In 1966, Fossil Mayor, Jack Steiwer, and Councilmen, Herb Wright and Ed Asher started the process of collecting donated and loaned historical items from Fossil and Wheeler County residents. They enlisted the help of typist, Nedeau Chase, to type labels, and Historical Mentor, Lester Reinhart, to identify people in old photos, arrange displays. The City of Fossil celebrated their 75 anniversary of incorporation that year and Jack, Herb, and Ed dressed for the museum’s grand opening in period suits and top hats. They took turns keeping the museum open on weekends.

The City of Fossil purchased the old Club Pastime (which stood where the pocket park is located) for $3,000 from Jack Combes to house the new museum. After seventeen years of service to the Fossil Community as Museum, it developed a very leaky roof and weak flooring. During the summer of 1983 three people fell through the floor necessitating quick action. Several items and quite a number of books were ruined by dampness from the leaking roof.

The City Council voted in the spring of 1983 to find a new location or disband the museum; returning artifacts to the donators or their families. Spurred by the immediacy of the situation, negotiations began with the Odd Fellow Lodge for the old Drug Store section of the I.O.O.F. Hall as tenant, Paul Laughlin, was in the process of relocating to Portland. An agreement was reached for the space which included 1,200 square feet (the same as the three-room old museum). The I.O.O.F. building was built in 1902 and provided a perfect backdrop for the museum. Its location and age worked perfectly.

During October 1983, 251 volunteer man hours of work went into the move across the street to the new site. The City purchased three glass cases from Paul Laughlin for displays. Buck and Kenna Leckie, owners of Fossil General Mercantile, donated two display cases as well as a selection of undergarments and shoes to the museum. Our first year of operation in the new (current) location saw 1,408 people visit the museum.

In the Spring of 1984 the I.O.O.F. lodge decided to discontinue their local lodge and move their membership to the Heppner Lodge. Agreement was reached for the “other side” of the building if the City applied for tax exempt status during the museums tenure of the building. The agreement doubled our floor and display space with another 1,200 square feet; plus a basement under the new addition.

In September 1984 volunteers moved farm implements, tools, saddles, refrigerators, card table, pinball machine, to fill the new space. This concluded all the items in the old Club Pastime, which was torn down.

The Lower Pine Creek Schoolhouse was moved in 1993 from the mouth of Cove Creek along Pine Creek Hwy. 218 to the old site of the Commercial Hotel to serve as an interpretive site for area information and school museum displays.

The museum has continued to serve Fossil and Wheeler County history for the past 38 years at its present location; and, 56 years since its inception.