The house was very modern for its time, and it was one of the most elaborate houses in the Paulina vicinity. (Submitted by Bowman Museum)

The historic Brennan Ranch House was located a few miles west of Suplee and east of Paulina on Grindstone Creek. Thomas Brennan was born in Ireland in 1860 and came to the Paulina/Suplee area in 1882. He worked on local ranches and built log homes until he homesteaded at Suplee in 1888. He married Polly Hinkle in 1889 and in 1902, they purchased a ranch near Grindstone Creek from James Elkins. The house for a long time has been a symbol of our historical heritage in the upper country. The house was built in 1908 with stone quarried from two miles west of the ranch site. Previous to the construction of the house, the family had lived in a log cabin that was immediately behind the soon to be built stone house.

The walls of the stone house were 18 inches in thickness, which allowed for four chimneys to be built in each corner of the house. This provided for eight wood stoves, four downstairs and four upstairs, with flumes shared from stoves located directly in line on both floors. The lumber for the interior was hauled by horse drawn wagon from a mill near Snow Mountain.

There was an open stairway with a highly polished banister and newel post. The downstairs consisted of a living room, parlor, dining room, kitchen, pantry, bathroom and large back porch. There was a small basement under the back of the house. There was an opening from the dining room to the pantry, so dishes and food could be passed through. The bathroom, which opened off of the dining room, contained only a bathtub which drained outside. Water for the tub was heated on the wood range. There was no electricity, and water was brought from a well behind the house. Upstairs, there were four very large bedrooms, each with its own heating stove.

The house was very modern for its time, and it was one of the most elaborate houses in the Paulina vicinity. Everyone was always welcome, and overnight guests were frequent as travelers faced long journeys to get to Prineville. It was never a stage stop. The doors were never locked and even if they were away, travelers were welcome to shelter and feed themselves at the house.

The Great Depression resulted in them losing their ranch. Eventually, it became a dilapidated structure but stood as a reminder of earlier times and was a favorite landmark for travelers to view. Unfortunately, it was demolished in 1995 and the historic landmark was gone. The stone with the date of construction of the house that was once a center piece of the exterior of the house is now on display at the Bowman Museum in Prineville.

Steve Lent is a Crook County historian. He can be reached at 541-447-3715.