Nathan C. Meeker, Greeley’s founder, was born on July 12, 1817 in Euclid, Ohio. If he were alive today, this year would have marked his 202nd birthday. He made simple statement to the townspeople of Greeley on December 7, 1870:
“Now, while we are daily exploring the prairies, mountains and streams and even bringing up the buried treasures of the ages from the ground beneath us, we hope that our people will bear in mind the fact that we are organizing a museum for the benefit of the whole colony and whenever anything appropriate may be found, let it be placed among our common treasures and we will soon have a collection that will be both instructive and entertaining.”
To this day, the purpose of the City of Greeley Museums remains essentially the same, to collect, preserve, interpret and share the history of northeastern Colorado.
With this purpose in mind, on Saturday, July 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the museum will host its annual Happy Birthday Mr. Meeker free community celebration at the Meeker Home Museum. Activities at museum, located at 1324 9th Ave., include mini tours through the museum, historical lawn games and light refreshments.
The home was built in 1870 for Meeker and his family, and is a unique adobe two-story structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1929, Greeley residents organized and purchased the home to be Greeley’s first official museum and today it’s one of three city museums open to the public.
Furnishings original to the Meeker family and other items from late 19th Century Weld County homes can be viewed inside. The museum’s lawn is part of the city’s public park system and includes interpretive panels that show some of Greeley’s history.
To schedule a private tour of the museum, outside of the event’s hours, call 970-350-9220. For more information about the Meeker Home Museum event and other City of Greeley Museums events, visit GreeleyMuseums.com.