In the spring of 1900, pharmacist Theodore James Gatchell, better known as Jim, opened the first drugstore in Johnson County. The Buffalo Pharmacy became a popular stopping place for cowboys, lawmen, settlers, cattle barons, and famous Army scouts. Jim became a trusted friend to the region’s Native Americans, local residents, and those that passed through town. Many of those that befriended Jim brought him several gifts over the years.
All of the artifacts Jim received have a unique role in telling of the culture and history of Johnson County. After Jim Gatchell’s death in 1954, his family generously donated his vast collection to the people of Johnson County with the provision that a museum be built to house it. After three years of fundraising and planning, the museum was established in 1957.
From guns to medicine bags, bow and arrows to clothing, those gifts now help tell Jim’s incredible story inside the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum. Visitors can learn about the region’s history from the time of Native Americans through westward expansion and the Johnson County War of 1892.
The museum is located inside the old Carnegie Library building, constructed in 1909. The building was given over to the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum by the County Commissioners in the 1980s when the library moved to its current location on North Adams Street.
The museum in 2023 was awarded the National Medal for Museum and Library Service by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for making a significant and exceptional contribution to its community.
The gift shop offers a great selection of books and souvenirs.
100 Fort Street
Buffalo WY, 82834