Hidden History In Catoosa

Friday, January 12th 2007, 9:51 am

By: News On 6

When someone says Catoosa, you may think of the Port, or maybe the Cherokee Casino. News on 6 reporter Rick Wells has found another Catoosa spot you might add to your list, and he says it features quite a collection.

Catoosa mayor Curtis Conley is showing me around the DW Correll Museum. Among other things there are rocks, stones, quartz and beautiful pieces from all over the country and around the world.

"This is a pretty good resource for history people," Mayor Curtis Conley said.

There are stacks and stacks of old newspapers they found in the attic, and they are going through them and getting them displayed. There are buggies and carriages and cars; DW Correll loved to restore cars and drive them.

"He enjoyed this stuff he's get these cars and drive them all over. You'd see him in one downtown, bring it back and park it," said Conley. "The next day get another one."

Just when I thought I seen it all there's this, it's the strangest thing I've seen in a while! Mr. Correll bought the old post office in Catoosa and moved it out here to his property, under it they found the mummified remains of the cat.

There are bottles and a cool looking display of decorative decanters from the Lionstone Distillery in Kentucky.

"I tried to figure out what this was and finally did," Conley said.

Turned out to be an egg scale, up there with old meat grinders and kitchen tools from long ago.

"A barbed wire collection there are a couple of steam engines back there," said Conley.

And look at all these door knobs, the oddest grouping of things; a wonderful collection of one mans life, things he would find and restore and now it's on display for all of us to see.

The Museum is located at 19934 E Pine in Catoosa. It is open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.