In n 1946, Ken P. Simpson started Simpson’s War Surplus store by selling war surplus out of the back of his pick-up. By 1978, Simpson’s War Surplus, now called Simpson’s Mercantile, with the help of sons Larry and Rick, had grown into the largest independently owned retail outlet in the state of Oklahoma.
Inventory included western wear, both men’s and women’s, work clothes, a saddle shop featuring 100 new and used saddles, and a snow-ski shop. The western boot room carried 3,000 pairs of western boots and Simpsons’s for many years was the number one Red Wing work boot dealer in the state.
Ken P. Simpson passed away in 2000 and Larry and Rick operated the business until 2006. With the movie business expanding and the need for interior movie sets growing the decision was made to close out the mercantile store.
Today, it is the location of the Simpsons Old Time Museum and Skeleton Creek Productions
At the Simpson’s Old Time Museum, browse through the Native American artifacts and view a private doll collection that numbers over 1800.
In the center of the museum is an authentic chuck wagon complete with a campfire and cook. Surrounding the chuckwagon scene on a split rail fence is a large collection of high back saddles dating back to 1900. Listen to honky-tonk piano music and sip an ice-cold sarsaparilla in the 1880’s Saloon. If you get too rowdy you might get taken to the marshal’s office and thrown in our 1880’s Jail. Visit our 1880’s Hotel Lobby complete with stairway and see our hotel hallway and authentic hotel room. See how the cowboys lived in a real line shack, shop in our General Store or have a quiet moment in our 1880’s Church. If you look hard enough you’ll also find Hopalong Cassidy memorabilia, baseball collectibles, train sets and a wide range of military items from the cavalry days through WWII are just a few of the many displays found in the museum. All sets were used in the movie productions.
Every year people come from virtually around the world to visit Simpson’s Old Time Museum and take pictures in Skeleton Creek’s Movie sets, making it an excellent choice as a “Local Legend.”
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