Compiled by Don Hoiness from archived copies of The Bulletin at Deschutes County Historical Society

100 YEARS AGO

For the week ending

July 30 ,1916

Bronson-Houck match was big treat for Bend fans

Muff Bronson, of Portland, and Leo Houck of Seattle, fought to a 10 round draw Monday evening in the Hippodrome in the fastest and cleanest bout that the Bend lovers of good boxing have ever witnessed. The lads entered the ring weighing 125 pounds and were in the pink of condition.

Although the official decision was a draw, Bronson was clearly the winner of the match. According to an agreement by Houck and E. Flanagan, Bronson’s manager, no decision was to be given at the end of the 10th round in event both men were on their feet. Despite this fact the ringside spectators were unanimous that the bout was Bronson’s.

Failing to develop his much touted punch, and being on the defensive for the most part of the bout Houck, who was given a light margin in the odds over Bronson, did not come up to their expectations. He fought a fine defensive battle with Bronson leading out in almost every round. Bronson is quick as a cat, and although there were few clean punches delivered by either man, Bronson delivered more and received less than did Houck. Bronson has a vicious punch for a lightweight. He swings clean and hard, while Houck has a straight from the shoulder punch, which although not so easy to deliver, is a body shaker when it lands.

Both men are high up to the top in their class. Old fans who have witnessed hundreds of similar matches say that Bronson and Houck gave the Bend fans a treat in clean, clever boxing.

Silver Lake is prosperous

That the crop prospects throughout Lake County were never so good and that Silver Lake is enjoying unusual prosperity in every line is the statement of G.W. Marvin, manager of the Silver Lake Realty Company, and P.D. Reeder, of Silver Lake who were in Bend Monday on business.

Splendid progress, says Mr. Marvin, is being made in the Silver Lake district in the matter of obtaining rights of way for the Oregon, California & Eastern Railroad, and all the people of that locality are deeply interested in the project. A large part of the right of way has been obtained.

75 YEARS AGO

For the week ending

July 30, 1941

Germans admit Reds ‘obstinate’

The German high command admitted today that Nazi forces are encountering “obstinate” Russian resistance in some sectors of the front and “difficult terrain”.

The high command said that the stubborn resistance of Soviet forces was localized at various portions of the front. The statement appeared to confirm reports that the Russians are putting up a very stiff battle and forcing the Germans to fight every inch of their way into the country.

Second Nazi drive brought to dead halt

Russia has stopped the second German offensive of the war on both the Moscow and Kiev fronts and the Germans are now suffering terrific losses in a vain attempt to get their blitzkrieg restarted, it was asserted today.

The afternoon war communique reported ferocious fighting during the night. It asserted that the Germans were losing heavily as they threw fresh forces into the lines in a vain attempt to resume their offensive as the fifth week of the war ended.

The communique said captured German officers confirmed that the German losses were mounting seriously.

Russian planes continued to batter German tanks, motorized formations and infantry on all fronts.

Admit halt

The German high command said today that a powerful Soviet counter-attack had been launched. Bad weather and poor roads are hampering the Nazi offensive.

The official communique revealed that the Russians had massed powerful reserve forces and thrown them into a strong counter-attack.

The high command claimed, however, that the Soviet counter-attack had been beaten off by German forces with heavy losses to the Russian troops.

The high command admitted that both bad roads and the bad weather are hampering operations on the massive eastern front.

50 YEARS AGO

For the week ending

July 30, 1966

Movie wagons to be filmed high on Bachelor’s slopes

Not even immigrants of 1853 who studied the feasibility of crossing the Cascades via the Three Sisters to reach Eugene City would believe this:

Covered wagons are to ascend Bachelor Butte.

They won’t quite reach the snowy summit of the 9,060-foot high volcanic cone facing the Sisters from the east, but they will eventually be perched on the high slope near the highest ski lift.

The wagons will be used in filming a sequence of “The Way West”, a movie now being made in Central Oregon. Cameras on the high snowfields will have the wagons in the foreground of shots that will encompass the spectacular Three Sisters and Broken Top.

Forest Service officials reported today that the wagons will be taken to the upper ski lift on the present work road, and will be towed into the high country by tractors. A road is now being cut through the July snow.

At present, another unit of the “Way West” crew is working in the meadows south of the Cascade Lakes Highway in the Sparks Lake country.

Other units of “The Way West” are in the Fort Rock and Burns country.

Astronauts begin three-day study of our ‘moon country’

Twenty-two astronauts and a group of National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientists and officials strolled over Central Oregon’s “moon country” today, for a look at a volcanic land some astronomers believe is similar to moon topography.

The astronauts’ first glimpse of the region, which not long ago mothered volcanoes and sent lava floods from Newberry vents and cones, was from Lava Butte, It was an orientation stop, with Dr. Aaron Waters of the University of California heading the team of geologists serving as instructors.

Dr. Waters told the astronauts that they may find on the moon, features similar to those viewed from the butte. Purpose of the training is to acquaint the astronauts with volcanic geology.

Following the early morning seminar, the group headed to Newberry Crater, where the day was to be spent studying a caldera which photographically resembles telescopic features of the moon. Doctor, Ted Foss, who heads the geologists from Houston, indicated that after today, plans of the group will be subject to change. But it appears that the destination Thursday will be craters and tuft rings of the Fort Rock Basin, and possibly a swing into Devils Garden country.

Today, the astronauts viewed “cold volcanism”, but before their training is over they will see volcanoes in eruptions. Later, they will go to a volcano, Katmai in Alaska, which once shook the world, Next year, the “moonmen” will be in Mexico, and still later in Hawaii and Iceland.

25 YEARS AGO

For the week ending

July 30, 1991

Giant cattle ranch for sale by N.Y. firm

One of the oldest and largest cattle ranches in Oregon and the United States is for sale.

The ZX Ranch, spanning more than 1500 square miles in Lake, Deschutes and Klamath counties is being sold by Metropoliton Life Insurance Co. of New York. The asking price is $16.75 million.

William Knipe & Associates have been selected to market the property.

William Knipe said the ranch has been in operation since the early 1880s. It covers 1.4 million acres and includes 73,400 acres of private ranch land and about 1.3 million acres of leased federal and private land.

“It’s in the top 20 (nationally) in size and capacity,” said Knipe. “It’s in the top 10 in the West.”

Knipe said the insurance company is selling the property because Metropolitan Life’s primary business is not cattle ranching. He added that there’s been “tremendous interest” in the ranch from potential buyers.

Ranch Manager Bob DeBraga said the operation employs 32 full time workers and has the capacity for 12,000 mature cows in non drought years.

The ranch also includes a variety of homes for workers, ranch buildings, a headquarters in Paisley, an airstrip and other improvements.

The ZX Ranch spreads out from near Valley Falls in Lake County to U.S. Highway 20 near Brothers and Hampton, and from near Oregon Highway 395 to Christmas Valley and the headwaters of the Williamson River, said DeBraga.

Bend property values zoom

Property values of existing homes in Bend soared by an average of 40 per cent over the past two years.

Undeveloped lots in suburban Bend and Sisters doubled in value over the same period.

Parkway’s price, timeline grow

The Oregon Highway Division today released the first detailed study of the proposed Bend Parkway, the most costly and ambitious road project in the history of Central Oregon.

The draft environmental plan carries a new and enlarged price tag for the 6.9-mile project — a total of $64 million, including $26 million in right of way costs — and a warning that it could take longer than three years to finish.

Another key finding in the plan — notice that the controversial four-lane road will displace 82 residences, 54 businesses, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall. A total of 170 people live in the homes; 240 people work in the businesses.