Riggins' Living Legacies
—Salmon River Heritage Waking Tour —
The Brundage House (photo top left)
301 South Main Street
Built in 1918, the Scott Brundage home was one of the nicest of its time in Riggins. In 1927, the home was leased to the U.S. Forest Service and was eventually purchased by them in 1931. It served as the Forest Ranger's residence until 1971. Since that time it has been a private residence and commercial site.
The Clay House (photo middle left)
421 South Main Street
Charlie and May Clay built their two-story house in 1919, so their daughter could go to the school across the street. It was a large, quite modern house for the times, constructed from lumber milled at French Creek and floated down the Salmon River. During the Depression, the house was used for apartments for Civil Conservation Corps foremen, and still later as an embalming parlor. It was restored in 1991, and is now an art and antique gallery.
This Old House (photo bottom left)
1149 South Main Street
Dating back to 1906, the original 24-foot wide by 24-foot long building is one of Riggins' oldest houses. The house was built by Isaac Irwin III, who with his brother Johnny and Charlie Clay, helped develop the town of Riggins. The Irwin family also completed the town's first survey. First used as a taxidermy shop, the house also was used as a private residence. In recent years, rooms were added to the original structure and the building remodeled into a restaurant. A cut-away inside the cafe shows the original construction.
The Irwin House (photo top right)
509 South Main Street
In 1905, Riggins pioneer Noah Irwin built this two-story house for his bride, Ella, on the original Noah Irwin homestead. As one of the first houses constructed in town, it was considered fancy for its time. The rough lumber for the house was cut in a nearby primitive sawmill and all the smooth lumber was planed by hand. Burlap was placed over the rough walls and then wallpapered. The house was sold to Herschel Clay in 1910, and after he moved away, it was known as "Bachelor Hall" for the several unmarried men who owned it later.
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