Wolf Creek Tavern was a refuge for Hollywood stars

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story started in one of the participating news publications that run the weekly Offbeat Oregon History newspaper column. If you have found your way here in some other way, the article might not make much sense, as the first 600 or so words will be missing!

THE WOLF CREEK Tavern can’t really be discussed without bringing up some of the legends and stories of paranormal activity there. Stories of ghostly fingers tickling the ivories of the piano in the parlor and furniture rearranging itself while nobody is looking are common there. Over the years ghost hunters have flocked to the inn with electromagnetic-frequency “ghost meters,” EVP detectors, dowsing rods, and various other spirit-detection wheezes, and several of the ghost-hunting TV shows have sent crews to investigate the place. Supposedly there is a daughter of an innkeeper that wanders the halls, and a man that sometimes materializes in the Clark Gable suite. The place is even rumored to be haunted by Jack London himself — London died in 1916, so he's had plenty of time to get settled in.

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.

THE WOLF CREEK Tavern was a successful enterprise for most of its existence. Its closest brush with disaster came after Interstate 5 took all the traffic off Highway 99, in the 1960s.

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.

(Sources: “The Historic Wolf Creek Inn,” an un-by-lined article published at rogueweb.com; “Historic Wolf Creek Tavern,” an article by Finn John published in the August 1999 issue of Travelin’ Magazine; Oregon State Parks: A Complete Recreation Guide,” a book by Jan Gumprecht Bannan published in 2002 by The Mountaineers; “Haunted Tales from Wolf Creek Inn,” an article by Jen Anderson published Sept. 27, 2018, on traveloregon.com.)

Finn J.D. John teaches at Oregon State University and writes about odd tidbits of Oregon history. His most recent book, Bad Ideas and Horrible People of Old Oregon, published by Ouragan House early this year. To contact him or suggest a topic: finn@offbeatoregon.com or 541-357-2222.