Built in 1906, Jamieson Dry Goods Store (later Jamieson Department Store) served what was then the booming border town of Trinidad, Colorado; selling everything from fine dresses to kitchen appliances and toys. The department store was converted into a museum in 1991 to display the works donated by Mitchell’s sister, Ethel “Tot” Mitchell-Erickson, after Mitchell’s death in 1977.

Often called the “King of Western Pulp,” Mitchell is widely recognized for his western magazine covers, created for magazines like Wild West Weekly and Cowboy Stories. He was also a prolific painter and collector of Western memorabilia. Because Mitchell preferred not to sell his paintings, the majority of his work and belongings remain together in Trinidad.

The museum is home to 250 of Mitchell’s paintings including his nocturnes (night-pieces), thousands of photographs, sketches, and 100 or more paintings by Mitchell’s friends and contemporaries. Other objects like boots, whips, and hats owned and used by Mitchell are all at the museum, including over 15 saddles.