Opens December 1, 2022
Hours: Thursdays Thru Sundays
10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Vintage toys from the late 19th century and early 20th Century will be displayed along with the latest acquisition of the William “Cowboy” Caldwell carved animal collection on display.

Carved out of blocks of wood, decorated with leather and metal hardware the Caldwell folk art becomes a world of imagination.

William Caldwell came to Petaluma in the 1950’s. He bought a ranch on Roblar road. This is where he was inspired to start carving his western themed world. The PMA is pleased to present a collection of his imaginative work for the first time in decades.

If you grew up or shopped in downtown Petaluma in the 1950s–1970s you might recall Caldwell’s many carved western figures facing you while you were being fitted for a new suit at Lombardi’s Men’s Store. His carvings also could be found at the Floral Chalet and Simoni’s Clock Shoppe.

Born in 1889 in Nowata County Oklahoma, Caldwell, like many other children, was fascinated with the American West. Western legends Wild Bill Hickok (1837– 1876) and Buffalo Bill Cody (1846–1917) could have been the inspiration that made Mr. Caldwell start carving a collection that spotlights wagons, cattle, mounted riders, and Native Americans hunting buffalo. Caldwell was a lifelong senior member of the Petaluma Riding & Driving Club. He died in 1971 in Petaluma.