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Program Thursday on the The Museum of Wayne County History begins its 2008 exhibit season with the debut of 'Lawmen of the Old Jail: Wayne County Sheriffs' on March 14, and will run until June 14. This exhibit will feature the twenty-seven men who served as Sheriff at the Wayne County Jail on Butternut Street, from its inception in 1856 to its closure in 1960. The displays will focus on these men, their lives, their families, and some of the more infamous criminals that they captured.
The museum has invited Lt. Steve Sklenar to speak during the History at Night on March 13. He will be giving a PowerPoint presentation and speaking on the 'Sheriffs of the Butternut Street Jail.' Directly after the presentation will be a Preview Party for the exhibit. All those who attend the 'History at Night' are welcome at the exhibition preview party. This exhibit holds a special meaning for the museums executive director, Larry Ann Evans - her mother, Ann Collins Evans, was Sheriff Jerry Collins's grand-daughter. Jerry Collins was one of the jails more beloved Sheriffs, and continued to be fondly referred to as 'Sheriff Collins' even whilst serving as Undersheriff. Evans recalls hearing as a child that her great-grandfather was 'very fair,' and finds it 'fun' to be greeted by his mannequin every morning. A number of the items on display come from Evans personal family collection, including a scrapbook that her grandfather, Cornelius Collins, made for Jerry. It contains notable newspaper articles from the Sheriff's distinguished career, including those discussing the Gloria Sampson trial, the Oliver Curtis Perry train robbery, and more. Also on loan from the Evans personal collection are Jerry Collins badges, the transcript of a radio show that aired upon Jerry's death, and Oliver Curtis Perry's gun. Oliver Curtis Perry was the notorious horse thief who led the lawmen on a rail chase through Wayne County, commandeering rail cars and switching directions in the hopes of evading the law. This exhibit was chosen not only due to Evans own personal connection with Sheriff Collins, but because what she hopes many will consider to be interesting subject matter. Evans hopes that this particular exhibit will please those who find this particular side of Wayne County history to be intriguing. 'Some may find this exhibit the best they've ever seen,' she explains, 'because they are into the history of law in this county ... We just try to accommodate as many exhibits as possible to have something for everyone.' The exhibit will also feature a number of new media, including a slideshow of crime scene photos from the Warren Family murder. Nobody under the age of 18 will be allowed to view the gruesome scenes. Although the decision to make the photos public is controversial, Evans defends her decision to include the photos. 'The press used to put pictures of the dead in the newspapers,' she states. 'People could see that death was an outcome of a violent crime ... Real death, as opposed to TV death or video game death, has been so removed from our society.' Additionally, the museum will be using iPods for the first time. They will be located on the walls of the exhibit and will contain additional information about a Sheriff or a notorious crime. The museum will feature two more major exhibits during 2008. They are 'Peppermint and More: Agriculture of Wayne County' from June 27 - August 30, and 'The Lay of the Land: Maps of Wayne County' from September 19 through November 8. The museum will be hosting the 'Lock Up and Jail Em!' fundraiser, which benefits the County Historical Society. Museum of Wayne County History is located at 21 Butternut Street, Lyons, NY. For more information call 946.4943 or visit the website, www.waynehistory.org Copyright
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