Dan Davidson views history as something that involves flesh and blood, both literally and figuratively.

Born in Craig, Davidson spent his entire life in the area, except for when he was attending college. His grandparents were all homesteaders, and Davidson recalls avidly listening to their stories about the early phases of the Yampa Valley. His wife’s family homesteaded in the area as well.

“There’s a certain dynamic in the way that people see life, feel life and do life,” said Davidson in regards to growing up in rural areas. “Rather resilient, stubborn, independent, a lot of those kinds of words would fit anybody who stayed in a rural area for a long time.”

---

---

He saw Craig transform into an energy-based community as the mines and power plants were established. He worked in different jobs throughout the area and nurtured his childhood love of learning of the stories in the landscapes and people that surrounded him.

In his youth Davidson traveled throughout northwest Colorado and Wyoming with his father, who owned a vending machine business. This developed his view of the area, and its history, into an in-depth understanding of the dynamics and backgrounds of the communities and people in the region. 

---

---

“It gives me a sort of base on local history that most people don’t have because I knew the people I could ask, or I heard the stories, or I can put it in context,” said Davidson. “It’s sort of a fun job and probably my hobby as well as a job.” 

In 1990, he became the Director of the Museum of Northwest Colorado, which is located in Craig. He has since remained in that position and currently works alongside Assistant Director Paul Knowles and Office Manager/Registrar Neylan Wheat. 

As director, Davidson seeks to put “flesh” on the skeleton of history. In doing this, the museum creates narratives that are relatable to those who are looking into the past. This results in an understanding of the collective “bigger stories” that come together from the lives of individuals and the movements they were part of. 

“If you remove the individual from the story, it’s hollow,” explained Davidson. 

Presently, the Museum of Northwest Colorado focuses preservation efforts on digitizing resources, particularly newspapers, in addition to “tying the exhibits to the people and trying to tell the story of the era.”

Despite evolutions within the region, Davidson explained that there are certain aspects of life in northwest Colorado that don’t change. These include the area’s altitude, long winters and the weather. He and the museum’s staff connect those constants with the different groups that have lived in the area throughout the course of history, creating a visual timeline of grit and perseverance.

The museum holds a broad collection of artifacts and exhibits that link visitors in a contemplative manner with the landscapes of the past. This involves displays telling the stories of female cattle barons (and supposed “rustlers”) being presented alongside Native Americans artifacts, time capsules and dinosaur fossils 

Regarding museums staying relevant in the age of digital information, Davidson stated that “you have to work at it”.

“I don’t think a library, for example, can be doing what it was doing twenty-five years ago and still be relevant,” said Davison. “I think the one thing that museums have that gives them an advantage is artifacts. If we lose that artifact base, and let it become just digital, I think that we have lost something…we have to make the connection.”

Davidson stated that Knowles has a creative ability to bring that “importance’ and relevance to the museum’s artifacts and exhibits. 

Knowles recently updated the Cowboy Gunfighter Exhibit with the goal of providing museum visitors with relevant importance that links artifacts together within the context of northwest Colorado and within the broader themes of the American west. 

Davidson, and the entirety of the museum’s staff, continue to serve as a living database for all facets of the history of Routt, Moffat, and Rio Blanco Counties.

“I feel like the past has a necessity to be taught,” closed Davidson. “You know the old saying ‘if you don’t learn from the past, you’re going to make the same mistake.’ Our culture largely does that over and over again because we think we understand it, but we don’t.”

For more information on the Museum of northwest Colorado, please visit museumnwco.org.