The Winlock Historical Museum needs our help

By Lesa Givens


The Winlock Historical Museum needs our help

Photo by Lynnette Hoffman - Winlock Historical Museum

Roy Richards spent a lifetime gathering pieces of history in Winlock. He LOVED the community and was adored by many. In 2008, Roy and his wife Linda opened a museum called "Renegade Rooster" just outside of the small town, to showcase Winlock's history.

Linda passed away in 2011 but Roy continued their memories by sharing the collection with visitors from near and afar. Everything was free at the museum, including a stick of pepperoni and an old-fashioned soda for those who came to visit. There were no posted hours for the museum. If Roy's car was in the driveway at his home next door, he was likely open.

Many items in the museum reflect Winlock's legacy as a major egg producer. The building is filled with vintage collections of everything imaginable tied to Winlock's history. The original telephone switchboard in Winlock is one of the first things you see when you pass through the front door. There is an extensive collection of old newspapers dating back to the early days of the bustling small town. Decades of Egg Day memorabilia is proudly displayed. There are thousands of pictures documenting so much history!

Sadly, the doors to the Renegade Rooster closed on October 26, 2020, when Roy Richards passed away unexpectedly at his home in Winlock. According to the terms of Roy's will, his personal possessions are to be sold. The Winlock Historical Museum has been given the first option to purchase some or all of Roy's Renegade Rooster museum. The Winlock Historical Museum is a very small town non-profit with an extremely limited budget. The Winlock Historical Museum will not be able to afford to purchase much of the collection without your generous donations.

To secure all of the contents of the museum and relocate the Renegade Rooster to a new location would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. As wonderful as that option would be, every dollar we are able to collect will go to preserving as much history in Winlock as we can afford. No donation is too small. The more money we collect, the more items we save! Whatever is not able to be purchased by the Winlock Historical Museum will likely go to auction and end up scattered around the country.

Roy spent his life putting this collection together that was loved by his town. Please help us in securing the necessary donations to preserve Winlock's history!
If you prefer to send a check directly:

Winlock Historical Museum
PO Box 632
Winlock, WA 98596

Winlock Historical Museum is a 501(c)3 non-profit.