Living history: New curator breathes life into Spray Museum

The history of small towns in frontier communities is as rich if not richer than in larger towns and cities. Early inhabitants who moved West sacrificed everything and overcame incredible odds to carve out a new life and future. For pioneers in expansive rural areas, the challenges of settling and sustaining a town were significant.

But today, preserving that history and its artifacts is a unique challenge that many tiny towns face.

The town of Spray is a perfect example.

In 1991, the City of Spray took steps to fund the Spray Pioneer Museum to honor the town's forebearers and early inhabitants. In 1993, the museum opened in the old Spray Baptist Church, which was built in 1912.

A number of dedicated townspeople and community members helped to curate and preserve the legacy of homesteaders and pioneer families. They donated family heirlooms. They worked to create exhibits. They poured their hearts into the project. They donated not just their time, but also the stories and legends that they had learned over the years.

But like all volunteer driven projects in small communities, there came a downturn. Every small town experiences it – volunteers don't last forever. And it is up to the next generation to step up.

So is the case in Spray. Bobbie Kipp moved to town with her husband Ron five years ago. The couple fell in love with the area while visiting Bobbie's sister, who had moved to a property on Alder Creek.

"Coming out here to visit, it was like the Nature Channel," Bobbie says. "The first time we were here, we thought we saw elk butts but then realized, no those are bighorns!"

The Kipps had lived near Welches on Mount Hood, and both had worked at Timberline Lodge – Ron for 41 years and Bobbie for 35 years. When it came time to retire, Bobbie and Ron were drawn to Spray.

After settling in, Bobbie's love for the area grew, as did her fascination with its early inhabitants.

Just days after moving to Spray, Bobbie and Ron visited the Spray Pioneer Museum for the first time. The experience stayed with Bobbie and she returned several times.

"The pioneering spirit of the people who came here drew me in," Bobbie explained. "There was no electricity, they were digging wells. They were fighting to survive. They had come across on the Oregon Trail and many had gone to the Willamette Valley and then came back out here."

As Bobbie's interest in the area's history grew, a happy coincidence occurred last fall at a Spray City Council meeting.

"I was at the city council meeting for something else and they were saying that they needed somebody" to help run the museum, Bobbie said. "I didn't know what all was in here, but it's history and I really got into the history of this area," she explains. "I knew the building needed help, and that there were stories that need to be told."

Bobbie started at the museum last fall but really got to work this spring. The museum closes during the winter, and Bobbie was eager to get back into the building.

She got to work on the gift shop, and was able to get the wares of local artisans into the museum. There are paintings from Ellen Mann, who is known for painting chickens. She also was able to get ironwork from Steve Stebbins, a local blacksmith.

"There have been just a lot of people showing their artwork and selling it," she says.

But perhaps the biggest find in the gift shop was an old chest that was stuffed with antique quilts. Many of them made back East and brought to Spray by pioneer families.

Bobbie found an old curio cabinet that had been at the Spray School's dormitory for exchange students. The cabinet is massive and has ornate glass – which Bobbie thought would be perfect for showing the quilts while also preserving them.

In addition to the quilts made on the Oregon Trail, the museum also has several friendship quilts, which Bobbie says were made in the area. The friendship quilts were given as gifts between pioneer families, and the tradition was carried on for many years. The quilts are adorned with the names of early pioneer families such as the Snagles, the Crests, and others.

But Bobbie is still looking for answers to a couple of quilts that were found and for a number of other items in the museum. She enjoys the hunt for information, getting leads and working with people to dig into the history of the items and artifacts.

This year, Bobbie also got a grant from the Wheeler County Cultural Coalition to frame several photos and paintings that had been donated to the museum.

She also is working to help preserve items in the museum that need to be temperature controlled – as the hot summers and cold winters can take a toll on antiquities.

Working at the museum has given Bobbie a sense of urgency. And while most of the items, including the impressive Spray Rodeo Wall of Fame and cowboy memorobelia are in good shape – Bobbie is focused on preserving items for future generations.

"Every time I touch something, I'm touching history," Bobbie says.

To visit the Spray Pioneer Museum, pop in between Memorial Day and Labor Day on Friday and Saturdays from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, or Sundays 1:00 pm to 3:00pm. For a private tour or for information, call Bobbie Kipp at (541) 698-0075.