Joseph—For many of the 7,000 or so people who live in rugged, mountainous Wallowa County tucked up in the northeastern corner of Oregon, the century-old Wallowa Lake Lodge has been an untouchable heirloom for more than half its life.
First built in 1923, the hotel’s imposing, three-story dark wood structure with a sprawling lawn set off the southern shore of Wallowa Lake was, for decades, run “by an operator that was pretty specific in what kind of clientele they wanted here—it wasn’t a kid-friendly place, and it wasn’t really a locals-friendly place,” general manager Madeline Lau says. It was a place where locals worked—as grounds crew, housekeeping or kitchen staff—but not a place where they stayed.
