Urgent repair funds needed for El Dorado Springs museum

Yahoo

15-04-2025

EL DORADO SPRINGS, Mo. — The Wayside Inn Museum could fall to the wayside, as one of El Dorado Springs' oldest commercial buildings is in dire need of funds for repairs that can't wait.
According to Faye Koger, president of the Preserve Our Past Society (POPS) in El Dorado Springs, the museum needs $20,000 worth of urgent repairs.
'We had some floors in very bad shape,' Koger said of recent building repairs. 'When I walked on the floor, it felt like I was going to fall through.'
However, as those floors were repaired with grant money funded by a private donor and the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, more damage was discovered by contractors.
The structural damage mainly comes from water running through El Dorado's downtown streets. Water is washing the foundation up from under the building. One of the beams holding the building up is twisting and going to the wayside.
'Whenever they talk about a beam twisting, that's concerning,' Koger said. 'We were wondering why the wall was getting crooked.'
While the museum is still safe for patrons to visit, Koger said the repairs need to come sooner than later.
The Wayside Inn Museum is one of El Dorado's oldest commercial buildings. Located in El Dorado's historic downtown district, the museum draws in visitors from the entire area and hosts or contributes to several events throughout the year.
'It holds up our whole entire town,' Koger said. 'We're trying to teach the kids our history, because that's what keeps it going. If you know where you're coming from, you will respect the place a lot more. It's dedicated to El Dorado Springs and the surrounding areas.'
POPS secretary Paula Newman told Ozarks First that the museum is very near and dear to her heart.
'It holds such wonderful pieces of information regarding the town's history, along with an annex that houses our local dedication to the El Dorado Springs School and our local veterans,' Newman said. 'We love seeing people come to our beautiful downtown area and see our park and walk into a page of the past at our beautiful Wayside Inn Museum.'
Those interested in making donations may mail a check to The Wayside Inn Museum at 119 W. Spring St., El Dorado Springs, 64744, or call [phone] for more information.
POPS is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating the history of El Dorado Springs and the surrounding area. They are the caretakers and curators of the Wayside Inn Museum, which houses a collection of historical artifacts and memorabilia.
For upcoming events, the museum is hosting its annual 'Historical Hysteria Days' from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in downtown El Dorado Springs on Saturday, June 7.
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