There's gotta be a story

We were merely intrigued by the old building that houses the Wallowa County Historical Society Museum in Joseph, Oregon, because it looked interesting. The museum wasn't open. (One problem with traveling in the off season.)

Undoubtedly, the museum would hold many stories in its collections, but little did we know the building's own story until a gentleman who had noticed our interest asked if we would like to hear its history.

Sure.

We hadn't noticed that it had been a bank.

The story goes like this.

One day in 1887 or 1888, three armed men strode into the First Bank in Joseph, Oregon, and robbed it of $8,000. One of the robbers was shot and killed before they were able to make their escape.

The other two headed east toward the Snake River and Idaho.

A posse was formed and caught up with them about thirty miles out  near the town of Imnaha. A gun battle ensued, and another of the robbers was killed. The other was brought back to Joseph.

(Here's what Imnaha looks like today. You would miss it if you blinked. Well, maybe you wouldn't, because it is basically the end of the road. Other than the highway by which we arrived, the only roads out are gravel or dirt, and pretty iffy this time of year. I've actually traveled on one of them in the fall a number of years ago, but that's another story.

A quick shot back over my shoulder to get the post office, too--didn't want you to think that Imnaha was really small, did I?)

Okay, back to the bank robbery. the surviving robber, badly wounded, was taken back to Joseph, where he recovered from his wounds, was tried, and sentenced to eight years in state prison.

Upon being released, he returned to Joseph to establish himself, and became the manager of the bank he had robbed.

The hills near Imnaha.

We expect to return to visit Enterprise and Joseph in a different season, finish the hike we left half done, and get out to the edge of Hells Canyon, accessible by those dirt and gravel roads out of Imnaha. Hopefully the museum will be open in Joseph, as we want to see one exhibit our impromptu guide told us about. He said he was upstairs in the museum when he noticed some cards--not very large--maybe about the size of half a sheet of paper. On closer inspection he found that they were formal invitations: "You are cordially invited to the execution of..."

See, I told you, there's gotta be a story...

 An entry to This Way Thursday. See others here.

E is for Enterprise

This is the view of the Wallowa Valley and the Wallowa Mountains from our motel on our recent excursion to Eastern Oregon. We made our stay in Enterprise and traveled out from there. That gap between the mountains follows Hurricane Creek, where we hiked.

Even as we got close to town each expediton out into the hills or countryside or neighboring towns, the barns caught my attention.

Enterprise is the County Seat of Wallowa County. The whole area is a high valley, with the elevation near 4,000 feet.

To visit other ABC participants, find their links at the ABC Site for Round 6.

ABC Wednesday is again down to the X

X marks the spot.

Trail marking poles in an X, these are ready to be taken and put in place with the rope between to mark dangerous areas.

Poles are used in an x to mark bridges

...

and edges

...

and what look like poles standing straight from one angle, are Xs from another.

When you come to the edge--don't go past the X

See how others have dealt with the letter X at ABC Wednesday Central.

ABC Wednesday--S is for...

S is for spiral staircase at Scotty's Castle.

Last week we visited Death Valley National Park and took a tour of Scotty's Castle.

Although it has long been known as Scotty's Castle, the magnificent home in the desert actually belonged to his good friend Al Johnson, a Chicago banker, who built it as a vacation home for his wife. It started out as just a "box," but Mrs. Johnson told him that if they were going to spend weeks at a time there, that that was not enough.

Our very knowledgable guide for the tour was attired in period dress as she explained the relationship between the Johnsons and the legendary Death Valley Scotty. Scotty's stories were so fanciful and entertaining that the staid and consevative Johnson let him live in the castle and claim it in his tales.

The home is filled with all the original antiques that were gathered from Europe. The Johnsons themselves never went to Europe, however. I did notice the fire extiguisher in the corner when I took this picture, but not the block of wood--is that holding the old desk level? I'm not sure.

   S would also be for Scotty's unique security system. Scotty had the notion that if bandits came to plunder his gold mine,  the entrance of which he claimed to be under his bed, one would go to the door to the right and another to the left to come in the window. For that reason, he devised this contraption covering a hole in the wall of the room. If he heard the bandits, he would poke his shotgun throught the hole and the device would divide the shot between the two invaders. He never used the device. It wouldn't have worked if he had.                                 

And besides, he never had a gold mine anyway--under his bed or anywhere. It was another of his stories.

You know I couldn't have passed up taking a shot of the old hand crank sewing machine.

                                                                                     You will find other ABC participants at the meme's own blog. And you can visit the originator, Denise Nesbitt, at her blog Mrs. Nesbitt's Space.

My World extends far beyond my small town

When we dropped into Death Valley, we dropped out of communication with anything outside. Oops! Can't return that call after all.

Oh! could have saved these for Skywatch!

The many colors of the soil show what a storehouse of various minerals were found here.

This is called Artist's Palette.

Where water has washed through the area, there is plant life--scanty--thin--and scraggly.

...and where water hasn't been, the badlands.

This was my world for a couple of days last week. Not posted then because we were totally out of

touch. See other worlds here.

ABC Wednesday--R is for

R is for Rain.

I am posting this a week and a half ahead.

Today we are visiting Death Valley, California.

The one thing that I can predict, a week and a half in advance is:

We are not seeing any rain.

Visit other ABCers here.

Alaska Bits --16 -- River Float

Vacation tours are not just sights, but a chance for adventure. Controlled adventure. We took a float trip on the Nenana River for an exciting excursion. Since it was nearing the end of the season, the groups were small. One group went off for a trip on the rapids. There were ten of us for the calmer trip, so we were divided into two parties. (They always go out with two rafts.) The result was that we had a private raft trip.

Suited up and ready to go. When we have gone on other rafting trips, we were not provided with "dry suits" Here we were guaranteed that we would stay warm.

Getting ready to go.

And Joanne was expecting an enjoyable experience!

Autumn was definitely in evidence.

My brother's smile--he may be glad we talked him into this one. 

Hmmm. Wonder what my hubby is thinking.

The rowing was done for us--all we had to do was to hold on and enjoy.

Is that luxury again?

Our guide, Justin, had big plans for what he would be doing after his season in Alaska was over. Guiding in West Virginia with his mother, a river run in Idaho with friends, and then a trip to Thailand. No moss growing on this young man.

Justin was determined to give us a few good rapids. In fact, he was determined to get us wet. Nah! Not going to happen in these dry suits.

That was nothing.

Oooh.

A

bit

of

a

splish.

And a SPLASH!