Welcome to the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum

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. 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.

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Museum News

Events and Exhibits at the Museum

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Nellie Tayloe Ross, the Governor Lady

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Monday, April 6, 2026

A Quiet Legacy: Signa A. Gilkey

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Wednesday, March 17, 2026

Obstetrics in NE Wyoming

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October 29, 2025

Indigenous People's Day art exhibition and reception

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August 6, 7, 8, 9 and 13, 14, 15, 16

Echoes of the Past Cemetery Tours

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Wednesday, June 4, 2025

Exhibit Opening - the Treasures of the Gatchell

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A Sample From Our Collection

D. Michael Thomas bronze, When Your Best Hand’s Gone Lame
A letter from regional resident and artist Bernard Thomas to his friend, Bill Sand
US Marshal George Wellman’s pearl handled .45 caliber Colt 1878 Frontier Model revolver
A view of the exhibit about notorious stock detective and hired killer Tom Horn
A trade token from the Occidental Saloon, good for one drink. Found at the saloon in 1973

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Thank you to the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund!

WYO Cultural Trust Fund

The Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund awarded $50,000 to go towards Phase Four of the Carnegie Restoration/Repair project.

2023 IMLS National Medal

The Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum won an Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Medal in 2023.
View the 2023 Program here

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