A18
NEWS
Wallowa County Chieftain
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Small County store off ers big amenities
whom stay at the hotel, pro-
vided the inspiration for the
store. Instructors at Hennes’
Prairie Mountain Folk
School also helped.
“We feel really lucky that
we have such a great com-
munity,” Tackett said. “We
have a lot of people that
helped us with the hotel, peo-
ple who are artists, and peo-
ple who make products, fur-
niture and different things. I
feel like we’re sharing a per-
spective of art and culture
that Joseph has as a town of
the arts.” However, Tackett
shared that the store’s cre-
ative direction also offers a
more modern and contempo-
rary art perspective as well.
“We thought that having an
outlet for all of our creative
community in a retail space
and not just in a hotel would
be awesome.”
Tackett also gave a shout
out to sawmill owner Jim
Zacharias and 1917 Lum-
ber who provided much of
the material and fi nishing.
Local quilt maker, Gail Hill-
ock, has sewn a large quilt to
use to separate the store and
work space behind it.
The space once housed
Arrowhead Chocolates, and
when refurbishing the future
store area, the low ceiling
was removed and restored
to its former height and tran-
som windows were installed
to provide a greater view
of the surrounding area —
By Steve Tool
Wallowa County Chieftain
A lot of action is happen-
ing in Joseph on the Jennings
Hotel block of Main Street
in Joseph these days. The
latest addition to the busi-
ness world is the upcoming
opening of “Small County,”
a store dedicated to the fi ner
things in life. Ashley Tackett
is co-owner of the store with
Greg Hennes, who owns the
Jennings Hotel. The Small
County moniker is not a
slam; it refers to the popula-
tion and rurality of Wallowa
County.
Tackett is from a small
Indiana town that she left
at 18. She later spent time
in San Francisco, Eugene
and Portland, working
in architecture and hotel
design, which is how she
met Hennes. She moved to
the Wallowa Valley three
years ago. Her small town
upbringing allows her to feel
at home here in Joseph.
It was while working with
Hennes on the hotel that she
thought about adding a retail
component.
“We live in the most
beautiful state, and people
from the west side tend to
go to Cannon Beach or Bend
and forget the whole state is
really beautiful, especially at
the corners,” Tackett said.
The local community of
artists and artisans, many of
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Steve Tool/Chieftain
Greg Hennes (L) and partner Ashley Tackett stand inside one of the arches uncovered during the recent renovation of the
downstairs of the Jennings Hotel at 100 N. Main St. in Joseph. The two are opening a retail store selling a number of amenities
for hikers, picnickers, explorers and lovers of well-made items whether in Wallowa County or elsewhere. The store opened
Saturday, Aug. 17.
especially Mount Joseph.
The former ceiling is now
the fl oor of Small County.
The hotel doesn’t have a
front desk, so the store will
also serve as an informal
information booth that offers
amenities to enhance the
Wallowa County experience
for visitors. Tackett noted
that although many visitors
come for the lake or to hike
the mountain trails, she and
Hennes love the prairie and
canyons.
“I feel like Wallowa
County has all these amaz-
ing people — guides and
makers, but you have to be
in the know to know where
to go, so part of our dream
is to have information avail-
able not just for our guests,
but for any guests or visi-
tors,” Tackett said. “We can
say, ‘Hey, you can check out
so and so.’” As an example,
she used honey from the 6
Ranch just outside of Enter-
prise to tell inquiring visitors
about the ranch’s farmstand
or to recommend Wild Car-
rot herbals in Enterprise.
“It’s been great to work
with locals and bring them
into the fold,” Tackett said.
The inventory is varied,
and much of it dedicated to
exploring Wallowa County
or inspired by the folk
school. For example, Oregon
road atlases are offered, but
so are hand-carved wooden
spoons and spoon carving
knives and axes in a display
case.
While local artisans have
a large presence in the store,
the store carries items from
outside the area as well; for
example, handmade brooms
from a woman in Kentucky
who grows her own broom
corn. Literature is also part
of the county’s heritage, and
books, many local, are also
offered, as are art supplies
and notebooks.
Behind the counter and
display case is a large area to
be temporarily used for stor-
age, but the couple also has
other plans for the space.
“The long-term dream is
to have workshops for the
folk school in back, so peo-
ple hopefully come in here
and say, ‘Hey. what are
those people doing,’” Tack-
ett said. “It’s a great avenue
for us to talk to people about
folk school curriculum and
upcoming courses. The cou-
ple’s other dream is to utilize
one bare wall in the back for
seasonal art.
In order to inspire visi-
tors to explore the county,
the store also offers gour-
met picnicking supplies
that include not only culi-
nary items but the baskets as
well. Also included are a pic-
nic and “makeout” (yes, that
kind of make out) map of the
county that includes places
for skinny-dipping as well.
“It’s all of our favorite
spots to do all of the above,”
Tackett said with a laugh.
Locals need not worry.
“We’re not giving away
any local hard core spots or
secrets.”
The store offers a nice
selection of natural wines,
pickles, meat, cheeses and
other items to place in a pic-
nic basket. If you don’t have
a picnic basket or can’t afford
one, the store also offers bas-
ket rentals that come with a
blanket.
The store is also con-
tributing to the local econ-
omy as they have hired one
employee and are looking
for others to fi ll in on days
here and there.
“We’ve got a lot,” Tack-
ett said. “We’re trying to
wedge, weave together a
story, a sense of place here.
We feel lucky we have this
awesome slice of Joseph,
and we want to make it as
good as possible.”
Small County is located at
100 N. Main St., Unit A and
open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Enterprise Farmers’ Market closes for the season
Joseph Saturday
market continues
through Oct. 12
By Ellen Morris Bishop
Wallowa County Chieftain
This year the Wallowa
County Farmers’ Mar-
ket has offered fresh pro-
duce, locally made soaps
and other items on the third
Thursday of every month
at the Wallowa County
Courthouse.
The Market chose to
be open on Thursdays to
be in conjunction with the
Thursday evening Court-
house Concerts.
August 15 was the last
Enterprise Farmer’s Mar-
ket of the season. The Sat-
urday Farmer’s Market in
Joseph continues through
October 12.
Ellen Morris Bishop
Vendors at the Thursday Farmers’ Market in Enterprise included Alder Slope Nursery with
a variety of plants and vegetables.
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