In 2010 a small group of Phelps residents formed a committee to establish an historical museum in Phelps. They got the Town Board to provide a budget line of $10,000 in addition to locally raised voluntary contributions. The museum opened in 2010 in space rented from Ralph and Cindy Spurgeon, the proprietors of the Phelps Trustworthy Hardware located in the center of town. Major contributions of historical materials came from the Christiansen family, owners of the lumber mill that had been the mainstay of the town for many years.
The Board/Committee included Sharon Gifford, Mary Ann Holcomb, Donna Barron, Joyce Spurgeon, Tom Spurgeon, Donna Brand, Pauleyn Nystrom, Dorothy Kimmerling, Jan Petrick and Steve Waier.
For a major article about the opening of the museum, see "Phelps Opens Historical Museum" in the bibliography (above).