Burroughs Home celebrates 125 years

Saturday, Aug. 15, marks the 125th anniversary of Ritzville historic house and museum, the Dr. Frank R. Burroughs Home. To honor the event, the Ritzville Museum Volunteers are hosting an ice cream social and an afternoon filled with family friendly activities.

The anniversary event is dedicated to celebrating Ritzville’s important history and remembering the legacy of Dr. Frank R. Burroughs. Burroughs served at the first physician in Ritzville, and lived a reputable life as one of the cities pioneers.

The ice cream social begins at 2 p.m. after a short welcome presentation by Mayor Linda Kadlec. The ice cream social is a free event and offered to all ages. The Ritzville Museum Volunteers will have root beer floats, sundaes and ice cream cones available.

Throughout the afternoon, a variety of activities are planned for community members to participate in. On the lawn surrounding the Burroughs Home, croquet will be set up for anyone to play and the game is suitable for families or individuals who want to have a friendly competition with a beloved game.

Also, after the ice cream social, a vintage style show will begin. The style show will feature clothing from the 1900-1920s, and will highlight some of the best of the periods’ outfits.

During the style show, Deloris Allert will provide background music. Allert also plans to perform a musical number for the crowd after the conclusion of the show.

Ruth Keeley is scheduled to sing a few songs, as well as lead the group in a sing along.

Throughout the afternoon, those attending the event are encouraged to browse the silent auction items. A live auction begins at 3:15 p.m. when Auctioneer Dale Anderson takes center stage to sell a variety of specialty baskets.

All the live auction items are themed baskets, with a variety of items to be purchased. The baskets range from a handmade baby quilt and pillow, to a local Broncos basket.

Once the auctions have concluded, the Burroughs Home is open for tours. The Museum Volunteers plan to provide tours of the home to anyone who is interested.

The Burroughs Home will be closed during the style show to allow for a staging and clothing area for those dressing the part for the show.

Frank Robert Burroughs was born in Columbus, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 24, 1859. He received his undergraduate degree from Allegheny College at Meadville, Pennsylvania, and graduated from the University of Buffalo Medical School in 1883. He married Julia Clark that same year, and practiced medicine in his hometown of Columbus for five years before deciding to move west.

Dr. Burroughs headed to the Washington Territory in the spring of 1888 by train. On a stop over in Ritzville, he discovered the town’s desperate need of a doctor. He stayed in the town and Mrs. Burroughs and their only daughter, Ellen, joined him in the fall of that same year.

Along with his busy medical practice, Dr. Burroughs established one of the first drug stores in town operating it from 1891 to 1898.

As a pioneer doctor with a large territory to cover, Dr. Burroughs was truly a “horse and buggy” doctor. He traveled 30 to 40 miles per day by team or by horseback over the poorly constructed county roads of the day or by trails when there were no roads.

Dr. and Mrs. Burroughs sustained a heavy loss in February 1923, when their daughter died following complications from an appendicitis operation in Spokane.

Only two years later, Dr. Burroughs, died peacefully on Jan. 28, 1925, at his home after suffering from apoplexy, known today as a stroke.

The Burroughs family home was originally built in 1890 as a small and simple Queen Anne style home, sitting on two blocks of the Original Town of Ritzville.

With the prosperity of the early 20th century, the house located at 408 West Main was remodeled into a more grandeur home in 1902 when electricity came to Ritzville. The main floor was expanded to include a kitchen and office for the doctor, supplementary rooms were added to the second floor and a veranda and wrap around porch were added at a total cost of $4,000.

After being donated to the City of Ritzville in July 1962, the home opened initially as the Dr. Frank Burroughs Wheatland Museum. It began receiving visitors in October 1962, but closed to the public by August 1964.

A group of dedicated volunteers and the chamber of commerce reopened the museum in July 1970. The Burroughs Home was placed at the National Register for Historic Places in 1975.

Beginning in the early 1980s, a dedicated group of volunteers known as the Antique Annies assumed responsibility of maintaining the home. On May 16, 1995, the Burroughs Home received the State Historic Preservation Officer’s award for Outstanding Stewardship.

After multiple name changes, the museum became known as the Frank R. Burroughs Home in 1999. The name of the volunteer group changed to the Ritzville Museum Volunteers in 2005.

The home remains open regular hours, Tuesday through Saturday, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and is open any time by appointment.