whoop-n-holler ranch museum

Just returned from Whoop-n-Holler Museum and had to tell everyone of our experience. It all started with a phone call to the museum. A lady answered. I asked if the museum was open this time of year (mid-May) and I was told the museum is open Fridays-Mondays and the rest of the week by appointment. I told her my wife and I were interested in visiting her museum the following weekend, so she, Ada Ruth, told me a route to come that would not be so hard on our vehicle pulling our trailer. Whichever route one takes from Bingen, Or., crossing to Washington and then 97 to Bickleton Rd, or from Roosevelt, WA, up Roosevelt Grade, bring a vehicle that can do steep grades as the elevation change goes from a couple hundred feet at the river to over 3000'. Taking the Roosevelt Grade Rd, Mapquest and Bing may take you by way of Six Prong Rd, and then Whitmore. Beware, these roads are dirt and dusty, one lane and if it is raining, the roads are impassible. Stay on East Rd. Although it is steeper grade, the road is newly paved....as are most of the roads in this area. Well, we finally showed up at the museum, actually a day early, but that was not a problem. The owners, Lawrence and Ada Ruth, came to greet us and began the tour right away. There are a couple dozen cars in a large metal garage/barn that are in very good condition, with many of them used for local parades and festivals. Cars you will see in the "preserved" area are Essex, Fords, lots of Studebakers, Kaiser, Edsel, Dodge Bros. Dodge, GM, and more, and assorted brands of farm trucks. Each vehicle has a story and Lawrence tells it well. Scattered around the property are a couple dozen more groupings of vehicles by brand, but mostly Studebaker. Now it was Ada's turn. Turns out this woman is the Gate Keeper to most all the history of the Bickleton area and everyone in it, back to the first homesteaders that included Ada Ruth and Lawrence's parents and others. There are at least two buildings housing well organized genealogy notebooks, floor to ceiling, and another called the treasure house. The latter is the museum of local artifacts and belongs that have been donated as part of the historical heritage of the Bickleton area. Also, an old school house was moved onto the property and that is full of things one might have seen in a one room school house around the 1900s. What makes this visit stand out most is knowledge and passion Lawrence and Ada Ruth have poured into their life's effort of preserving and sharing the history of life in the Bickleton area. There is a small donation requested of $4 at the end of the tour. We had planned on camping at one of the campgrounds by the river or up the hill closer to Bickleton, but Lawrence said we could stay at their place. This was a great chance to talk more with the Whitmores. After your tour here, be sure to go to Bickleton, about 11 miles North and see the brand new Carousel Museum. Another rare find and more interesting local heritage artifacts. This is not the LeMay collection, as far as numbers of cars go, so put that out of your head. It is, however, a very nice representation of the automobile industry from the 1920s to the 1950s that one regular guy has been able to put together on his own.

One of the weirdest, most wonderfully amazing museums in America. Extremely rare old cars in original condition, and amazing storytelling by the matronly owner.