LW Travelogue
by Fred Fenton,
LW contributor
Joseph, Oregon, is a small town tucked away in the Wallowa mountains of northeast Oregon. It is named after old Chief Joseph, the Nez Perce leader, who fought government seizure of tribal lands. To get there, we flew to Boise, Idaho, and drove for four hours through scenic countryside.
People go to Joseph for hiking and fishing, or to visit the Wallowa Lake Tramway, a 4-mile ride past 25 towers to the 8,255-foot summit of Mt. Howard. It is the tallest tramway in America and provides spectacular views of the beautiful lake and wilderness area.
My wife, Linda, and I were drawn by something else. On a visit to Santa Fe earlier this year, we purchased a delicate, bronze sculpture of a horse that was cast at a foundry in Joseph and looked just like the sagebrush original. The sculptor, Brenna Kimbro, works in sagebrush.
An hour-long tour of the foundry revealed a complicated process of casting, molding, pouring, assembly, sandblasting of the finished piece and an expert coloring to make it look exactly like the original sagebrush. Artists from all over the country come to Joseph to have their works cast in bronze.
To our surprise, the town had other unique offerings such as a series of striking bronze sculptures lining the Main Street, and shops to try your hand at painting, carving and clay working. Rolled Ice Cream was a revelation; the ice cream mixture is poured on a frozen, stainless steel pan, stirred with two scrapers into a thin sheet, cut in strips, rolled up and placed in a cup with a choice of toppings.
An 1888 bank building on Main Street is home to the Wallowa County Museum. It holds many artifacts from the past, including a display of farm implements, some of which were not known nor labeled. Linda, who grew up on a primitive farm in Canada, was able to identify two of the pieces for a surprised attendant. The bank’s chief claim to fame turns out to be that a man who robbed the place, and went to jail for it, later became vice president of the bank. A recording in the bank’s vault tells visitors the whole story.
After a visit to the top of the Empire State Building many years ago, I vowed to never do something that foolish again, as I am afraid of heights. Nevertheless, Linda talked me into accompanying her on the Wallowa Lake 4-mile-long tramway. The view from the little tram car was amazing on the way up. Going back down made me shut my eyes and cling to a post in the middle of the car, praying for a safe landing.
The most unforgettable experience of the trip came on the last day, when we rode in a two-seat railrider car along the Joseph Branch railroad left over from the logging era. One person pedals up to speed and then an electric motor assists the rest of the way. Into the countryside, we went for a two-hour peddle trip with unobstructed views. It was the best possible end to our Joseph, Oregon, visit.
Brenna Kimbro horse sculpture.
