Key features of the museum include:
- Exhibits: The museum offers various exhibits that cover topics related to the history of the Sierra Nevada, including mining, agriculture, and the lives of the people who have inhabited the region. Displays often feature artifacts, photographs, and interpretive materials.
- Education and Programs: The museum provides educational programs and events for schools and community members. These programs often aim to inform visitors about local history and the significance of the Sierra Nevada.
- Archives: The museum also maintains a collection of historical documents and records related to the central Sierra, providing a resource for researchers and those interested in local history.
- Community Involvement: The Central Sierra Historical Society actively engages with the community through events, volunteer opportunities, and partnerships with local organizations.
The museum is a very nice facility located amongst the tall sequoia trees with ample space to wander outside and experience the various outdoor exhibits. Inside there the facility is very clean and provides a variety of exhibits. A large Grizzly bear encased in plexiglass is a primary exhibit. Overall very nice in its appearance, there was a lack of activities inside the museum.
Project Description
The Director and Board decided it was time to step out a bit and create a more dynamic experience for their guests. They decided to retain the services of Solutions by Design to create the first of many to follow, interactive exhibits. They choose the Buffalo Soldiers for their first step into technical displays.
Thank you to Bill and his team for helping us launch our first interactive display at the Museum of the Sierra in Shaver Lake – The Buffalo Soldiers!
The Buffalo Soldiers were an important part of U.S. Army history, especially in the late 19th century, and they played a significant role in the Sierra Nevada mountains and surrounding areas. The Buffalo Soldiers were African American soldiers who served in the U.S. Army after the Civil War, specifically in the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments and the 24th and 25th Infantry Regiments.
They were chartered with Protection of the National Parks: In the Sierra Nevada region, particularly in areas such as Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks, Buffalo Soldiers were tasked with protecting these national treasures. They helped maintain order, prevent poaching, and ensure the safety of visitors. Their presence contributed to the early preservation efforts of these iconic landscapes. They also provided labor and construction services. The Buffalo Soldiers were also involved in building infrastructure within the national parks and surrounding areas. They constructed roads, bridges, and buildings, assisting in the establishment of these parks as destinations for recreation and tourism.
The team faced numerous challenges in bringing this project to life, and Solutions by Design was incredibly accommodating every step of the way. Their creativity, professionalism, and quality are unmatched.
Content Development
We leaned on several experts in the field such as Brian Shellum retired Army Officer and Government Historian at the Defense Intelligence Agency. Although SBD was charged with doing the research and writing the copy, we ran everything by Brian for verification. Historical reference must be accurate. We decided that it would be interesting to include photos of artifacts such as the uniforms worn by the Buffalo Soldiers, their weapons and various other items with photos and descriptions.
The Interface
We wanted a dynamic, colorful screen saver to brighten up the display. All of the remaining exhibits are hardscape and lack color…we thought that a colorful display would be the start of brightening up the museum.
We developed a variety of categories of content ranging from the history Buffalos Soldiers to the Uniforms and Weapons worn and utilized by the soldiers. Historical illustrations along with their stories were created to represent some of the famous and notable soldiers including Charles Young. A video interview of Sheldon Johnson was included which was provided for by Yosemite National Park. This was a nice touch and is being used to explain some of the challenges that these soldiers faced in their quest to develop the park. We enhanced numerous historical photos that illustrate the life and efforts of the Buffalo Soldiers as it pertained to the Sierras.
About the Hardware
We installed a local server to host this exhibit primarily due to the lack of internet service in the mountains. Future displays including the “Creekside Fire” display will also be hosted on that server. We are running over their local wifi due to difficulties in cabling to reach the desired location of the display.
A local server was installed due to the limited internet access and a duplicate cloud based server was built out to back up the files. We recommended a free-standing vertical kiosk to save space. We installed one of our own Montage Brand 55” vertical All-in-one freestanding displays..which worked out perfectly.
