Turtle Creek

Well this one was a real surprise. It was mentioned online as having genuine Indian crafts as well as a few counters of exhibits not for sale. First off, Google has the location wrong and we had to hunt around and make 3 U-turns to find it. Second, the sign on the door said it was open, but to knock and please be patient, they were old and took a while to get to the door. It DID take a while, and we almost left as it seemed a little off.

Finally this kindly old gentleman (82 years old we later found out) shuffled to the door to let us in, greeting us with a handshake. The small single-room store was an absolute JUMBLE of antique and new Indian art from the area. Two shelves of antique beaded moccasins. A number of beaded buckskin dresses. A bear-claw necklace that had to be seen to be believed. His wife is Choctaw and Cherokee (I think) and is quite a collector.

They had a wide assortment of Pendleton blankets with the traditional Indian designs. Apparently the Indians in the area give blankets away on a variety of occasions and are always buried in them, so the shop does a land office in sales. Pendleton told our host that the shop, which has been around since 1882, was their oldest customer.

We would have loved to buy a lot of things there, but had to remind ourselves we were at a stage of life when we are trying to pare down, not collect. I did pick up a braid of sweetgrass which I intend to put up (or smudge) when I get home.Read more