PAWNEE, Okla. — Pawnee Bill was one of the most famous people of his time. He took his traveling rodeo show across the United States for thousands of adoring fans.
He called his ranch in Pawnee home, and in 1910, he built a mansion on the property.
The site was directly hit by a strong storm that blew through Pawnee on Sept. 19.
Some of the trees at the ranch date back as far as the 1800s, but on Sept. 19, they were no match for the storm.
Now, staff at the museum are working hard to get the site back up to par.
“No other Oklahoman exemplified the Wild West as Pawnee Bill,” the site’s director, Ronny Brown, told 2 News.
He lives on-site and was here as the storm blew through town.
“Just happened to be outside as this storm was happening. I was just like, how bad is this storm gonna get? You know, cuz it just kept ramping up,” Brown said.
It left a big mess behind.
Pawnee Bill's mansion took the brunt of the damage, with siding and parts of the roof blown off. The power of the wind blew open a locked door in an upstairs bedroom where Will Rogers once slept.
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Historic artifacts in the room sustained water damage.
Staff at the museum maintain the integrity of the house. Nearly all of it is original to its 114-year-old history. Adding a challenge to an already big task.
“It’s difficult to find a craftsman to come,” Brown said, “We’re owned by the state of Oklahoma, so they have to go through …. you know, a little bit of extra work, and it’s gotta be a specialist.”
Kevin Webb works on the ranch and plays Pawnee Bill for some performances.
“I really enjoy working up here, so that’s what keeps me up here,” Webb said.
The site is set to reopen to visitors at 10 a.m. on Sept. 25.
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