Fort Rock Valley Historical Homestead Museum
Encyclopedia
The Fort Rock Valley Historical Homestead Museum is located in Fort Rock
, Oregon
, United States
. Opened in 1988, it is a collection of original pioneer buildings including a church, school
, houses, homestead cabins, and several other buildings assembled in a village setting. The structures were moved to the museum site from various locations around the Fort Rock Valley. Most of the buildings contain historic items used by local homesteaders including furniture, dishes, household products, and tools. The museum is open for self-guided tours from mid-March through September.
country around Fort Rock has hot, dry summers and extremely cold winters that forced most homesteaders to abandon their claims within a few years. Most of the valley’s towns had post offices by 1912, and most of those post offices were closed by 1920. Today, the only two homesteader-era towns that still exist are the small unincorporated communities of Fort Rock and Silver Lake
.
The original vision for the Fort Rock Valley Historical Homestead Museum came from Frank and Vivian Stratton, who both grew up on Fort Rock homesteads. In 1981, the Stratton’s joined six other individuals interested in local history to form the Fort Rock Valley Historical Society. The society conceived and promoted the development of a homestead museum to preserve the Fort Rock Valley’s pioneer heritage. As a result of the society's efforts, the Fort Rock Valley Historical Homestead Museum was opened in 1988 with two historic buildings. Since its opening, the museum has grown significantly, acquiring additional land from the Bureau of Land Management
and more buildings from abandoned homestead sites around the Fort Rock Valley. Many of the buildings were considered hazardous and were scheduled to be burned or demolished. The museum's interest saved them from destruction.
Fort Rock, Oregon
Fort Rock is an unincorporated community in Lake County, Oregon, United States, southeast of Fort Rock State Natural Area.The community of Fort Rock was named after the natural feature Fort Rock by the town's founder, Ray Nash. Fort Rock post office was established in 1908 under postmaster Josiah...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Opened in 1988, it is a collection of original pioneer buildings including a church, school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
, houses, homestead cabins, and several other buildings assembled in a village setting. The structures were moved to the museum site from various locations around the Fort Rock Valley. Most of the buildings contain historic items used by local homesteaders including furniture, dishes, household products, and tools. The museum is open for self-guided tours from mid-March through September.
History
The Fort Rock Valley covers over 200 square miles (518 km²) at an average elevation of 4400 feet (1,341.1 m) above sea level. The valley’s average rainfall is less than 9 inches (228.6 mm) per year. The last average frost date in the spring is 29 June and the average first frost date in the fall is 9 July. Nevertheless, from 1905 until about 1915, large numbers of homesteaders moved to the Fort Rock Valley to claim Federal lands for farms and ranches. Numerous small towns were established throughout the valley. These included Fremont, Lake, Sink, Fleetwood, Connley, Arrow, Buffalo, View Point, Cliff, Loma Vista, and Fort Rock. However, the high desertHigh Desert (Oregon)
The Oregon High Desert is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon, located east of the Cascade Range and south of the Blue Mountains, in the central and eastern parts of the state. Divided into a southern region and a northern region, the desert covers most of five Oregon counties and averages above...
country around Fort Rock has hot, dry summers and extremely cold winters that forced most homesteaders to abandon their claims within a few years. Most of the valley’s towns had post offices by 1912, and most of those post offices were closed by 1920. Today, the only two homesteader-era towns that still exist are the small unincorporated communities of Fort Rock and Silver Lake
Silver Lake, Oregon
Silver Lake is an unincorporated community in Lake County, Oregon, United States. It is located on Oregon Route 31. Facilities include a gas station and a small store. It is also the location of North Lake School, "Home of the Cowboys".- History :...
.
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
and more buildings from abandoned homestead sites around the Fort Rock Valley. Many of the buildings were considered hazardous and were scheduled to be burned or demolished. The museum's interest saved them from destruction.
Collection
The Fort Rock Valley Historical Homestead Museum includes nine historic building plus various other indoor and outdoor exhibits. It also has modern visitor center and gift shop. Most of the historic buildings were collected from sites around the Fort Rock Valley. Many of the buildings contains items used by the local homesteaders including furniture, dishes, household products, and tools.- The Webster Cabin was one of the two original museum buildings open in 1988. The cabin was built by Britt Webster. It was originally located about 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Fort Rock. This cabin was used as a home until 1986.
- The Sunset School is the only remaining pioneer schoolhouse of twenty built in the Fort Rock Valley. It was moved to Fort Rock to serve as a community church. When a new church was built the building was donated to the museum in 1998.
- The Fred Stratton Home is the childhood home of Frank Stratton one of the museum’s founders. It was moved to the museum site from a ranch near Fort Rock where it was used as storage shed. The house was originally located about 6 miles (10 km) south of the Fort Rock.
- St. Roses Catholic Church was the only church built in the Fort Rock Valley during the homestead years. It was moved to the museum site from its original location approximately 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Fort Rock.
- The Belletable House is believed to be the largest pioneer home built in the valley. It was originally located near the St. Roses Church northeast of Fort Rock. The museum used the building as its visitor center until modern visitor center and gift shop was built.
- The Bodenheimer House was one of a few two story houses in the valley. It was built by a German carpenter, but was only lived in briefly by its builder.
- The Menkenmair Cabin is the only remaining log cabinLog cabinA log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
in the valley. The original owners died shortly after completing the cabin leaving two orphan children who were raised by neighbors.
- Along with the Webster Cabin, Dr. Thom’s office was one of the two original museum buildings. Dr. James W. Thom was the valley’s only doctor during the homestead period. His office was located in Silver LakeSilver Lake, OregonSilver Lake is an unincorporated community in Lake County, Oregon, United States. It is located on Oregon Route 31. Facilities include a gas station and a small store. It is also the location of North Lake School, "Home of the Cowboys".- History :...
, 17 miles (27 km) south of Fort Rock.
- The Land Office is a log structure typical of the homestead period. However, it is not original to the Fort Rock Valley. The Fort Rock Historical Society rescued the building from a development site near Bend, OregonBend, OregonBend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States, and the principal city of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, and, despite its modest size, is the de facto metropolis of the region, owing to the low population...
.