At right, a closed sign hangs on the door of the Gene Autry Oklahoma Museum in Gene Autry in southern Oklahoma. The town, previously named Berwyn, was renamed for the actor and famous “singing cowboy” in 1941.

GENE AUTRY — In the heart of this tiny, southern Oklahoma town, a museum honoring the famous singing cowboy for whom it is named, closed without explanation in May.

Now, folks in this Carter County town are raising questions about the management of the once-bustling attraction. When it closed, the

museum’s liability insurance had lapsed, some memorabilia had been reported stolen and the longtime museum director, Elvin Sweeten, appeared to be preparing to clear out and sell what items were left, Mayor Kyle Lawson said.

Meanwhile, adding to the town’s problems, a recent audit found that during the last three years, under the tenure of former Mayor Katherine McQuistion, more than $172,000 of public money went missing — an amount that exceeds an entire year’s worth of town revenue.

McQuistion resigned earlier this year amid a sheriff’s investigation into the town’s finances; she has not been charged.