Museums - Somers Mountain Museum of Natural History and Primitive Technology

The Somers Mountain Indian Museum was opened in the early 1930s by James F. King at his home in Somers, CT. Born in 1895, King made it his life’s work to learn all he could from Native Americans living in his time. In his early life, King traveled throughout North America, piecing together an extensive collection of artifacts, making many friends, and broadening his knowledge of history and culture. King had become a true legend by the time of his passing in 1985. In the museum’s early years it was also a busy trading post. King employed several Native American craftspeople to make souvenir items that he wholesaled successfully around the country for many years. In 1993, the museum reopened, with the help of a group of dedicated volunteers, to pursue a new purpose and vision. After much thought and debate, the decision was made to make a minor yet significant change in the official name of the museum. The word “Indian” was dropped and the subtitle “Of Natural History and Primitive Technology” was added. The museum’s permanent collection includes a large array of North American artifacts of the past ten thousand plus years. The bulk of the collection consists of stone tools, projectile points, and ornaments, but also includes a lesser number of pots, baskets, utensils, weapons, jewelry, dolls, and clothing items. Its objective is to display items in a contextual format. An arrowhead will be better appreciated if one can understand how it was made, how it was used, and the value it held for its creator.