BLM Anasazi Heritage Center features Wetherill family in new exhibit
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DOLORES, Colo. – Trowels, Trading Posts, and Travelers: The Wetherill Family, a new exhibit at the Anasazi Heritage Center, opens Friday, Mar. 10, and showcases early explorers in the Four Corners region who pioneered archeological techniques. The opening includes an open house featuring Dr. W.H. Wills’, University of New Mexico Professor of Anthropology, presentation “Finding the Wetherill Trading Post at Pueblo Bonito” at 6:30 p.m.
Wills says it is difficult to overestimate the impact the Wetherill experience at Chaco Canyon had on southwestern archaeology. His research in conjunction with the University of New Mexico includes conducting archaeological investigations at the Wetherill Trading Post in Chaco Canyon. Although the Wetherill presence in Chaco was relatively short (1896 to 1910), the consequences continue to influence modern research.
“Never-before displayed archives and objects from the collections of the Bureau of Land Management’s Anasazi Heritage Center tell the story of the Wetherill family in the Four Corners region,” said Sarah Thomson, BLM Exhibit Developer. “Visitors will be encouraged to connect with the individual family members’ experiences through these personal objects.”
The exhibit focuses on a more personal view of the Wetherill family and provides visitors new insights into the family’s contributions to the history of the Four Corners region. The exhibit also includes information on the five Quaker brothers – Richard, Al, Clayton, John and Win, their sister Anna, and brother-in-law Charlie Mason who homesteaded in Mancos, Colorado, in the late 1800s. The Wetherill family also had an economic impact on Native American communities by establishing trading posts in remote locations on reservation lands.
The grand opening at the Anasazi Heritage Center (27501 Highway 184, Dolores, CO) is free and begins at 6 p.m. On March 11, admission to the exhibit is $3, and the exhibit is open until February 2018. For more information, call 970-882-5600.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.