Meet the Leadership Behind Crook County's Museums

A lifelong explorer at heart, Alex's journey has taken her from the farm country of Michigan to the wide-open spaces of the American West. After packing up and moving to Montana at just 21 years old, she eventually found her way to a family ranch in Wyoming, where she now lives with her husband and daughter, the fifth generation on the land.

With a background in science and math from Central Michigan and Montana State Universities, 14 years of 4-H, administrative and ranching experience, Alex brings a diverse set of skills to her work in the museum district. When she's not tending to her garden or enjoying a quick ride on the ranch horses, she indulges her passion for rock hunting and quick trips all over the country. Alex's love for travel and tourism, combined with her knack for organization and numbers, help her bring a fresh perspective to her role.

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Rocky Courchaine has been a lifelong resident of the Sundance, Wyoming area, his folks raised him on a ranch that was rich in Native American and Homestead history, and historical stories of the locals were always present in the conversations. He still lives north of Beulah Wyoming where he was raised.

A graduate of Montana State University with a degree in oil painting and metal smithing and multiple studies in art history, gives Rocky the opportunity to express his learnings of the historical aspects of the area from his point of view. Rocky was also a business owner of 10 years of the Sundance Mercantile which has shown him the hunger and need the public has for our local history.

For over 5 years Rocky volunteered on the boards of the Crook County Museum and eventually became the director of the Museum where he can now tell the stories of Native Americans and the homesteaders. To share this rich history with the public and expose them to the real stories of our region has been instrumental to the museum.

Rocky has been the director of the Crook County Museum since 2010 and is on a committee to renovate and place the Crook County Museum in the old High School in Sundance known as “Old Stoney” which will in turn be Crook County’s Cultural Center.

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Melissa's dedication to historical preservation and community engagement ensures that Old Stoney remains a cherished landmark, fostering a deeper appreciation for the region's heritage and serving as a hub for cultural and social activities.

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Howdy Partner! My name is Cindy Mosteller and I have been the Director here at the West Texas Trail Museum since April of 2020. I am considered a “tenderfoot” to Moorcroft having relocated here from Utah in 2012. My husband Jim and I saddled up our three kids, Cade, Lane & Mattie and made the move to Wyoming for Jim’s new job in Gillette. It was not our plan to move to the Moorcroft area but as fate would have it we love it here. The kids are now grown and off doing their own things, Jim and I are enjoying the empty nest phase before those pesky little grandkids arrive (that secretly I can’t wait for). I enjoy sewing, feeding family and friends, curling up with a good book and helping with my uncle’s ranch in Montana. I have a vast resume but have never worked in a museum before this. While I have no formal education in history, I do have a passion for it. The passion was developed later in life due to ancestry.com. I loved researching and learning things about folks in my family tree who have since passed and enjoy telling their stories. It’s the perfect passion to have working at a museum. Most of the items, families and stories are not told and it’s my job to share them with everyone that dawns the door. My fundraising days working for the Mule Deer Foundation have helped in the knowledge of looking for other funding opportunities for the museum.

History is an ever evolving story and those tells – tall or short, need to be told or retold and sometimes even updated. That is what I enjoy most about this job – the stories! I hope you dust off your boots, stop in and say howdy, learn a little bit about Moorcroft and it’s hayday, stay a while and become friends. After all that’s the cowboy way and we are more than just trail dust….

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We are hiring a new director at the Hulett Museum!