| Welcome to the Homestead Village Museum |
 |
||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
| Stratton House |
|
| The Fred Stratton Home is the childhood home of Frank Stratton one of the founders of the Museum. It was moved to the site from a location nearby in Fort Rock where it was used as a storage shed. It was donated to the Museum by Venita Branch. Her daughter and son-in-law, Joan and Bud Radke, assisted in moving it. The house was originally constructed on the Stratton Homestead about six miles south of the museum. |
| The Land Office (Widmer Cabin) |
|
| The Land Office is one of newest additions to the site. This log structure is typical of the structures of the area and period. It was rescued by the Fort Rock Historical Society from a development site on the outskirts of Bend where is was facing certain destruction. |
| Dr. Thom's Office |
 |
| This is the original office building used by the noteworthy pioneer doctor Dr. Thom. The office was located in Silver Lake and was rescued after it was scheduled to be burned. Dr. Thom was the only practicing physician in the entire area during the 1918 influenza epidemic, and he brought the whole valley thru that tenable time, only losing one patient. |
| Menkenmaier Log Cabin |
 |
The Menkenmair Cabin is the only remaining log cabin in the valley. It has a rather tragic history. Once the home of George & Hazel Menkenmair and their two children, Beatrice and Boots. it remained unoccupied for many years. Hazel was killed by a runaway accident while raking hay and George died of a fatal illness a short time later. The children were cared for by friendly neighbors. Young Boots became a professional rodeo rider and became quite well known, but was killed in a rodeo accident at an early age. Beatrice married a local rancher and moved into a home of her own. She gave permission to move her childhood home to Homestead Village. |
| Fort Rock Mercantile |
 |
| This is the newest addition to the Homestead Village, and was the original Fort Rock Mercantile where folks bought groceries and gas. It was donated to the museum in 2009. |
| Saint Bridget Catholic Church (Originally the Saint Rose of Lima Catholic Church) |
 |
| St. Rose Catholic Church was the only real church building in the whole valley during the homestead years. It was moved from its original location on a corner of the Godon Ranch, about twelve miles NE of Fort Rock Village. It was being vandalized and would now be a heap of rubble if it had not been rescued by the Fort Rock Valley Historical Society. |
| Boedigheimer House |
 |
The Bodenheimer house was one of a few two story houses in the valley. It was built by a German carpenter. All his neighbors thought that he was a bachelor and wondered why he was building such a "large" house. When it was completed, his wife and two children came over from the valley. She took one look at the house and the surrounding country-side and announced "I don't care how nice a house you built, I'm not living in this country!" and went back to the valley. After selling his acreage & the house to his neighbors, the Websters, he also went back to the valley. His well built house is part of the Village Museum and is greatly admired. |
| Webster Cabin |
 |
The Webster Cabin and the Dr. Thom Office were the first buildings that formed the base of the homestead museum. The cabin was the first home of Britt Webster and his wife. It was originally located about ten miles NE of the museum site. |
| Belletable House |
 |
| The Belletable house is probably the largest ever built during the Homestead years. The Belletables were better off than most of the homesteaders and had several children. The house was used as the reception center until the new reception center was built. It was moved in from a location close to the church. The Belletables and the Godons were close neighbors. |
| Sunset School |
 |
The Sunset School is the last free-standing public school from that era of the twenty that once dotted the Valley. It was moved into Fort Rock from its final location northeast of the museum about half way between the Derrick and Stingley ranches. It was first moved to Fort Rock where it served as the community church for several years. When the new church was built, it was donated to the Village Museum. It has been renovated and refurbished and a dedication ceremony was held during the 1998 Homesteaders Reunion weekend.
|
The Homestead Village Museum Reception Center |
The Reception Center was built from the volunteer labor of local residents. It houses modern rest rooms, a small gift shop and displays of artifacts from ancient times.
|
Among the artifacts on exhibit barb-wire and ancient weaving.
|
|