Desert Messenger

10 www.DesertMessenger.com May 15, 2019 A TRIP UP NORTH TO WOLF CREEK INN By Jackie Deal You'd like to go north, up Interstate 5, maybe see Oregon and Washington? Beautiful trip, but fi rst let's play a little his- tory game. Use your imagination. There's no Interstate 5, no plushy air-conditioned cars, no GPS. You're a pioneer traveling on the Applegate Trail. The Applegate Trail, one early pioneer woman said, "It's not a road, not even a trail, hardly a path." But it's the best there is. Once into Oregon, your horse- drawn wagon is soon climbing into the mountains. Those moun- tains, just look around: tier after tier of green forested mountains fading to pale gray on the horizon and still they go on. Forever. You're exhausted, disillusioned, defeat- ed. You struggle up one more mountain, the poor horses gasping for breath, the men pushing on the wagons from behind. And then you're at the top, what do you see? More mountains. Steeper moun- tains. In fact, so steep that the wagons are unloaded and ropes are wrapped around the coach and it's lifted up the mountain to the top and then dropped down the other side! And the horses? Oh, yes, they're snugged into ropes and air lifted up over the mountains and down the other side. And you? The poor people? You walk, climb, scramble to reach the top and slip and slide down the other side. Have you a small idea now of how happy you would be to get to the Wolf Creek Tavern? In those days, tavern meant "inn." Wolf Creek Inn was not on the Wells Fargo Stage line route, but it hosted emigrants and pioneers anyway. Later on, the stage coach company would advertise: "From Sac- ramento to Portland, Oregon. Six day trip, only $50.00, overnight stops at Yreka and Jacksonville." Shall we try to fi nd the town of Wolf Creek? It's 12 miles north of Grants Pass. Drive off the freeway, stop and ask, "Where is the town of Wolf Creek?" Very likely, folks will smirk and say, "You're in it." According to Google, Wolf Creek has a population of 1,629. (I'm not sure where they all hide.) In 1853 when Jessie Applegate and Major Alvord surveyed the area, Wolf Creek had only one inhabitant. Driving out the main street now, the road narrows and the trees arch together. It looks like some giant plucked a tree and planted a house. Here and there. The total effect is rustic and charming. The Wolf Creek Inn seems to be the major attraction. Claimed to be the oldest continually operating Inn in Oregon, it has a long and confusing past. The present concessionaires, Andrew and Gesi Shroyer are researching the Travelogue 2019 history trying to prove that the Inn was actually built before 1883, the gener- ally accepted date. Andrew has been told of a letter from President Ruther- ford B. Haye's doctor stating, "I was at the Wolf Creek Tavern and Inn." This could possibly date from 1860-1870s. (Hayes was president 1877-1881.) Henry Smith is credited with building the Inn and fi rst operating it. We do know that in September 1863 he bought 40 acres of land at $1.25 an acre at the junction of Coyote Creek and the stage road. In September of 1864 he bought 40 more acres at the site of the Wolf Creek Post Offi ce. A store ledger in Canyonville 1868-1869 shows him purchasing merchan- dise. The Wolf Creek Tavern? Who knows? One of the most interesting characters who later owned the Inn was another Smith, though probably not related; W. G. Smith. The story goes he platted out some property, sashayed out East and sold it. Problem was that he didn't own the property! He was run out of town several times and the last time, so we're told, the ladies of the town actually tarred and feathered him! Most people cruise right on by the Wolf Creek Inn signs but it's worth a stop, maybe just for one of their scrump- tious, huge meals. They think they're feeding loggers or miners. A favorite dish is the original recipe for smoked chicken. Be sure to ask for Marion ber- ry bar-b-que sauce with it. It's like no other sauce I've ever had. And if you can stay overnight, wonderful! You might be lucky (?) and be vis- ited by some of the local ghosts. Some of the rooms are considered "haunted." I spent the night in a haunted room and to my dismay: no ghosts. Andrew Shroyer said, "Maybe it's because you didn't offer them any whiskey." I think it's because I loudly proclaimed "I don't believe in ghosts." Maybe they don't like unbelievers. There are nine rental rooms. They're fairly small because originally there was no heat except for fi re places. The ceilings are high, the walls cream and white colored, beds with white comforters and colored blankets and pillows. The furniture is antique, sturdy, real wood; many of the table tops are marble. It's simple, plain and yet elegant. There's a feeling of peace and tranquility. No TV, but they do have internet. The rooms rent for $100-135 depending on the season. The large double room that Clark Gable favored is for rent at a slightly higher cost. Jack London's room is not rented but can be viewed; a tiny plain room where he wrote some of his famous stories, fi nishing his "Valley of the Moon" here. The nearby cemetery is something to see and photograph. There are all sorts of "toys", fi gurines, animals and dolls and even a car engine adorning the graves. One I'll never forget is a tiny green plaque with a bright yellow Tonka toy dump truck -the grave of a four month old little boy who prob- ably never got to play with his truck. There are some delightful things to see at the fabulous Applegate Trail Museum. It's open only on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday but it is defi - nitely worth the trip by itself. Just beyond it is Grave Creek covered bridge and the grave of the fi rst woman to die on the pioneer trail. Modern day sensitivities have renamed Grave Creek to Sunny Valley. Then there's the old gold mining town of Golden with an intriguing church and four other buildings. Next issue we'll spend some time at the Applegate Trail Mu- seum and Grave Creek - pardon me, Sunny Valley. We can get the Shih tzu out of your carpet! 520-255-9081 MD CARPET CLEANING SERVING QUARTZSITE - BLYTHE Let's Talk Dirty!

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