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Mohave County Historical Society outlines museum renovations, archives and education plans
Summary
Leah Stagg, executive director of the Mohave County Historical Society, updated the commission on museum renovations, archives holdings and educational programming, and requested community support for exhibits, volunteers and donations.
Leah Stagg, executive director of the Mohave County Historical Society, told the Tourism and Economic Development Commission that the society is pursuing exhibit renovations, digitization of archives and expanded education programming across several Kingman sites.
Stagg said the society manages four museum sites — the Mohave Museum of History and Arts, the Route 66 Museum (managed under contract with the city), the Bonelli House and the historic Mohave County Jail — and maintains a research archive she described as “the sole repository for multiple historical events and people” in this part of Arizona. For the most recent fiscal year, the society reported more than 75,000 visitors across its locations.
Work underway includes a multi‑phase renovation of the Route 66 Museum funded in part by a grant from the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona and a new, interactive education corner at the Mohave Museum to host school groups and junior‑curator programs. Stagg said the society is reworking exhibits to present a broader history that begins with indigenous trade routes and to add interactive elements so visitors of different ages can engage with artifacts.
Stagg also described plans to open limited tours of the historic jail cells after preservation work, create a living‑history program at the Bonelli House and place satellite exhibits in county buildings such as the courthouse atrium. She said the society relies on a mix of grants and community donations and asked commissioners to consider partnerships with local businesses and civic groups to expand exhibit reach and volunteer capacity.
Commissioners asked whether the society would take responsibility for other historic county properties; Stagg said the society leases the jail from the county (the county retains ownership) and can provide exhibit material and programming for active county buildings but does not plan to take ownership of county property at this time.
