Barnett Towing has served for nearly 70 years—1 tow, 1 repair, 1 community at a time.
By Andrew Cutler
The call arrived in the dead of night. A 2019 Ford F-350 hurtled off the road and plunged to the bottom of a canyon.
Retrieving the vehicle required a recovery Humvee, off-road equipment, and some careful extraction work. The job consumed the skills and focus of 3 generations of Barnetts.
Yet, that’s the job, says Gene Barnett, who operates Barnett Towing & Service in Maupin with his wife, Candy.
“(We’re) showing up on someone’s worst part of their day and just trying to make it a little bit better,” he says.
The call in the middle of the night isn’t a unique experience for Barnett Towing. Across a span of 7 decades, the family business has evolved into the backbone of roadside assistance across a wide swath of South Central Oregon.
Gene Barnett Sr. and his wife, Janet, attended Maupin High School. After years working on a ranch 25 miles outside of Condon—Gene Sr. as foreman, Janet as ranch cook—an opportunity arrived to take over a gas station run by Janet’s parents at 405 Deschutes Ave. in Maupin.
Gene Sr. brought to the work a lifetime of mechanical know-how after spending his youth at the Bow Canyon service station his parents operated. By the time Gene Sr. opened his own shop, he could handle just about any mechanical challenge.
From the start, Gene Sr. operated the business on a solid platform of integrity. He repaired cars and trucks, did tire service, sold fuel, and bought the Shell bulk plant across the river to expand operations.
When hunting and fishing seasons opened, and tourists flooded into the Deschutes River canyon, business surged. Gene Sr. kept pace, updating his knowledge as vehicle technology advanced.
A Family in the Business
Janet served as secretary for the local ambulance service while also helping run the gas station and keep the books. Gene Sr. joined the ambulance service and fire department shortly after the couple returned to Maupin. Together, they put their 3 sons through college on the strength of the business.
Their son George watched it all up close. As a teenager, he helped recover vehicles from canyons, lakes, and rivers.
In April 1975, Gene Sr. died from a massive heart attack at age 47. Janet was left with the business as their youngest son, Dennis, was still in college. George closed his own business to help his mother run the family business. Janet eventually retired in the late 1970s.
“The hardest part was not being able to ask my dad for help or information,” George says.
In 1980, the company bought a building and lot at 412 Deschutes Ave. to use as a shop and storage facility. The original location eventually became a raft shop, and the business continued just a short distance down the street.
George bought his first tow truck in 1980. He says it was an eye-opening experience—cars were changing fast, with front-wheel drive and more plastic on the bodies. That meant the Barnett business had to keep pace.
The old conventional wrecker with tow straps evolved into damage-free wheel lifts. Roll-back trucks made towing easier, especially for all-wheel-drive vehicles and wrecks.
3 Generations on the Scene
Today, Barnett Towing is in its third generation of family ownership. Gene— George’s son, named for his grandfather— spearheads day-to-day operations. Candy serves as business manager and what Gene calls the “real chaos coordinator.”
The business today offers a range of services, including everything from tune-ups to engine and transmission replacements. The business sells tires and operates as a NAPA Car Care center, selling parts and accessories and, of course, towing.
The territory they cover is large. For the Oregon State Police, Barnett Towing handles south Wasco County out to Warm Springs and Sherman County. The Wasco County Sheriff calls the business when needed, as do Warm Springs officials and the Oregon Department of Transportation. “We’ll pretty much go wherever, whenever,” Gene says.
No Such Thing as a Typical Day
Operating a towing and repair business in a small community means wearing a lot of hats and keeping unpredictable hours.
“There is no typical—mainly organized chaos,” Gene says. “Never know where or when someone needs assistance. We are on call 24 hours, 7 days a week."
The obstacles in the day-to-day saga of the business are real. The business must keep up with technology, find qualified employees, and be on call around the clock. But for the Barnetts, the rewards have always outweighed the challenges.
The community relationship runs in both directions. Barnett Towing keeps school buses running, supports raft companies like Riverdrifters and Deschutes U-Boat, and serves local farmers and ranchers. Wasco Electric Cooperative is among its customers, too.
“Being a small community has its perks,” Gene says.
What You Put In
The future of Barnett Towing looks a lot like its past—steady, grounded, and built on the same values Gene Sr. instilled in his family more than 65 years ago.
“We would like to continue to grow, all while keeping a high standard of quality and integrity,” Gene says.
Gene and Candy want their 2 children to follow their own paths. “Anything is possible,” Gene says. “I want my children to chase their dreams and do what makes them happy.”
The family’s legacy is visible in this rural area.
“If you knew Gene Sr. and Janet, or George, you’ve been here long enough to know we try to do quality work while supporting a community that in turn supports us,” Gene says.
The lesson hasn’t changed since Gene Sr. first opened his doors in 1956.
“Starting or keeping a family business running, there is no autopilot,” Gene says. “You get out what you put in. There is no 9 to 5.”