Visiting Owyhee County Museum in Southern Idaho

Harvest Hosts is a unique membership program that allows self-contained RVs to stay overnight in a variety of unique locations across North America. Of the 5,900 number of Harvest Hosts available, nearly 200 are attractions, such as museums, theme parks, restaurants, and more. Of these attraction locations that permit overnight RV camping with no camping fees, most are museums. These museums feature a diverse variety of themes, such as historical topics, scientific topics, and cultural topics. One such location is Owyhee County Museum in downtown Murphy, Idaho, which is known for the 1863 gold strike. Murphy is a small town  located at the base of the Owyhee Mountains, surrounded by the old west. The museum showcases a variety of historical artifacts from Owyhee County, the second largest county in Idaho. Continue on to learn all about the museum, its origin, and what Harvest Hosts members who stay there can expect.

The History

The Owyhee County Museum began in 1960 when Morris and Bea Larson, Mac and Marvene Parkins, Walt and Mildretta Adams, and Alice Edwards sat down around a coffee table to hold the first meeting of the Owyhee County Historical Society. What began as a single item on display at the county courthouse eventually led to the acquisition of the original Murphy School House in 1964. The museum has since grown to become a 10,000 square foot complex and research library that rests on one acre of land. The museum highlights the history of Owyhee County’s ranching and mining history, with many historic buildings being located around the museum. These include the Marsing train depot, a 1959 UP caboose, a stamp mill and the AG Annex Building. 

The Museum Today

In addition to being much larger than the original, Owyhee County Museum now hosts many events throughout the year. These include Outpost Days and Christmas tree sales during the holidays. They also offer Model T rides and tractor demonstrations to all who are willing to jump in and learn about the great history of Owyhee County. Their goal is simple: they strive to be the finest and most complete repository and research center for the history and prehistory of the Owyhee County region.The museum is also much different today than it was nearly fifty years ago. The director, Eriks Garsvo, says, “I love being able to bring the history of the county to the next generation. The museum is visited by people from all over and most are surprised to see how big we are and how much we have considering where we are located.”