In her book entitled Red River Community House, Ruth Yeager tells of the 1940 origins of the big log building in the heart of downtown Red River.

“The Red River Community House, like any other worthwhile achievement, was first an idea conceived by five people gathered one rainy, chilly night before a good fire in a cozy cabin, enjoying popcorn and fellowship, feeling fortunate to be in the cool beautiful Rocky Mountains.”

The seeds of the creation of the Community House, however, go back a bit farther according to the files of the Red River Historical Society. Among the many documents from the mid-1930s is a State of New Mexico liquor license issued to one Tony Simion, the first such license of its kind.

Also in the files are complaints made about gambling and liquor use in Tony’s Place. The complaints - plural, not singular - are from Ruth Yeager and her friend Maisy Bachman, two of the five people mentioned in Ruth’s book. The ladies from Wichita Falls had a problem with certain social aspects of their part-time summer home. The Red River Community House was created to fill what the Texas ladies saw as a void in the social and religious fabric of Red River City.

From the opening of the doors in 1942, the RRCH has served as a place of worship, as well as a center for family activities and recreation. In those early days, square dancing and games were a part of the summer fun, and always aimed at family participation.

Throughout its existence, the Community House has been a not-for-profit organization and Summer 2010 will see over 390 FREE events and programs. Movies on the lawn, Music in the Mountains series, painting workshops, Chill! teenage and young adult nights, clogging and country dance lessons, and crafts for children are but a few of the activities designed to enhance your trip to the mountain valley of Red River. There will also be a special traveling Smithsonian exhibit entitled “New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music” starting June 19 and running through July.