Points of Interest

It's a Humdinger!

The Wallowa County Courthouse built in 1909 is the anchor for the unique Central Business District of the City of Enterprise. Many of the buildings in downtown Enterprise are more than 100 years old and reflect the community pride and the "enterprising" nature of the Enterprise townspeople in the early 20th century. This uniqueness comes from the use of Bowlby Stone, a locally quarried volcanic tuff.

The Wallowa County Courthouse is one of the oldest and certainly the most prominent Bowlby Stone building in Enterprise. It is a harmonious blend of Bowlby stone with high Victorian Style; its stone construction, emphasizing the building's mass is accented by wood trim in the gables, fan lights and tower. The courthouse is one of only a few original Oregon courthouses still in service today.

Reflecting the community's deep pride, a May 5, 1910 Wallowa County Chieftain article states:

"The new courthouse is enough to make anybody happy. She is what the parlance of the day would call a "humdinger" – a humdinger being everything that could be desired in a new courthouse. And everybody is glad to note that state in Wallowa County's development which is marked by so substantial a public building as this new courthouse. Moreover, the building itself, showing in concrete form the progressive spirit of Wallowa County, will be one of the biggest advertisements Enterprise and Wallowa County could have. It will simply verify in the visiting mind that slogan "Watch Enterprise Grow".

A sentiment that is still true today. The Courthouse is a major asset to the town of Enterprise and Wallowa County.

The Wallowa County Courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in July, 2000. This national recognition and honor was long overdue, according to Everett Roberts, the long time maintenance staff for the Courthouse.

Being on the National Register has also helped the County access funding to preserve the building by helping with the cost of repointing the large Bowlby Stone blocks, installing gutters and downspouts and repairing windows.

The use of Bowlby Stone in so many buildings in Enterprise can be credited to the Architect Calvin Thornton and his partner S.R. Haworth and is recognized as a trademark of Enterprise. So many of the buildings built in the early 20th Century were built of Bowlby Stone, that the May 14, 1910 News Record describes Enterprise as a "Stone City"

Bowlby Stone got its name from an early pioneer in Wallowa County, Enoch Ross Bowlby, who owned the stone quarry of volcanic tuff in the Swamp Creek area. Now known as Bowlby Stone this tuff is soft enough to cut with a saw when wet but hard enough after exposure to air to be used as building material.

The Wallowa County Courthouse square serves as the symbolic center of Enterprise. The far-sighted town founders who donated the land on which the Courthouse stands are honored by a granite bench carved with their names on the south side of the courthouse square.

Can you imagine Enterprise without the Courthouse? It is such a treasure. As Marjorie Martin, long time former County Clerk and Recorder commented in the January 4th, 1996 Chieftain "It's wonderfully historical. I thought it was delightful to work in...It's like a church without a steeple."

Much of the information in this article comes from the National Register of Historic Places nomination form for the Courthouse prepared by Wendy Hansen and the book Exploring Oregon's Historic Courthouses by Kathleen M. Wiederhold.

An American Renaissance in Enterprise, Oregon

At the close of the 19th century, the citizens of Enterprise shared in the national sense of renewed confidence and a feeling that the United States was the natural heir to Greek democracy, Roman law, and Renaissance humanism.

This sense of confidence is illustrated by the group of public spirited residents who formed a library in 1899. At the start, it was a private library and charged a subscription fee. Dues were only $0.50 a year, but anyone unable to pay could donate a used book instead.

The first library committee consisted of Mrs. E.W. Steel, Miss Ida Funk, Mr. D.W. Sheahan, Mr. C.H. Zurcher and Mr. John S. Hodgin. "The library" Mr. Hodgin said, "exerted an appreciable influence on the habits of members, which I think has contributed in no small way toward giving Enterprise a reputation for culture not possessed by some small towns."

This committee hosted an ice cream social to raise money for books and shelves. The library was originally located in Forsythe's drug store (The Bowlby Building) and started with about 100 volumes and added 50 volumes a year for the first six years. Due to its popularity, the library had to move several times to accommodate the increase in books and members. Berland's Grocery (Lear's Pub and Grill) and the third floor of the County Courthouse all were utilized in the search for larger accommodations.

In 1910, spurred by the continuous growth of the library, Dr. C. T. Hockett, physician and member of the Enterprise City Council, spearheaded the successful effort to have the library taken over by the city. A board of directors, led by Dr. Hockett, formed, drafted by-laws, ordered magazines and set the regulations regarding hours of operation, fines and other matters.

The city hired Bertha Millard as librarian in 1911 and she served until 1959. She still holds the record for the longest serving librarian for the City of Enterprise.

In March, 1913, the Library Board asked the City to consider a generous proposal from the Carnegie Corporation. Mr. Carnegie would contribute $5,000 for a new library building if the city pledged $500. The City Council agreed and Dr. C.T. Hockett was asked to choose and purchase a building site.

In July, 1913 the lot on the corner of NE 1st and Main Streets was purchased from G.I. Ratcliff for $1,500. Enterprise's Carnegie Library plans were prepared by architects Milton Block and C.W. Bunting, of La Grande, who also designed the La Grande Carnegie Library. In August of that year, John Oberg, a Swedish emigrant to Wallowa County, was awarded the contract to build the new library.

Completed in 1914, the Enterprise Carnegie Public Library is an excellent example of the American Renaissance style of Architecture. Decorative brick corners and contrasting stonework around the door of the cross shaped building are characteristic of this style. The library was designed with two large bright reading rooms, one for adults and one for children, and the librarian's desk was in the middle directly in front of the entrance. There were also two public reading rooms downstairs. Today's users of the library will recognize that this historic treasure is largely the same as it was in 1914.

Carnegie funded 31 libraries in Oregon and there are still five, including Enterprise, which are substantially unchanged and are still public libraries.

Librarian, Denine Rautenstrauch, has been raising funds and developing plans for several years to renovate the library to include better access. Completed renovations include new stairs and a new roof with restored wooden eaves and cornices.

The Enterprise City Librarian, Denine Rautenstrauch provided much of the material for this article.

World War I and the Spanish Flu were the headline grabbers for much of 1918 and 1919, overshadowing the construction of the most modern theater in Eastern Oregon.

Mr. Hackbarth, announced the construction of the theater in July of 1918. The tiny announcement in the Wallowa County Record-Chieftain announced that the theater would feature a new concept in modern movie houses adopted from the east coast: a sloping floor which would allow everyone in the theater to have a good view of the screen. Other modern touches included five safety exits and steam heat. John Oberg, the same builder who built the Enterprise City Library, won the contract for the carpentry construction and Samuel Haworth was hired for the concrete masonry work.

Other stories in the Chieftain that month were about gasoline and construction material shortages due to the war. Hackbarth owned a lumber company and was able to provide much of what was needed, nevertheless, from concept to finish, the OK Theater took nearly 5 months to be completed.

Another tiny announcement proclaimed the name of the new theater as the OK Theatre. The same announcement identified the manager as J.A. Van Wie, and also stated that the theater seating was arriving from Chicago.

Construction was slowed by the winter weather, but by December the building was completed. However, the theater was not allowed to open because of the influenza pandemic and the ban on public gatherings. The December 18, 1918, Chieftain reported that while waiting for the day they could open, Van Wie decorated the walls, finished the wiring, and installed the chairs and the "picture machines".

By the end of January, the flu ban had been lifted and the grand opening of the O. K. Theatre was scheduled for Saturday, January 25, 1919. The ad in the January 23rd edition of the Chieftain states, "In opening the O. K. Theatre, we offer to the citizens of Enterprise and Wallowa County a complete, modernly equipped, comfortable theater. The first year's program we dedicate to the unparalleled photo productions of Paramount-Art-Craft Pictures at a fixed price of fifteen cents for children and twenty-five cents for adults, which includes war tax." Shows were scheduled for 7:15 and 9:00 pm every day except Sundays. The ad for the opening also states that "Each show will consist of feature productions of not less than five reels, and a comedy or educational show of one or two reels."

Opening night was a success as people filled the lobby waiting to be ushered into the theater. Before the first show was played, J.A. Burleigh praised owner Hackbarth for erecting such a beautiful and modern building, the finest in Eastern Oregon. In addition, even though the flu pandemic was officially over, the public was instructed by Dr. Charles A. Ault to sit in alternate seats to help prevent the possible spread of the disease.

The January 23, 1919 Chieftain noted that "The Theater marks an advanced step in amusement facilities of the county. It will have 500 seats when all finished, with wide aisles, and a floor which slopes at such a degree that a child can see the stage and the screen from any part of the house. Artistic landscapes adorn the walls and the lights are decidedly pretty. The management promises that the pictures shown will be of as high order as the house itself and the theater is bound to attract patronage from far and near."

In September, 1929, the first talking movies made their debut at the O. K. Theatre. The first movie shown was the R.K.O. picture "Street Girl." The film had only opened in Portland the day before, a feature the management was proud of. A full house greeted the management the first night the talkies were shown. The "Music is reproduced beautifully and the spoken word can generally be distinguished" (Chieftain, September 19, 1929).

Material from Donovan and Associates was used for this article.

The City of Enterprise is the County Seat of Wallowa County, Oregon. According to the 2010 census, the city has a total population of 1,940. The town sits at the base of the Wallowa Mountains at an elevation of 3756' and recieves about 12" of annual precipitation.
Enterprise is located at 45°25'27" N, 117°16'37" W. According to the Wallowa County GIS department, the city occupies a 1.47 square miles or 938.16 acres.