WALLOWA — The Wallowa History Center shares stories about Wallowa County, and collects history from “people who have stories to tell,” said Sadie Kennedy, the executive director since 2022. The mission, she said, is to share the story of Wallowa County.

The center, 602 W. First St., has been connecting people with the history of Wallowa County since 2001. It houses a collection of over 4,000 physical documents and many more digital files that are available to researchers and the curious who seek to know more about Wallowa County.

Housed in the former/historic U.S. Forest Service headquarters of the Bear-Sled Ranger District, the research library contains historic documents and information, photographs and physical/digital data on genealogy/family research, historic buildings and the county’s history.

Historians can provide answers and assist with research. The center encourages people to reach out with questions or information that will add to the wealth of knowledge. It also accepts and preserves physical historic documents and items.

The restored warehouse

Restoration and updating of the warehouse were recently completed. The History Center intends to share the space with the community by offering permanent and temporary exhibits.

The warehouse also offers space for programs or events that inform or promote the county’s history. The community is invited to bring ideas or propose events to the board.

A wealth of resources

The center is not large, but its resources and information are vast. In addition to resources on site and the knowledgeable historians, the History Center’s website provides an extensive list of links to assist research.

Questions can be submitted and historians will research and provide answers or guidance to assist in further discovery of the county’s rich story.

Programs

The center is known for its informative programs both on and off-site.

Gary Eller has presented his Hells Canyon Songs project and continues to work with the center and other county sources to find lost songs. He shared his collection of songs and encouraged others to share the songs they knew about the Hells Canyon area. It was a great opportunity for the community to listen, learn and engage in a musical jam.

In June, the center reestablished the “Rendezvous” for kindergarten through eighth grade Wallowa students. Hands-on stations provided history lessons as they focused on technological innovations over the years, learning about early social media, food preservation, rag dolls and mystery household items.

More information

For more information, to share a story about Wallowa County’s history or to become a member, contact 541-886-8000, info@wallowhisotry.org or visit www.wallowahistory.org.

The center is open Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., or by appointment.

Open House

The Wallowa History Center, 602 W. First St. in Wallowa, will have an open house on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visitors can shop local history books, renew memberships or purchase one as a gift.

Be sure to stick around for a special lecture at 1 p.m. on “Wallowa County History: How we know what we know.” David Weaver will present the talk about research tools for genealogists, educators, students, writers, natural resource specialists and researchers.

Learn more at wallowahistory.org.