Dobson Museum at Miami, Oklahoma

The Dobson Family came from Kentucky to Ottawa County, Oklahoma in the 1890s. The Dobson family had a couple of mines in the Picher area. They also ran the Ice Company in Miami back in the early years. The Dobson Family had three children who never married Wayman, Solomon, and Nellie. They all lived together in the Dobson Home on A Street SW in Miami until their deaths. Wayman passed away in 1945, Solomon in 1960, and Nellie in 1968.

Dobson Home in Background with Dobson Memorial Center Sign

Dobson Home at 106 A SW, Miami, Oklahoma 

Memorial to Ms. Nellie Dobson at Entrance 

Main Gallery looking West. 

East Side of Lower Level Gallery

 West Side of Lower Level Gallery with Mining Pictures on Wall. 

Boy Scout Jamboree Tepee on display at Dobson Museum. 

Museum Entrance with B.F. Goodrich Tire Sign

Gardens in Dobson Courtyard 

Gardens on Northside of Dobson Property 

It was stated in Ms. Nellie Dobson's Will, that her home and property to be left as a home for the collections of the Ottawa County Historical Society. In 2011, the Dobson home was placed on the State and National Register of Historic Places. The museum has vast collections,which observe the rich history of Ottawa County, Oklahoma. The collection includes exhibits in but not limited to: Mickey Mantle, Charles Banks Wilson, Native American Tribes of Ottawa County, Mining, B.F. Goodrich, British Flyers, Orrick Sparlin Photographs and Negatives, County Pioneers, Route 66, Sunbeam Farms, etc. The gardens which look amazing all year round are kept up by a strong group of volunteers, that dedicate time to keep the Dobson Memorial Center looking great. You will see throughout different times of the year people taking Graduation, Engagement, Wedding,and  Family pictures at the Dobson Museum and Home.

The museum has two levels of galleries for patrons to enjoy with temporary exhibits every year. In 2012, "B.F. Goodrich Full-Circle in Miami" was opened and an exhibit area of the museum is still dedicated to the B.F. Goodrich Tire Company. In 2013, "Sunbeam Farms: A Black Angus Dynasty" and "Route 66: The Mother Road of Ottawa County" opened are both currently on view for patrons to enjoy along with the numerous permanent collections housed within the museum. The Orrick Sparlin Collection has thousands of pictures and over 43,000 negatives housed at the Dobson Museum. The main task I work on is scanning the negatives and preparing them to be used in exhibits and to file them for future research and use. It has been a 2 1/2 year project already and only about 5% of the collection is actually scanned as of today.

The museum is open Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday Afternoons from 1:00-4:00 p.m. and closed on holidays. You can also check out more by visiting their website at www.dobsonmuseum.com or checking them out on Facebook. Every Sunday the Ottawa County Historical Society has a unidentified picture in the Miami News-Record from the collection along with the thousands of other unidentified pictures. Submissions of names on the "Can You Identify History?" pictures can be submitted via website, email, or calling 918-542-5388. There is a Calendar of Events on our website so you can always stay up to date on what is happening at the Dobson Museum.