Old Mill District shopping and river, history

Need a break from the plethora of scrumptious suds? Looking for some other unique activities while you’re here for Brewfest? Look no further than across the river! There are 13 restaurants serving everything from sushi to sandwiches to pizza, mixed in with 36 retailers, Naked Winery, candy and ice cream. If food or shopping isn’t on the agenda, the Old Mill District offers a bevy of fun options for those of you in the mood to play.

Rent a Surrey bike and ride through the Old Mill District and along the river trail. Wheel Fun Rentals has surreys, coupes, cruisers, mt. bikes, tandem bikes, norgeboards and loads more. Not in the mood for a bike ride? Head down the path to Tumalo Creek Kayak, and rent a paddleboard or kayak and get on the river in style. Prefer not to get splashed? Stop into some of the beautiful art galleries and exhibits from Lubbesmeyer Studio and Tumalo Art Co. Enjoy the Nation’s only fly fishing casting course and hone in on your skills. Stop by Confluence Fly Shop and they can loan you a rod and teach you how to use it, and give you a map of the course. If you need to escape the heat then take the whole family to a movie and cool off to some great entertainment. After the movie, take everyone down to the Ticket Mill located next to Anthony’s restaurant and borrow some free binoculars to check out the incredible array of birds along the Deschutes River.

Birds not your thing? Then why not just walk along one of the river paths and take in the bounteous flowers and the serenity of the river. If you make your way toward Riverbend Park, you can rent an inner tube and take a lazy float down the river. There is no end to the abundance of activities! Cheers!

History of the Old Mill District

For nearly a century, timber production was the unchallenged king in Bend. Hardy men used axes, crosscut saws, horses and “high-wheel” rigs to cut down huge Ponderosa pines in the surrounding forests. The first of the big mills, operated by the Shevlin-Hixon Co., opened in March 1916. A month later, a rival company, Brooks-Scanlon, began operations at its “Mill A” complex on the other side of the river. In 1922, Brooks-Scanlon established a new, bigger mill complex upstream from Mill A. This “Mill B” site makes up the largest portion of the Old Mill District. At their peak, the Brooks-Scanlon and Shevlin-Hixon operations were two of the largest pine sawmills in the world, running around the clock and employing more than 2,000 workers each.

In 1950, facing dwindling timber supplies, Shevlin-Hixon sold its interests to Brooks-Scanlon. Brooks-Scanlon’s Mill A closed in 1983 and was in a state of near ruin before being restored in the early 1990s. The old brick powerhouse building, and its three towering smokestacks, still stand.

In 1993, River Bend Limited Partners purchased the land with the intention of developing a mixed-use area that would help revitalize Central Oregon. Prior uses on the site were the greatest challenge. Eight decades of industrial use left behind pockets of contamination. The voluntary cleanup and ensuing development opened 14,000 linear feet of riverfront access previously unavailable to the public, created welcomed job growth and a beautiful place for locals and tourists to visit. In 2001, the redeveloped Old Mill District opened to the public. Enjoy!