Bear-Sled Ranger Station Building Renovations

In 2017 we moved into the abandoned historic U.S. Forest Service Bear-Sleds Ranger District Headquarters in Wallowa, Oregon. Renovations of the Mary Ann McCrae Burrows Research Library are now complete, along with the exterior of the Ranger Station Warehouse. Exterior renovations of the Residence are scheduled to begin summer 2024.

With the exterior of the Warehouse completely restored and the addition of a complete HVAC system and ADA restroom we are now focusing on establishing an interpretive center in the Ranger Station Warehouse. Our permanent exhibits will tell the natural and social history of the Wallowa country from Nez Perce times through settlement period to the present. We will commission artwork to display alongside historic photographs, artifacts, maps, and documents. The Warehouse also functions as our event space hosting history presentations, workshops, and historical gatherings.

The Ranger House sustained major water damage prior to the Wallowa History Center taking over the complex a major restoration endeavor. The building has a new roof, and the windows and siding will be replaced this summer. We will continue to pursue capital fundraising for the interior restoration of this space.

Research Library admission is free and open to the public.

Our Research Library currently houses over 4,000 files on historical topics and family names, along with hundreds of books, manuscripts, theses, diaries, ledgers, and other objects. We have upgraded the electrical and heating/cooling systems, refinished the floors, gutted and restored the bathroom, repaired the plumbing, installed new storage, created a reading room, and moved our collection into its new home.

With a new roof, restored windows, and replaced siding the restoration of this building was the first completed project within the complex.

Thank you to those who have made the preservation of the Bear Sleds Ranger Station, and the programs offered at the Wallowa History Center a reality:

• Wildhorse Foundation

• The Kinsman Foundation

• Soroptimist International of Wallowa County

• Oregon House Bill 5202

• The Skylark Foundation

• Oregon Museum Grant

• National Trust Preservation Fund

• Oregon Community Foundation Donor Advised Funds

• Preserving Oregon

• Collins Foundation