WOLF CREEK, DOUGLAS COUNTY; 1880s, 1890s, 1900s:
Wolf Creek Tavern was a refuge for Hollywood stars
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By Finn J.D. John
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There are also a few bullet holes in the bricks and woodwork here and there, apparently put there by guests in a rowdy and frolicksome mood — one has to suspect the cowboys of having been responsible for these. This sort of thing was more typical with inns that served whiskey, but maybe guests brought their own. In any case, there they are, and it’s sort of fun to wonder about the circumstances that resulted in such dramatic damage.
If the tavern really is haunted, the ghosts all seem to be on board with the program; they add color to the place, but don’t do much to frighten guests. In fact, during the Halloween season the tavern leans into the “Elvira, Mistress of the Dark” theme with cobwebs, plastic skeletons and other spooky décor.
Still, partly because it’s just a few hundred yards off I-5, it managed to survive until 1975, when the Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation bought it and started a complete, historically accurate restoration, which was completed in 1979. Since then, the parks department has operated it — either directly or through concessionaries — with an eye for historical accuracy. The rooms now have private bathrooms, but otherwise they’re just like they were 100 years ago. There are no TVs, although there is WiFi in the hotel and during the summer months guests will appreciate the tastefully-retrofitted air conditioning. The restaurant is particularly nice, trimmed and decorated just as it was a century ago, and it enjoys a really good reputation. Two rooms in particular are not available to stay in, though. The huge upstairs suite that movie stars used to stay in has been set up just as it was when Clark Gable was expected — right down to the whisky decanters full of what looks like Scotch — and roped off as a museum-like tableau. The same has been done with the closet-sized, very-basic Jack London room, just a few steps down the hall. The contrast between them is striking — and, if you happen to be a novelist, maybe a little depressing too.
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