This is the final installment of my series of columns on the history of the River of Time Museum.

With sufficient funds on hand for building the displays, the contract was awarded to Sunbelt Scenic Studios of Tempe to build the displays and make the River of Time Museum become a reality.

Members of the design committee that worked on the displays with Sunbelt’s Doug Knabb and Rex Witte were Bonnie Kline, Dr. Paul Kolwaite, Judy Confer, Richard Siegle, Jerry Wilhelm and myself.

Siegle had moved to Fountain Hills and read about the museum in The Times. A former facilities director with the Smithsonian museum in Washington, D.C., his input was invaluable. And the best part was he donated his services to us even though he was a highly paid museum consultant.

The committee met with the Sunbelt people at least weekly and sometimes as many as three times a week when the serious design process and construction began.

We had begun collecting items for display. Some of the more unique items were a section of redwood pipe that was part of the pipeline that ran from the Verde River to the water storage facility at 56th Street in Phoenix, a large amethyst specimen from the Four Peaks mine, a 1,000-year old pot found in the McDowell Mountains and the oldest structure in Fountain Hills – a stone chimney, discovered by Bonnie Kline, while hiking in the hills south of the present-day CopperWynd development.

Finally, the museum was ready for its opening. That was on Feb. 28, 2003 when we held an invitation only wine reception followed by an open house weekend for the general public.

The museum recounts and preserves the captivating past of the Lower Verde River Valley and illustrates the vital role of water in our Sonoran Desert. In less than a year and thanks to the efforts of executive director Judy Confer, the museum received certification from the Arizona Historical Society - a process that normally takes 5 years. Visitors began to come to see this new museum and learn about the area and the people who have lived here and who developed Fountain Hills, the Verdes, Goldfield Ranch and Fort McDowell.

The River Bank store has been an integral part of the museum since it opened. It was established by Ann and Earl Stavely. Garry Colbert is the current manager.

We’ve added to the displays since the opening. Rex Witte, the former creative director at Sunbelt, has sculpted figures of a conquistador, a Yavapai mother and child and most recently, Jack Swilling. He also created the faux rock surface and a kiosk embedded in the wall in the museum lobby. The kiosk contains information about the museum and the members of the Hall of Fame who contributed so much to the development of this region.

At the May 2008 dinner meeting, an announcement was made that the museum would be called the L. Alan Cruikshank River of Time Museum in honor of my longtime involvement with the society and museum.

In October 2009 the traveling exhibit room at the museum was named the Clinton M. Pattea Gallery in honor of the Yavapai Tribal Nation's President who has been a long-time member of the Historical Society board of directors and who has contributed in so many ways to the success of the society and the museum. President Pattea also serves on the board of the River of Time Museum Foundation and is a charter member of the Hall of Fame.

As time passes, the exhibits will be updated and additional activities will be planned to involve more people in the life of the museum. We saw that happen most recently with the addition of the Swilling figure in the River Tamers exhibit and the fort model in the Fort McDowell army post display.

It is the hope of all who have volunteered at the museum, from the original design committee, the board of directors, the store volunteers and the docents that it has become an integral part of the community and continues to tell the story of the people of the Lower Verde River Valley.