Historic Bunker Union Church and Timber Museum

08/19/2026

We are looking for someone who could give a hand quilting demonstration during Octoberfest. Frames and all supplies would be furnished. If you are interested or know someone who would be, please respond here.

08/19/2026

This is the picture we have that could be the hotel that burned. If we could come up with a picture before the fire, we could see if they match. Maybe someone in the Counts family has a picture??

08/18/2026

𝘽𝙐𝙉𝙆𝙀𝙍 𝙇𝘼𝙉𝘿𝙈𝘼𝙍𝙆 𝘽𝙐𝙍𝙉𝙎 - 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘚𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘏𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘭 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘉𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘊𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬
Fᴇʙʀᴜᴀʀʏ 14ᴛʜ, 1957

𝑺𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒎 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝑴𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝑪𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑻𝒐 𝑯𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒍 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝑩𝒖𝒏𝒌𝒆𝒓

The old Swiney Hotel building — a Bunker landmark — burned to the ground Thursday night.

The building, owned by Fred Counts, was unoccupied at the time of the fire. Dr. Newman of Centerville had his office in the old hotel building for his weekly Thursday visits and he had left for the day.

The fire started about 6:30 p.m. Apparently the blaze caught beneath a sink in the kitchen, either from electric wiring or possibly matches carried into the building by mice.

Banker I. A. Hulsey told The News “the wind was right to save us.” The flames were not blown to adjoining buildings, although the Baptist Church wall and roof were scorched by the heat from the burning hotel building some 50 to 75 feet away. Trees in front of the hotel building were cut to fall in the street and burn safely.

Salem’s fire department made a rush call to the fire. The new truck with the 1,000-gallon booster tank made the run, controlling sparks and preventing any spread of the fire through the town. Bunker is supplied water by deep wells with electric pumps at various homes. Largest well is the Highley well which only recently had been drilled deeper. Also handy for the fire fighting were large cisterns. But the Salem firemen had sufficient water on the truck, with the kind help of the favorable wind.

The Swiney Hotel building was built by the late I. N. “Link” Swiney, a Bunker old-timer. The building was erected about 1908.

The people of Bunker were high in their praise of the Salem fire department and many have expressed their thanks to Salem and the volunteers.

08/14/2026

This is the video made by KSMO Media and funded by Taum Sauk to promote our Museum.

08/12/2026

From the “Reynolds County Courier”, from June 28, 1945 and reprinted on July 6, 1995.
Eugene F. Profit a 1941 graduate of Bunker High School.

08/07/2026

From the Reynolds County Times, 11/4/1965.

08/05/2026

Oktoberfest 2026 theme this year is Basketball 🏀 in Honor of our Grand Marshals this year the State Champs!!

08/05/2026