About Us :

Walt Almquist purchased the building in 1933 and later remodeled the structure and opened the Sprag Pole Inn, named after the supporting poles once needed to help hold up the wooden walls in hard winters. A friend gave him an old whiskey jug to display behind the bar, and the collection began, or better phrased, exploded. This wasn't hard in an area with such a colorful and important history. With help from brother Harry Almquist, the collectibles needed new space after new space, and the expansions still continue to this day.

The operation and ownership of the people-built museum was turned over to a private, non-profit corporation in 1982. Grants and donations fund the museum today. Admission remains free.