear the music of the 1904 Wurlitzer Band Organ, playing the tunes that kept children and adults thrilled and amused for decades as they rode the carousel at carnivals.

During special events, the carousel is operated by a steam engine, just as it did more than a century ago.

Learn more and plan your visit at DickinsonCountyHistoricalSociety.com.