Dougherty Museum Overview by Al Carr
Ray Dougherty was a Boulder County turkey farmer who is credited for pioneering the turkey industry in the Colorado market. Al remembers fondly his family ordering Dougherty’s turkeys for special holidays and they were the best. Ray was a long-time Rotarian.
Ray saw the value of preserving history. He started collecting and storing items that people were throwing away and then made it a personal hobby to restore them. The Dougherty Museum is 28,000 sq ft and houses a collection of beautifully restored antique automobiles, including models powered by steam, electricity, and internal combustion. Many of the cars date back 100 years and are all in running order. The collection includes several Stanley Steamers and model T’s. The collection also includes late 19th century and early 20th century farm equipment-tractors, grain harvesters, manure spreaders and a silage cutter to name a few.
Ray’s collection at the museum also includes military rifles for every year from 1812 to World War I.
Ray’s wife collected music boxes, some dating back to 1920, which are also on display at the museum.