ABOUT THE BUILDING... AND US

The Old Wheeler Hotel was built in 1920 to replace two wooden buildings that had occupied the same location.  The original buildings -- The Rector Hotel and the Hotel Annex -- were flourishing along with the rest of Wheeler which was in an economic boom.  The Pacific Railway & Navigation Company had completed a rail link between Portland and Wheeler in 1911.  The railroad facilitated the transport of timber from the vast old-growth Tillamook Forest through which it ran, to the lumber and shingle mills of Wheeler.  Wood products from the mills could then be transported to Portland and points east.

Things took a turn for the worse in the early 1930's.  Not only was the Great Depression taking its toll, but in the summer of 1933 the first of a series of major forest fires broke out which utterly devastated the timber industry in the area. The conflagration, known as "The Tillamook Burn" changed the environment, the economy, and the people of northwest Oregon forever.

Patronage of the Wheeler Hotel declined until, in 1940, Dr. Harvey Rinehart purchased the building and began operating it as the Rinehart Clinic which became well known as a facility for the treatment of arthritis.  Patients would come and stay in hotel rooms on the upper floor of the building while receiving treatments on the first floor and basement.  The clinic eventually offered all forms of medical services until it closed its doors around 1980.  Dr, Harry Rinehart, Harvey's grandson, practices family medicine to this day in a modern facility -- called The Rinehart Clinic -- just up the road here in Wheeler.

                                             Rinehart Clinic circa 1950

After the clinic re-located, the only tenant of the building for several years was a large fabric store called "Ocean Fabrics" occupying most of the first floor.  An employee at Ocean Fabrics named Doris Bash bought the business and turned it into "Creative Fabrics" a unique fabric and quilt-making store that she still owns and operates on the first floor of the Old Wheeler Hotel.

The building changed ownership a couple of times in the '80s and '90s.  Some improvements were made including new store-fronts and updated wiring, but essential maintenance had not been performed and by the late 1990's the building was showing serious signs of deterioration.

In the fall of 1998, Winston Laszlo, Maranne Doyle-Laszlo, and their son, Branson -- who were just passing through Wheeler while traveling in their motor-home -- stopped for a cup of coffee and ended up buying the building and re-furbishing it into a charming, comfortable, and unique place to stay.

                                           Old Wheeler Hotel at dusk

Now in 2009, a new chapter in the history of the Old Wheeler Hotel has begun. My partner, Greg Nichols, and myself (Katie Brown) have taken over ownership and operation of this lovely property. Greg and I had been looking for just the right place to relocate ourselves on the Oregon Coast and the minute we walked in the door of the Old Wheeler Hotel, we knew we were home!

We are working closely with Winston and Maranne on a seamless transition. We want to continue to offer the outstanding accommodations and service that the Old Wheeler Hotel has provided so many happy guests over the years.

We also plan to continue the tradition of constant improvement of this great old hotel. A project like this is never “finished”. We have our own ideas and dreams for the Old Wheeler Hotel. We hope you will give us your feedback as to what you love about it and your ideas for its future.

Whether you are a returning customer, or planning your first visit to the Old Wheeler Hotel, Greg and I look forward to meeting you and having you as our guests!

Sincerely,

Katie