(Riverton, WY) Measured changes have occurred at the Riverton Museum over the past year, with the most recent in welcoming a new Program/Events Coordinator and Collections Manager.
Program/Events Coordinator Kevin Scannell is from Chesterfield, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. He went to Connecticut College in 2019 and after graduating went in search of employment and found the Riverton Museum job online.
“I kind of needed a job, and it was the first place that offered,” Scannell said. “I’ve been to East Central, and now (I’ll call this) the West of the United States. They’re all nice in their own way, but I was just walking outside yesterday and it’s so nice out. I’m really happy to be here…it’s nice, the people are nice, the place is gorgeous.”
Scannell said he likes learning about local histories and focused a lot on the history of St. Louis. He likes how Riverton embraces its own local history.
“St. Louis is obviously a lot bigger of a city, so it’s really interesting to see a much smaller town, especially because the town itself hasn’t existed for that long,” he said. “Yet there’s so much about it here at the museum that’s really interesting to read about, like from the early founding of it…there’s our own section on the first convenience store, the uranium stuff…I think local history is interesting because you can also view it from the national perspective to see how that changes things.”
As the Program/Events and Volunteer Coordinator, Scannell will be planning, scheduling, and budgeting for the museum’s programs and activities, and seeks the public’s input.
“I’m not from around here, so I would absolutely love to hear what people are interested in, what’s been done before, what they did or didn’t like,” he said. “If every person in this town would give me input on what they would go to see, I would love that. It would make my job a lot easier than having to try and guess. So if you have any suggestions or ideas, come by and we can chat.”
Scannell will be assisting both Site Manager Nathaniel Griffee and April Peregoy, who began as the new Collections Manager at the beginning of September.
Peregoy’s love for history began in her hometown of Big Piney, where she worked in a museum as a part-time assistant when she was in high school…organizing and accessioning photos and items that came into the museum. “I loved it so much and was looking to get into that career field when I was in college,” she said.
Peregoy went on to get her Bachelor’s degree in History from Chadron State and her Master’s degree in Library and Information Science with an emphasis in Archival Studies. She got married, and she and her husband, Drew, lived in Holyoak, Colorado, where she worked at a newspaper. They missed Wyoming, so came back to Riverton, where she worked various jobs, including at the school in Shoshoni, where they’ve now lived for the past two years.
“After I got my Masters, there weren’t very many jobs in the area in libraries and museums,” she said. “So when I saw this one open up I jumped on it.”
As Collections Manager, Peregoy is the one who decides what items are accepted into the museum.
“When people bring in items for the museum, I look them over and decide whether to accept them,” she said. “It doesn’t necessarily need to have monetary value, but whether it pertains to Riverton or the surrounding area, or has a connection to Riverton or the people who live here. We also have to take into consideration whether we have the room to store the items and the ability to take care of them, should they have special preservation needs.”
Peregoy said that she’s very passionate about history, “Riverton’s history in particular…really, the whole county,” she said. “I think that understanding history is what allows you to understand who we are….understanding how we got here, why we’re dealing with the issues we have to deal with today. It matters to my kids for the same reason….my kids are Northern Arapaho, and I want them to be aware of their culture and their heritage, to be proud of it, and know where they come from.”
Peregoy said that she is excited to work with Scannell and Griffee. “I think that having newer, younger staff at the Riverton Museum will bring ‘fresh eyes’ and an updated perspective,” she said. “I’m really excited to be here, happy to meet anybody who wants to come in and visit the museum.”
The Riverton Museum is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. For more information and updates on their events and activities, call 307-856-2665 or visit their Facebook page