We arrived at the A-Frame RV Park in Baker City, Oregon.
The picture below made us laugh so hard!!! Whoever designed the restrooms and showers here must not have any privacy issues. The showers were in a room with only a shower curtain to separate them and an open room to change with anyone else who might be in the shower room too!
The toilet stalls had the doors cut off so that your knees could stick out underneath! So I guess everyone gets to see your pants down!
The Museum is housed in the “Old Nat” (Natatorium). It was
built in 1920-21 when Baker City was the place to be. Baker City was once known
as the Queen City because of its gold and mineral mining. The building had an
Olympic size swimming pool, diving boards, steam baths, showers, meeting rooms
and a ballroom with hard rock maple flooring. The pool was fed continuously
from a spring ½ mile away. Water ballets, competitive swimming, big band
dances, and roller skating were just a few of the activities held here.
Use declined during WWII and the Nat was closed. A company
asked to use the building for war products and agreed to restore it after use.
The company failed to hold up their end of the deal. They left the pool full of
dirt. The building was then used for National guard drills, a 4-H barn, and a
temporary fir station. It was considered an eyesore and was up for demolition
in 1975 when the Historical Society stepped in and proposed the museum. It
started out to be held in only two small rooms but now includes all of the
33,000 sq. ft building.
The Chinese
Massacre
The Chinese Massacre of 1887, also known as the Hells Canyon
or Deep Creek Massacre, was one of the deadliest attacks against Chinese
immigrants in U.S. history and one of the worst atrocities in Oregon history occurred
at a remote location along the steep banks of the Snake River in Hells Canyon
in 1887. At least thirty-one Chinese miners who were mining “flour gold” (fine
gold dust) at the mouth of Deep Creek in Hell’s Canyon when seven white horse
thieves surprised and murdered everyone. Over two days the gang shot and
mutilated the bodies, then after throwing their bodies into the Snake River,
the criminals fled with about $4000 dollars of the miner’s gold. All seven
killers escaped justice, either by fleeing the region or by jury acquittal in
1888.
“I guess if they had killed thirty-one white men, something
would have been done about it, but none of the jury knew the Chinamen or cared
much about it, so they turned the men loose.” ~Local Wallowa Valley rancher who
attended the trial, 1888.
We tried two other restaurants for lunch and both were closed to we ended up here at Little Pig. Check out a short video of our day below.
Elkhorn Scenic Byway
This two-lane byway is 106 miles long! We stopped several
places along the way for photos!
Hells
Canyon Scenic Byway
The Hells Canyon Scenic Byway is a loop that encircles the
Wallowa Mountains. Part of the mountain road that we drove on today usually
doesn’t open for traffic until June 15 because of snow. Today is the 19th!
After the snow falls, the same road is used as a snowmobile trail.
Hells Canyon is a massive river gorge located in the Western United States, straddling the border of northeastern Oregon, western Idaho, and extending into southeastern Washington. Carved by the Snake River, it is the deepest river gorge in North America (at 7,993 feet deep), easily surpassing the Grand Canyon.
We drove miles and miles to the top of this mountain to see Hell's Canyon!
We drove through a tiny town called Halfway on the byway.
The whole town is very patriotic! Flags and all kinds of red, white and blue
decorations along with 250 years decorations were everywhere in the town! There
was a bar with the name “Halfway Sober.”
