JOSEPH, Ore. — 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.
Portland attorney Marc Zwerling was first introduced to the lodge by a client, Bob Ladum, in 1985. Ladum, an avid runner, had visited the area since he was a kid. The lodge — then owned by the Wiggins family since the 1940s — had fallen into total disrepair, something Ladum couldn't ignore while on his runs. The main lodge had no dining available, and the cabins were rarely rented. It was an eyesore. Ladum persuaded the Wiggins family to sell to him for $300,000 and began the painstaking effort of restoring the lodge. Two years later, Ladum had run out of money and approached Zwerling for a loan, which he accommodated. A year later, with Ladum once again out of funds, Zwerling, his wife, Nancy, and his friend Steve Larson took over the property and began what became a half-century quest to restore the lodge to its original glory.
