History of Bend, Oregon and The Old Mill District
The
City of Bend graces the Banks of the Deschutes River, which is
draped like a silver ribbon between the Cascade Mountain Range
and the high desert plateaus of Oregon's central
interior.
Originally a small mill town, Bend has emerged as a full service city, the largest city in Central Oegon and Oregon's fastest growing.
Drake Park's Mirror Pond, Bend, Oregon
Timber Sawmills Defined Bend Oregon's Early Development
Around the turn of the 20th century, trappers, ranchers, and
loggers carved out a living near the town that
eventually became the
Deschutes County Seat. Then as now, Bend is the
commercial, retail, and service center for a region that nearly
stretches from the Washington State line to the California
border. With the arrival of a rail line to Bend in 1911,
lumber and agricultural products could be economically shipped
to outside markets.
By the 1920's three mills operated by Shevlin-Hixon and two operated by Brooks-Scanlon dominated the local economy and brought significant population and employment growth. By the 1950's, timber resources began to show signs of strain, when Shevlin-Hixon closed all three mills and sold its Central Oregon holdings to Brooks-Scanlon. In an effort to better utilize the declining supply of wood fiber, timber companies diversified into moldings, particleboard and plywood manufacturing during the 1960s and 70s.
The Old Mill District in Bend Oregon Today
The Mill Quarter is on the same property where
Brooks Scanlon operated their plant. Several historic
buildings have been renovated and provide a workplace for a
variety of businesses.
In the early 1980's the community hit an economic low point with nearly a quarter of the workforce unemployed. About this time community leaders pursued tourism development as an additional leg to its economic foundation and as a tool for broader diversification efforts. Success of this strategy has been felt through the 1990s as the community attracted new investment in nearly all sectors, and through a solid "critical mass" of quality amenities for both residents and visitors, has also built an industry presence in computer software and hardware, medical equipment, aerospace, and recreation equipment manufacturing.
