For the week ending Sept. 12, 1909

100 YEARS AGO

ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST

The crew that has been working during the summer on the east lateral of the Arnold Irrigation company’s system was disbanded last Saturday, and part of them have gone to work on the north lateral, assisted by a number of other men and teams. The north lateral will be built down as far as the Central Oregon canal this fall. The work is in the charge of Ernest Garrett.

Large numbers of people are coming into the Bend country these days, undoubtedly attracted by the assurance of development that is certain to follow the building of railroads into this section, the construction of two roads now being actually under way. During the past week the Bend hotels have been full to overflowing, and it has been necessary to secure rooms outside the hotels to accommodate the transient trade.

That was a lively game of ball played on the local diamond last Sunday, between the Bend team and a team composed of the Hill surveyors. The score stood 12 to 17 in favor of the Bend team, but that doesn’t tell half the story. It was a brilliant exhibition of the national game, with errors galore, and oodles of fun. One man remarked that he hadn’t laughed so hard for a year as he did at the antics of the two teams in this game.

The Ladies Library Club cleared about $40 from its watermelon festival last Saturday, which, everyone can see, made it a success financially. It was also a very enjoyable affair socially. The Drake lawn, on which the festival was held, was lighted by Japanese lanterns, which gave a very pretty effect. The band discoursed sweet music for an hour or two, and each and everyone in attendance spent a pleasant evening. Mrs. Drake took advantage of the opportunity to present the Club with a check for $25, which swelled the receipts just that much higher than the amount quoted above. Mrs. Drake has always taken much interest in the Bend library, and took this opportunity to show her appreciation of the good work the Club is doing.

75 YEARS AGO

For the week ending Sept. 12, 1934

BEND BUILDINGS ARE MODERNIZED

Remodernization of Bend homes and reconstruction work in the business district are now under way on an extensive scale, and the sound of hammer and saw is again heard in the city. The early fall reconstruction activity is believed to be the greatest in recent years.

Some of the downtown work is due to the opening up of business houses, such as the Central Oregon public market in the Thompson building, and the removal of stores, such as the Piggly Wiggly food market, to new locations. Work was started this morning on the quarters adjacent to the Buster Brown shoe store. This space will house the He Man barber shop.

Farther up the street, a built-up roofing is being constructed on the Capitol theater, with H.C. Nelson in charge of the contract. This is a secondary roof, to protect the theater from melting snows and heavy rains.

One of the most extensive home renovation projects now under way here is the addition to the H.K. Brooks residence on 511 Drake Road. An 8-by-40, two-story addition is being built. A.G. Hedstrom is in charge of the work, and J.E. Lyons has the plumbing contract.

A survey of building permits taken out in recent weeks indicates the modernization work is general through town. At 625 Norton, J.N. Farr is adding to his residence, and the same is true at 1353 Columbia, home of Wesley Hill. R.W. McCallum, 860 Federal, is having an addition built to his home. Harry Funke, 2053 West Seventh Street, is constructing a basement under his house.

In addition to the work under way here, one of the finest dairy plants in the state, that of W.E. Redeman of the Bend Dairy, is under construction near The Dalles-California highway north of Bend. This is to be an 80-cow plant, modern in every respect.

50 YEARS AGO

For the week ending Sept. 12, 1959

THREE TACKLES HURT AS LAVA BEARS GET SET FOR FIRST GAME

The Bend Lava Bears yesterday got the word on the starting lineup for the game with Madras here Friday night, and also got a few words of encouragement from University of Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman last night at the Bend High cafeteria.

Coach Tom Winbigler, with only 30 boys, faces a big problem in filling the undermanned tackle slot.

Three tackles will miss Friday’s game because of injuries. They are Chuck DeSully, out with a back injury; Gordon Hogland, a broken bone in his hand and Vern Willcox, a pulled achilles tendon.

Manning the tackle positions will be George Cleveland and Denny Drew.

Other starters in the offensive line are Bucky Sherwood, Dave Dudley and Harold Haugen.

In the backfield, Ron Carter will start at quarterback with Terry Carty at left half, Bud Sell at right half and Cecil Kribs at fullback.

In the defensive starting line, Roger Bjorvik will replace Dudley and will perform at a linebacker post along with Beaver.

Jim Wiley will replace Haugen at the defensive right end position with Kribs switching to the defensive left end spot.

Carty and Sell will be at safety.

Though the Bend High team is small in numbers, it got a big word of encouragement from Bowerman, who noted that he played on a state championship squad that boasted only 19 players.

“And we beat Portland 39-0,” he said at last night’s football banquet.

“Spirit, that’s the important thing — in the community, team and individual. But the spirit has to be real,” added Bowerman. “You’ve got to give an honest effort — and not just on Saturday.”

Bowerman also stressed desire and determination as factors in a winning football team.

“I used to have an uncle who had desire,” Bowerman noted, “My uncle Will in Fossil. One day we had a regular cloudburst in Fossil — a regular river formed. Pretty soon, I saw a hat floating downstream, then upstream, then downstream,” continued Bowerman.

“What’s that?” I asked my aunt. “Oh, that’s just uncle Will,” replied the aunt. “He said he was going to mow that lawn come Hell or high water.”

Bowerman also stressed train- ing rules, noting that ability alone won’t go very far without hard work.

Also introduced were high school coaches John Westphal, Jack Lutz, Bob Haynes and Hoot Moore.

Grade school coaches introduced were Bill Arnold, Jimmy Allen, Sam Langmas, Sandy Johnson, Larry Davis and Jack Ensworth.

25 YEARS AGO

For the week ending Sept. 12, 1984

OREGON HOMESTEADERS GATHER

FORT ROCK: Sunday was a time for stories that began, “In the good old days,” as more than 200 homesteaders, their relatives and friends gathered here for the Northern Lake County Homesteader’s Picnic.

Except the old days weren’t so good to those pioneers and their families. They tried to settle the lonely land, located about 60 miles southeast of Bend, when acres of sagebrush were free to those who could survive on it. Many couldn’t.

May O’Keefe and her sister Jo came to the area in a covered wagon with their parents and three sisters in 1911.

“There were a lot of hardships on the desert,” O’Keefe recalled. Her sister Jo still lives in the house their father built when the family traded a fancy home in Philadelphia for more than 300 parched desolate acres in the Oregon high desert.

“I can remember mama cried and cried because she left her beautiful home. You see, they thought they were moving to a gold mine, the way they advertised,” she said. Like many others, they tried to farm the harsh land, but soon moved to Bend, where their father, a French chef, found work,

The ones who somehow made a living stayed in the area. Their respect for the unpredictable, and at times unbearable, land carried over to their children and grandchildren.

That respect was evident Sunday, as some had come from as far away as Nevada and Canada to see old friends.

For homesteader Maxine Mattes, the picnic was a welcome change from the quiet existence she and her husband, Bill, have maintained since moving to the area in 1929.

During the depression years, the Matteses survived on the $20 a month they made selling cream from their milk cows. Mrs. Mattes said she is a farmer at heart, but admits the area, named for the huge rock fortress nearby, can get lonely.

“It’s (the picnic) a lot of fun,” Mrs. Mattes said,” we look forward to it.”

For the Matteses, when the guests and relatives return to their homes, the same eerie desolation that haunted yesterday’s pioneers will enfold Fort Rock once again.