Alpine County and Historial Society come to agreement on museum complex after months of debate

ALPINE COUNTY, Nev. – The Alpine County Historical Society and the Alpine County Board of Supervisors have come to an agreement after a rocky year of court hearings, negotiations, and contentious public meetings about the future of the community’s museum. For a small community, the situation was a tough one for those who call Markleeville and the rest of Alpine County home.

A new agreement was unanimously approved by the Alpine County Board of Supervisors on March 18, 2025.

For over fifty years, the Alpine County Historical Society (ACHS) and the County were able to have a public-private relationship over the operation of the museum that was solidified in a 1990 agreement. The County’s part of the agreement was to have paid staff on duty and to keep the museum open Wednesday through Sunday, Memorial Day through the end of October each year. The ACHS portion of the agreement was to administer and be responsible for the maintenance, preservation, protection, storage, and display of the Historical Society’s artifacts located at the museum. The County paid for utilities and maintenance services for the museum. ACHS maintained its own funding through donations and sales in the museum, and it could then purchase items for the museum through those funds.

The controversy started in Fall 2023 when ACHS asked the County not to touch any of the artifacts in the museum after they closed for the season. They stated the artifacts belonged to, or were loaned to, the organization, but felt the County was stepping on toes in the museum operations and not allowing them to do their job as outlined in the 1990 agreement. ACHS also could not enter the museum when certain staff members were on duty. In Spring 2024, the County announced they were fully staffed and ready to open the museum, though many thought they weren’t planning on opening. A letter was sent by ACHS to the Board for its June 4, 2024, meeting, stating that they did not understand why there was an impasse between them and the County and that they did not “agree that the County can open the museum by itself, on its own unilaterally-chosen terms, using our artifacts, and not in compliance with the 1990 Agreement.” County CAO Nichole Williamson said she was unsure what the problem was, as they planned on opening as planned.

This set off a lawsuit made by ACHS against the County, court hearings that went through two judges in the small community, and a request by the County to change venues due to the passion the situation brought. There have been growing legal fees, petitions, and a lot of time and energy on both sides.

During court procedures on the matter, the crowds that filled the courthouse were the largest the old building had seen due to the strong local interest and passion over the case.

Issues led up to an eviction notice given to ACHS by the County in September 2024 after the two sides could not reach an agreement over the facilities, who was going to run the operation, and how.

A tour of the museum in August showed artifacts covered by sheets, the store closed, donation boxes missing, and two paid staff members on hand to greet guests.

The museum is closed annually from November to Memorial Day, and the approval of a new agreement on March 18 sets up a successful reopening for the season. The Board voted to contribute $90,000 to the museum to cover the current operations deficit, then they will go back to the annual funding of $65,000 per year to run the museum, including staff costs. The new agreement gives ACHS continued access to, and use of, the museum complex for storage, curation, and display of the collection they manage. It also gives formal recognition that all artifacts housed at the museum complex are either owned by, or are on loan to, ACHS, something that was questioned over the last several months.

There are now new members on the ACHS Board of Directors.

ACHS Treasurer Clint Celio said Markleeville is a small community with a collection of different personalities. He said the new agreement is an opportunity for all to come back together and make it work and start afresh.

Celio told the Board they will get back together down the road and look at the long-term vision for the museum, and “use this agreement as a springboard to get there.”

The previous and current board and society members have been creating a museum over the last several decades to maintain the buildings and facilities to maintain the historical and cultural heritage of Alpine County. The museum complex is on top of a grassy knoll above the town of Markleeville and includes an old jail and schoolhouse.

In a letter to members, the ACHS Board said its president, Angela Franklin, signs the agreement to finalize the partnership between them and the County. The new agreement is for a term of 12 years, with options to extend in five year blocks.

“While the approval was met with applause in the board chambers, this milestone is bittersweet as it has come at a tremendous cost,” says the letter. “Beyond the financial sacrifice by both parties and ultimately the residents of Alpine County, the feelings of loss and hardship on both sides are still very real, but time will bring healing, and more importantly, we now have the opportunity to focus on building a strong future together.”

Alpine County has a rich history, starting originally with the Hung Lel Ti band of the Wašišiw tribe who lived around the Diamond Valley area. Then came the silver miners and Basque sheepherders in the 1800s, and exploration by John C. Fremont and Kit Carson. The Carson Route of the California Emigrant Road, now Highway 88, was a major route to California in the early years, followed by members of the Mormon Battalion and the Gold Rush 49ers. It is the smallest county in the state of California.

For more information on the Alpine County Museum, visit https://alpinecountymuseum.org/.