JULIAETTA -- Onal and Donna Cope have turned a passion for antiques into a historic landmark and treasure for visitors to this rural Latah community.
For over 20 years, the couple has dedicated their time to maintaining the historic home of Abraham Adams, built in 1905. Now known as the Castle Museum, this structure of stone block made from local sand and gravel houses some of Idaho's oldest treasures.
As a fan of U.S. history, I've been wanting to visit the museum on State Street since my first visit to Juliaetta roughly six months ago.
My interest was spurred further after talking with Daily News Managing Editor Steve McClure, who wrote a story about the Castle Museum back in 1994.
He described museum items, including a U.S. flag dating back to 1890 when Idaho joined the Union as the 43rd state, and Juliaetta's first carbide movie projector.
I was just as interested in learning more about the Copes and why they would dedicate so much of their lives to preserving history.
Onal, 78, is retired from the lumber industry and Donna, 74, served 30-plus years as secretary at the local school -- where she also was a graduate.
Born and raised in Juliaetta, Donna knows a great deal about the area's history.
That knowledge is apparent by the items kept in the museum. What also is apparent is the couple's passion for providing free tours to anyone interested.
"We bought the place so we would have a place to keep all our antiques," Donna said with a smile.
In truth, the Copes along with Charles Noble bought the place to share their love of history. The Copes bought out Noble's share in the museum back in 1979 and continue to operate the facility -- though no longer on a regular schedule.
"The cost of oil to heat the place is up to $1.60 a gallon," Donna noted. "We just can't afford to keep it heated during the winter."
And while the museum no longer maintains regular hours of operation, Donna and Onal will open the museum to anyone who calls with a day or more notice.
"If they just call ahead we can go over and warm the place up," Onal said. "It's also good to make sure we're home," Donna added.
My visit wasn't planned ahead, but Onal was kind enough to take me for a tour. The temperature outside was roughly 32 degrees and it felt about 10 degrees colder inside the museum.
Despite the chill, the visit was fascinating. Each room in the three-story home is packed with artifacts ranging from cookware to the doctor's bag carried by town physician Douglas Christensen who practiced medicine in Juliaetta from 1931 to 1971.
Because of the cold, we made our visit short, but I could have stayed all day and still walked away wanting more.
Onal promised I could come back this summer when the weather is warmer and visit to my heart's content.
I'll be taking him up on that offer and encourage anyone else interested in learning more about the area's history to call ahead for a tour of the Castle Museum.
* To make an appointment for a tour of the Castle Museum, call Onal and Donna Cope at (208) 276-3081.
Craig Clohessy is the city editor of the Daily News. He can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 233, or by e-mail at .
