MC LEAN, Texas – The Devil’s Rope Museum is a museum about the history of barbed wire. On a fact sheet for the museum, they share that there are 1,392 different types of wires and those include patented and bootleg varieties. Over 500 patents for barbed wire were filed before 1900. Many of those can be seen at the Devil’s Rope Museum, which is so named because opponents of barbed wire called it the work of the devil. The cowboys, native Americans, and others said that the wire injured both cattle and people. Soon the term “Devil’s Rope” came to be a popular nickname for the fence that helped tame the west.

When entering the museum, the first scene is a sculpture with the skeleton head of a Texas Longhorn on driftwood all set in a steel wheel. There is also a photo gallery of the area profiling what it was like during the devastating dust bowl. They have a sign sharing, “Portrait of Disaster – Banks closed and business came to a halt. Survival became the one goal of millions of citizens both city and rural.”

The pictures depict complete and utter despair. The museum is in a former Sears Bra factory, housing the world’s largest collection of barbed wire. Today the Oldham’s, Susan and Mike and Glenn and Jeree, manage the museum with a group of volunteers.

At the museum, visitors learn the history, making and everything there is to know about barbed wire. Susan Oldman shared the story of how the museum came to be. “In 1990 there were barbed wire collectors from all over the country. They were starting to get older and retire and they were worried what would happen to their collection when they passed away.”

She added they decided to get together and find a central location for their collections. It all began with Delbert Trew and his wife Ruth. “Delbert said, ‘there is a town not far from my house and there is a big building there. Let’s see if we can get that,’” Susan said. “The barbed wire collectors from at least eight different states would show up and start cleaning it. The City of McLean collected rent for a short while, then saw that they were serious and they donated the building to the collectors.”

The former bra factory was the perfect fit. “We keep saying from underwire to barbed wire,” Susan quipped. “The factory had closed, and the building had been vacant. Delbert got the building and they cleaned it. The building is 14,000 square foot and the other half belongs to the fire department.”

There are different barbed wire patents and information about them like the Brinkerhoff Patent from 1879 that was used for 6,000 miles of fencing. There is history about local ranches like the JA Ranch, the first ranch established by Charles Goodnight in 1876. He was one of the first ranchers to use barbed wire. The tools to create the wire are on display as well with an entire wall of 100 Years of Cowboy Tools.

Besides the amazing barbed wire collection, there is some incredible barbed wire art. Susan said there were big shows all over the country and the collectors started making elaborate boards then went on to sculptures. Several were made by Delbert. “They started branching out.”

Outside of the museum are large spherical wire sculptures resembling tumble weeds. These are comprised of rolled and wrapped salvaged, rusted barbed wire. The combination of barbed wire art is endless; there are barbed wire windmills. Behind one windmill is a sign that shares, “Barbed wire gave us control of the land, and windmills made the land habitable.”

There is Bird on a wire pictures and shadowboxes. There are a barbed wire coyote, armadillo, road runner, jack rabbit, all showing wildlife reflecting the local animals. 

At 93, Trew still is making his art. “He lives on a ranch and goes out to his building,” Susan said. “And you never know what he is going to make. He makes a lot of barbed wire wreaths and more.”

The museum has barbed wire folk art and sculptures like the barbed wire cowboy hat made by Kevin Compton using Burnell Four-Point barbed wire found on the west side of the Rio Grande. There is other art by unknown artists like the wind effect barbed wire statue. One amazingly detailed barbed wire sculpture is of a cowboy working on a tractor. Another is of a ranch scene with equipment as well. The cars and machinery made from metal are intricately sculpted. Trew is a metal sculptor, and his work is included with many.

The museum, along Route 66, also profiles the Mother Road across Texas. Inside they feature more than 700 items from Route 66 like road signs and advertising souvenirs. One Route 66 icon is the original steer from the Big Texan Steakhouse that is still operating in Amarillo, Texas.

The newest artistic addition is the “Greetings From McLean: The Uplift Town” postcard mural created by the Oldhams. If looking at the old west, and Route 66 history, this is the place to visit. Check if they are open because they don’t always have winter hours. Located at 100 Kingsley Street, call 806-779-2225 for details.