aded ▁the ▁Bro oks - Scan lon ▁L umber ▁Company ▁to ▁don ate ▁ ▁of ▁tim ber land ▁for ▁a ▁nature ▁museum ▁site . ▁ ▁The ▁property ▁was ▁located ▁ ▁south ▁of ▁B end ▁just ▁east ▁of ▁U . S . ▁Route ▁ 9 7 . ▁ ▁Const ruction ▁of ▁the ▁museum ▁began ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁ ▁The ▁museum ▁building ▁was ▁completed ▁and ▁opened ▁its ▁doors ▁to ▁the ▁public ▁later ▁that ▁year . ▁ ▁Origin ally , ▁the ▁museum ▁was ▁called ▁the ▁Oregon ▁High ▁Des ert ▁Museum . ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁museum ' s ▁name ▁was ▁later ▁changed ▁to ▁the ▁High ▁Des ert ▁Museum ▁to ▁highlight ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁the ▁high ▁desert ▁environment ▁st ret ches ▁across ▁a ▁large ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁western ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁K err ▁directed ▁the ▁museum ▁for ▁six teen ▁years . ▁ ▁During ▁his ▁ten ure , ▁the ▁museum ▁grew ▁rapidly . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁museum s ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁merge ▁ind oor ▁and ▁out door ▁wild life ▁exhib its ▁with ▁an ▁interactive ▁living ▁history ▁program . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁a ▁new ▁high ▁desert ▁history ▁wing ▁was ▁added ▁to ▁the ▁museum . ▁ ▁It ▁became ▁the ▁Ear le ▁A . ▁Ch iles ▁Spirit ▁of ▁the ▁West ▁Center , ▁providing ▁space ▁for ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁western ▁history ▁di or am as ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁several ▁rooms ▁for ▁temporary ▁exhib its . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁another ▁wing