Grade schoolers donate vintage dress, newspapers

Published 7:00 am Thursday, June 9, 2022

JOSEPH — A dress from more than a century ago and a stack of old Wallowa County Chieftains were donated to the Wallowa County Museum in Joseph by kindergarteners from Joseph Charter School and fifth-graders from Enterprise Elementary School during a field trip Thursday, June 2.

The Enterprise fifth graders donated the vintage Chieftains dating as far back as 1928 to museum curator Jude Graham. The century-plus old dress, worn by Hallie Duncan, also was gifted to the museum.

Enterprise teacher Lorri Fischer joined with her daughter, Joseph kindergarten teacher Aliyse Shetler, in a field trip they have planned for about 12 years. The pair meet at the museum each year and pair the older students with younger counterparts to complete a museum scavenger hunt uniting the two schools in a common purpose, Fischer said in a press release.

The kids then usually travel to the R&R Restaurant in Joseph for an ice cream treat, she said.

This particular donation was prompted when a pile of discarded Chieftains found in the back of a classroom file cabinet prompted the Enterprise fifth-grade class to learn more about local history. The papers started in 1928 and progressed through the 1930s and 1940s.

“They added much to class study of Wallowa County history,” Fischer said.

During the filming of the 2016 movie, “The History of the Enterprise School,” which was a tribute to the 100th birthday of the main building built in 1917, Linda Bright, owner of B. Bright Vintage, a vintage and thrift store in Joseph, donated a vintage dress. It was said to be 100 years old and was worn by a student in the class movie as she was portraying an early teacher, Suzie Zurcher.

Fischer said that after researching the dress, she was unable to determine exactly where it came from.

Fischer is retiring from Enterprise School this year after 38 years.