JOSEPH — Corral No. 5, owned by JoJean Hinkley, recently opened its doors at 13 S. Main St. in Joseph. The Corral specializes mainly in affordable, western-style clothing and accoutrements for women. The Corral also carries some urban styles.

Hinkley comes by her western and fashion interests honestly, having grown up in the Wallowa Valley. “My dad, Cliff Hinkley, had a ranch starting in 1948 on the Chesnim and Zumwalt (prairie). I grew up on the ranch and went to school in Lewiston, but I spent all my summers over here, and when I got out of high school I came back. I’ve been in and out of here ever since,” Hinkley said.

This is Hinkley’s first venture into the retail world. “I’ve been in the cattle and horse business all my life,” she said. She is not currently in the livestock business.

The store in Joseph was not how Hinkley originally envisioned her retail business. “I was going to do this in a trailer and go to fairs and rodeos. In January, my pickup caught fire. No pickup — no trailer. Now I have a brick-and-mortar store,” Hinkley said.

The store came by its unusual name because of an incident on her parents’ ranch. She was helping her mother weigh a shipment of steers when an overly excited group of steers hit the gate, which in turn hit Hinkley and sent her flying into mud and cow manure.

Hinkley wasn’t hurt in the incident, but was covered in muck. “My mom, who is always immaculately dressed, stuck her head out the scale house door and said, ‘You’ve got your corral number five on, honey.’ The reference is a pun on the classic Chanel No. 5 perfume.

“I lobbed a big hunk of mud at her,” Hinkley recalled. The incident became an inside family joke.

Unlike many western stores, Hinkley offers her clothing in a variety of sizes. “I’ve been a size 4 and a 24 and everything in between. I think if you’re going to have something like this, you need to carry every size because real women come in every size. Realistically, most women wear sizes 14 to 24, and those clothes are tough to find,” Hinkley said.

Catering to local needs is Hinkley’s priority. “This is for the everyday gal who has lived in Wallowa County for most of their life who needs a good pair of jeans or boots or tennis shoes and maybe some fancy clothes for when she gets dressed up if she works in a bank,” Hinkley said.

Keeping her prices affordable is a Hinkley priority. “My prices are pretty good. My jeans are $52 and capris are $37. My most expensive piece of clothing is only $80. Most of my boots and purses are offered below the manufacturer’s suggested retail price,” Hinkley said. She added that rather than periodic sales, she’ll eventually have a $25 table of goods. Hinkley will donate some unsold clothing to “Dress for Success,” a non-profit that provides economically disadvantaged women with professional attire and other amenities.

Corral No. 5 store hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, although Hinkley will open on Sundays by appointment. The store’s number is 541-398-8239. “You don’t have to leave town to find good clothing,” Hinkley said.