The Olson-Linn museum was originally purchased by Harry and May Olson in 1986. The building formally housed the Eno Furniture Store, the Sutphen Funeral Home and The Jones Store.

According to Darwin Linn, he and his cousin Harry had been restoring old cars and the museum was originally to be a place to display their restorations. In it’s first year of operation, the museum housed 6 vehicles and a few items of borrowed collections.

At one time, Darwin considered relocating the museum to Branson, Missouri. However, when the Axe Murder House went on the market, the decision was made to purchase the house and concentrate efforts on making the two a popular tourist attraction.

 

Although the Olson’s tried to donate the collection to the city of Villisca at one time, city officials declined their offer. Throughout the years, Darwin accepted the responsibility for museum and begin adding other primitive items such as covered wagons and old farm machinery.

Darwin’s vision was to create a museum that would preserve the heritage of rural Iowa. A display by the museum during a Heritage Days celebration featured a working loom rope making exhibition and an old-fashioned hat show.

Special attractions in the museum include:

buggies, cars and trucks from the 1940s, a Hold Caterpillar from WWII, horse-drawn road equipment, tractors, a rare 1924 Maxwell truck, tools of a man who worked on Mt. Rushmore, clothing and artifacts relating to rural Iowa history, newspaper clippings, photographs, and other items relating to the Villisca Axe Murders of 1912, and much more!

Darwin began working on the renovations inside the museum in January of 2003. He removed the false ceiling and exposed the original tin tiles underneath. The flooring in the museum has been replaced with wood floor from an old Roller Skating Rink in Corning, Darwin's hometown. Visitors often capture interesting photos in the museum that suggest there is some paranormal activity here as well. Having at one time been a Funeral Home it is no suprise to Darwin that spirits may linger in his there.

 

 

Two area artists completed several paintings on the interior walls that depict the Villisca businesses that played a key role in the town and the mystery in 1912.

The outside of the museum is also undergoing a transformation as well. As you can see in the photo below, Darwin has resurrected the front of the Jones store which sits adjacent to the museum entrance.

The Sutphen Funeral Home was another business that at one time occupied the museum space. The entrance to the funeral home was actually to the side of the museum and it was housed in the back of the building. The entrance is shown in the photograph below.

Shown in the photograph below are relatives of the Moore and Moyer family. They are shown in the finished museum (note the wood floor and mural) standing next to the oil painting Darwin had commissioned of the Moore house. Again, the presence of some type of paranormal activity is clearly shown in the presence of orbs below the painting and on the shirt of the woman on the right.