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

100 Years ago

For the week ending

Dec. 16, 1917

Drive thought 
step to peace

LONDON, Dec. 14 — Observers believe that the Germans’ forthcoming drive on the western front is a preliminary to a new peace move. It is thought they are hoping to dent the allied line and claim invincibility for the army and so save the Germans for the sacrifices which are certain to be made when the Americans enter the battle front. They desire to accelerate the “peace without victory” sentiment in the Entente nations and especially want the war to end before the United States is in action.

Nation is warned

Germany is preparing for her most supreme military effort yet launched in the west, warns the military critic of the London Times. He says that the nation must expect half a million more Germans and many more guns and aircraft to be used.

“Already there is much evidence that Germany is confident there is no danger to expect from the Russian border,” the report stated. “Greater danger than at any time during the past six months exists at the present because the Teutons may strike quickly in final desperation. The German defensive in the west is regarded as ended.”

Position improved

British positions east of Bullecourt have been improved, General Douglas Haig reported. The enemy raided a post south of Prondeville and a few Tommies were found missing. Two American engineers captured at Cambrai recently, escaped and have rejoined their unit.

Artillery active

PARIS, Dec. 14 — It is officially reported today that there has been violent artillery fire near Maison de Champagne, in Alsace and east of Suippes. The French carried out a raid southwest of Cerny.

Schools close for vacation

There will be no school in Bend from today until Jan.2.

On account of Teachers’ Institute, which with the teachers’ examinations will occupy next week, the schools are being dismissed early and all of the usual Christmas celebrations in the grade were moved forward a week. A few of the rooms in the Reid School had Christmas trees and in nearly all of the other buildings the classes observed the day in some manner a little out of the ordinary.

Miss Wilkins’ room was the only one favored with a real Santa Claus, the part being taken by one of the little boys in the room. A tree and a program of recitations and songs amused the tots. Miss McCleay also had a small celebration.

75 Years ago

For the week ending

Dec. 16, 1942

Bend boys in far corners of world still Bulletin readers

Wherever there’s an American flag on the far-flung battlefronts of the world there’s apt to be a copy of The Bulletin near.

Reports coming back from Bend’s servicemen and a check of the subscription list of The Bulletin reveal that the “home town paper” has followed the boys to battle.

Not only are a large number of servicemen subscribers to the paper, but hundreds of local residents bundle up a few copies and mail them to men in far corners of the world.

As a result, The Bulletin has been read on nearly every continent in the year since Pearl Harbor and The Bulletin’s mailing list has come to look like a world gazetteer.

Most of the men have sent word to Bend that they were in Australia and it is believed that some of them may now receive their Bulletins in New Guinea or Guadalcanal, where the Yanks are on the offensive against the Japanese.

Earns navy wings

William E. Miller, son of Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Miller, Bend, recently was awarded the coveted “navy wings of gold” and commissioned an ensign in the U.S. naval reserve at the naval air training center, Corpus Christi, Texas. The Bend youth is a graduate from Stanford University with the class of 1942.

Reasons given for 
naming of Camp Abbot

Appropriateness of the selection of Henry Larcom Abbot’s name for Camp Abbot, the engineer training replacement center being built south of here, was told this noon in a talk by Robert W. Sawyer at the Lions’ Club luncheon at the Pine Tavern.

One of the reasons for the selection of the name was that Abbot was an army engineer, a member of the same branch of service for which the camp is being built. Another is that Abbot, while a member of the Pacific railroad survey party, camped on the site of the camp.

Sawyer reviewed briefly the Pacific survey party’s trip through here in 1855.

Note to readers: Camp Abbot is now known as Sunriver.

50 Years ago

For the week ending

Dec. 16, 1967

Third time effort proves 
successful when Williamson buys historic inn

The third time was the charm, as the old saying goes, for Bend automobile dealer E.W. “Eddie” Williamson, new owner of the Pilot Butte Inn.

“The first thing I will do,” Williamson said, “is get an architect and see what the possibilities are. Then we will have to talk to the city building inspector and the fire marshal and see what can be done.” (The hotel was condemned by the state fire marshal in December 1965. It was closed shortly afterward by the former owners.)

“I’ve always been sentimental about the Pilot Butte Inn,” Williamson said. “It used to be the big social place in Bend, and I think it should be again.

The property, fronting on Wall Street across from Williamson’s garage, is 360 feet long and extends back 180 feet toward the east bank of the Deschutes. The hotel has 128 rooms, some of them with seven foot bathtubs. The famous picture window, which commands a spectacular view of the Cascades from the once-opulent dining room, was manufactured in France, and is 17 feet long and 61⁄2 feet deep. It was made on special order for Philip R. Brooks, who built the inn as “a gift for the citizens of Bend.” It was opened with a gala dedication party on St. Patrick’s Day 1917.

Note to Readers: In June of 1973, a 5,000 pound wrecking ball knocked the famed inn to the ground.

It was condemned as a fire trap because of years of neglect. It would have cost millions to update wiring, install a sprinkler system and refurbish the neglected and aging lodge. Hundreds of Bend residents, including me, still grieve for the loss of this Grand Old Hotel.

Bend Christmas tree features Irish Santa Claus

Bend children at the community Christmas tree program Saturday may be surprised to find that Santa Claus has an Irish brogue. That’s because he has spent a good deal of time in Ireland, as well as at the “North Pole.”

Youngsters may address the jolly man in the red suit by any one of his many names — “Santa Claus,” “Father Christmas,” or “St. Nick.” A few adults may have heard a similar voice before and think it belongs to the Rev. Aloysius McKenna of St. Francis Catholic Church. Of course, this will be just a coincidence.

25 Years ago

For the week ending

Dec. 16, 1992

This cowgirl doesn’t 
have the blues

This fall Susie Flenniken taught Rain Phoenix how to rope and ride, played a stunt double for Uma Thurman and mingled with the likes of author Tom Robbins and director Gus Van Sant.

Not bad for a cowgirl from Redmond who has never even been to Hollywood.

As trainer and stunt woman for the movie “Even Cowgirls Get The Blues,” parts of which were shot at two Terrebonne ranches this fall, Flenniken made sure the Western scenes looked authentic. This was no small task, considering most of the actresses had never been on a horse before.

“Cowgirls,” based on a novel of the same name by Robbins, is the story of a woman hitchhiker who stops for a while at an all-female ranch in South Dakota. The cast includes Thurman, Phoenix, Lorraine Bracco, John Hurt, Angie Dickenson, Roseanne Arnold and Keanu Reeves.

One of Flenniken’s greatest challenges was to teach the left-handed Rain — sister of River Phoenix — to rope right-handed and to ride full speed through an open field and slide her horse to a stop two feet in front of a camera.

Seven days later, Phoenix could ride Western and rope an iron bull dummy. “She’s really nice and she tried hard,” Flenniken said.

Flenniken was nervous and intimidated about working with movie stars before she met them.

“I had some wrong stereotypes,” she said. “You hear rumors, you read magazines, and think ‘oh, those Hollywood types.’ But they were so nice. They’re fine, down to earth people.”

“Doomsday Comet” 
alert called off

What better Christmastime news than to learn that a heavenly object won’t slam into Earth with hellish ferocity — 134 years from now — after all?

Magazine covers trumpeted the news of the “Doomsday Comet” recently when an astronomer theorized that Comet Swift-Tuttle had a 1-in-10,000 chance of striking Earth Aug. 14, 2126.

But new calculations have revealed that the six-mile-wide fireball, which could have destroyed much of life on the planet, will pass the sun July 11, instead.