May 26, 2017 - Items preserved from Novinger, Missouri's coal-mining era will be on display for the public starting this weekend.

The Coal Miners Museum and Novinger Log Homestead will open at 2 p.m. on Sunday at 804 Corrigan Ave., which is located just off of Route O. The museum and homestead will be open from 2 to 4 p.m. on June 11 and 25; July 9 and 23; Aug. 13 and 27; and Sept. 3.

The Coal Miners Museum started in 1971 after a group of area residents wanted to preserve history and started collecting items from Novinger’s coal-mining era. The museum features a simulated coal mine, blacksmith shop display and store front displays from local businesses.

“A lot of the jobs were based around coal mining. It brought people to town so there were more stores,” Novinger Planned Progress volunteer Glenna Daniels Young said. “It was such a big part of the economy of this part of the region.”

The Novinger Log Homestead includes a two-story log house, which was originally built a couple miles west of Novinger in 1848. The log house was taken apart, preserved and moved to Novinger in 1986 by Novinger Renewal.

The homestead also includes a log barn and log smokehouse. The log house is also furnished with period items from the family that used to live there.

Young said the museum and homestead each serve as a good source of history and encouraged people to visit “if they have an interest in coal mining, artifacts from the local area or if they have some genealogy connection.”

There is a price to attend the museum, while the homestead is by donation. 

People can also visit the Coal Miners Museum and Novinger Log Homestead by calling (660) 488-5280 and scheduling an appointment. 

Some of the items on display at the Norvinger Coal Miners Museum