The Old Greer County Museum

The Old Greer County Museum was established as a depository to preserve and keep the knowledge, history and facts regarding Old Greer County. To protect and commemorate the people, places and things that represented this area previous to Statehood, and provide a lasting memorial for those brave pioneers who carved a home out of an untamed wilderness.

Old Greer County, once a part of Texas, Indian Territory, Oklahoma Territory, is now the present counties of Harmon, Jackson, Greer and all south of the North Fork of the Red River, which is now in Beckham County.

The Border-McGregor Hospital building and grounds provide a perfect place for the Museum and Halls of Fame for the Old Pioneers and the Young Pioneers. All three floors and basement are filled with displays and are open to the public. Over 60 rooms display artifacts of Old Greer County, with room to expand.


The basement contains a collection of farming items, horse drawn plow, etc., display of various types of Barbed Wire, used by the pioneers to fence in their land, bird collection and a room of Indian Artifacts of Oklahoma and the Great Southwest.

The first floor contains the Indian Room, Cowboy Room, and many rooms of Pioneer furnishings, including parlor, bedroom, dining room, two kitchens, Ante-Bellum furniture, library, records room, conference room, prayer room and offices of the museum and Chamber of Commerce.

The second floor has many rooms filled with mementos of former schools - pictures, trophies, furniture. There are displays of clothing, a Drug and Millinery Store, Barber and Millinery Shops, Military displays, Art, cactus, doll, VIP room and more.

The third floor contains four rooms of Medicine, Optometrist Office, Masonic Hall, Hotel Room, Collection of Salt and Pepper Shakers and other Community rooms.


Throughout this museum are photos and memorabilia of the early pioneers and the communities where they lived. This is a place where you can turn back the clock and walk among the early pioneers to this area. A person can not just make a quick visit of a few minutes. There is so much to see, and feel and sense, that when you leave, you know you must return.

On the grounds of the Museum is the Old Pioneer Hall of Fame to honor the Pioneers who were in this area before 1907. Their picture and history are carved in Pink Granite stone and is unique, as there is none other like it in this country. By 1986, there were 160 Old Pioneers honored in this Hall of Fame.

The Young Pioneers are honored with their names engraved on granite plates and inserted in a brick wall that forms the Southern boundary of the Old Pioneer Hall of Fame. "Young Pioneers" are those persons who lived in Old Greer County or were born here fifty or more years ago. They can be either living or deceased, and their home can be anywhere in the world now, if they once called Old Greer County their home. They can be a "young Pioneer", for only $100.00, get a free "History of Old Greer County", a lovely certificate, and help to build the Endowment for the future security of the Museum and Halls of Fame.

The stately Windmill, a symbol of the Pioneer's faith in the a land to furnish the daily need of water for man and beast, with the water trough, stands near the half Dugout. The Half Dugout was the first home of many of the pioneers in this area. The replica on the Museum grounds is completely furnished and many meals are cooked here for small family, club or church groups by appointment. About eighty percent of early settlers lived in half dugouts for a year or two. These were built into the side of a hill, or a hole dug in the ground. They were one room structures, about half buried, and after built, the sod was replaced over the top. Perhaps a fore- runner of todays daylight basement homes. The grounds also host a fire station and with a 1928 Seagraves firetruck.


The Museum of Old Greer County is located at 222 West Jefferson Street, Mangum, Oklahoma. It is open 9:00-12:00 and 1:00 to 5:00, Tuesday through Friday, closed Holidays. For more information, please call (580)782-2852. Please visit when you are in Mangum, the county seat of present Greer County. It was named for Capt. A. S. Mangum, a veteran of the Texas Army. Cowboys called the town "Tin City" because many of the early buildings were sided with flattened cans. Greer County was named for John A. Greer, a lieutenant governor of Texas.

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Web Page Design by Ethel Taylor
Created February 22, 1999

Information furnished by Old Greer County Museum, Mangum, OK

NOTICE: The Old Greer County Museum grants that this information and data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, for personal and genealogical research. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation without written permission of the officers of the Museum.