Memorials in honor of Gil Bollinger may be made here. We offer our condolences to his family and friends.
Gil Bollinger began volunteering at the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum around 1993, and quickly became involved in creating a supporting friends group for the museum. He also conducted tours of the museum and/or provided presentations to area school children or tour groups. By Spring of 1995 Gil had begun writing for the museum, first with articles for The Sentry, the museum's quarterly publication. His first topic was "DeSmet and His Lake" and it offered the most in-depth and detailed article The Sentry had published to that point. Further articles covered a wide range of topics including Frontier Trout Fishing in the Bighorn Mountains, Frontier Firearms, and the Occidental Hotel.
When the museum set its sights on applying for accreditation from the American Association of Museums (now called the American Alliance of Museums), Gil was a driving force in that effort. After accreditation was achieved in 2002, the work of re-designing the museum galleries began and Gil's expertise in geology, research, and history in general was much appreciated as he participated in the efforts. During this same time, he began writing books and booklets on regional historical topics. His book, Jim Gatchell: the Man and the Museum, was the first comprehensive compilation about the museum's namesake and we still frequently use it as a reference.
In collaboration with the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum Press, Gill contributed greatly to the written historical record. He authored:
Jim Gatchell, The Man and the Museum
Buffalo (Images of America)
Fort McKinney, 1877-1894
The South Pass 67ers
A Postcard History of Wyoming: Cities and Towns
A Postcard History of Wyoming: Powder River Country
The Occidental: 1879 to 2009
Plus he either wrote, or co-wrote booklets for the museum's Bighorn Tales series:
Spanish Explorers in Wyoming
Early Explorers in the Big Horns
The Lights Come on in Wyoming Territory and
Powder River Forts.
Although he moved away a few years ago, Gil kept in touch with many friends in Johnson County and occasionally checked in with the museum. In 2017 he very graciously turned over copyrights to the books which he had written through the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum press to the museum, allowing the museum to reprint and use them in perpetuity. He offered a generosity to the museum and the area's history that is still appreciated today.
