Rural Arts Museum
On a spur of the railroad that brought civilization to the territory, you will find a collection of buildings that hold the stories, artifacts and memories of middle Wisconsin.
Complementing the history of the railroad are the historical memorabilia of the dairy industry as well as modes of transportation, machines of the written word and education. It's all part of the Rural Arts Museum located in Colby, Wis.
People interested in preserving area history organized the Clark County Historical Society in 1965. Envisioning the possibilities, it was decided early in the organization's formation that to do the task properly, it would be best to have two places of display in the county.
The Clark County Historical Society was able to negotiate an agreement with the Clark County Board of Supervisors for the leasing of the 1897 Jail, which has become an archive of government and armed services artifacts. To complete it's dreams, the Clark County Historical Society bought the land and building of the Colby Cheese Box Company which had gone out of business in prior years. This became the beginning of the Rural Arts Museum -- a long-raged stronghold of historical data of railroading, dairying, and education: a slice of middle America.
After renovation and planning, the first building secured and relocated at the Rural Arts Museum was the original depot from the city of Colby.
The city of Colby came into existence because the government gave Mr. Gardner Colby certain rights through this territory for establishing a railroad from Menasha to Ashland. The depot today houses much data from the era of the railroad's greatest days.
A 1-room county school has been added to the Rural Arts Museum. It was moved from south of Granton, and, today, is used on occasion by local teachers as a hands-on experience/tool, recalling how knowledge was shared in days past.
The jewel of the Rural Arts Museum is a log home that was used for almost a century before it was dismantled and moved to Colby from the town of Holton. The log home is completely furnished with the furniture form the original site. It was given to the museum by the daughters of the late Frank Schopper, fulfilling a dream he had regarding the home.
The Rural Arts Museum is poised to enter into a second era of development. In the sesquicentennial year of the state of Wisconsin, a new building for displays was constructed on the grounds to compliment the existing structures. Space in this building will allow for rotating displays and proper storage of various gifts and artifacts. Long-range planning also being considered is securing a log barn, a church, and a railroad caboose for the museum.
The Rural Arts Museum is operated by volunteers, and benefactors providing for opportunities and occasions of walking through the history of this area.
The Rural Arts Museum is open each week on Sundays from Memorial Day to Labor Day and also by appointment by calling (715) 223-2264.
June Dairy Breakfast
June is Dairy Month and is celebrated by the Colby Chamber of Commerce and the Colby Future Farmers of America Alumni with a Dairy Breakfast Open House. This event takes place on a Colby area farm on the fourth Sunday in June each year.