Compiled by the Deschutes County Historical Society from the archived copies of The Bulletin at the Deschutes Historical Museum

100 years ago

For the week ending

May 2, 1920

Civil War veteran claimed by death

John Charles McCarthy, aged 78 years, civil war veteran, died shortly before 6 o’clock yesterday afternoon at St. Charles’ hospital. General debility, due to old age, with a light paralytic stroke, caused his death. Funeral services will be held from the Catholic Church at 8 o’clock tomorrow morning, and interment will be made at Pilot Butte cemetery.

Born in Ireland, Mr. McCarthy came to America in his early boyhood and spent the better part of his life as a resident of Chicago and St. Paul. When war broke out between the North and the South he enlisted in the Union army, serving with company E, 138th Illinois volunteers. He was a member of Stephens post, G.A.R. Seattle.

Mr. McCarthy had lived in Bend for the past four years. He is survived by six sons and daughters; Mrs. Myron H. Symons, Harry McCarthy, E.A. McCarthy and John McCarthy, all of Bend; Benjamin McCarthy, Minneapolis; and Mrs. John Ransom, St. Paul.

Chimney fire ends growing record of Bend’s department

It took a small chimney blaze which started last night at the J.B. Heyburn home at the foot of Oregon Street, to break the record for no fires which the Bend Volunteer department had held for 68 days. On the day before, a false alarm had been turned in, but the call last night was the first requiring the services of firemen for more than two months, by far the longest tireless period in the history of Bend. No loss was reported.

Metolius road is greatly improved

Settlers along the Metolius, in Deschutes and Jefferson county have combined to produce 16 miles of the best country road in Central Oregon, reports Forest Supervisor Jacobson, after a visit to that section. The work consisting of grading and dragging, after the removal of stumps and rocks has been done in cooperation with the counties, and includes 10 miles along the Metolius, and six miles from Sisters to Indian Ford. A road drag will be left in readiness for additional improvements as it may be needed.

Enumeration made of milk drinkers

Redmond children are not heavy milk drinkers, according to figures given by Miss Margaret Brems, county Red Cross nurse, following a survey just completed. Out of 169 pupils questioned, 54 did not partake of milk regularly, 74 drank a pint or more each day, and 441 made a practice of taking at least one glass daily.

At the Pleasant Ridge school Miss Brems examined 31 children, finding not one to be perfect. Most of the defects, however, were minor ones, such as poor teeth.

Miss Brems has started a health crusade in both the Redmond and Terrebonne schools.

75 years ago

For the week ending

May 2, 1945

Music festival in Bend attracts big audience

Present for the program last night that marked the final phase of the south central Oregon music competition festival was an audience that filled the Bend high school gymnasium to capacity, and this huge audience remained until three national judges announced ratings, with two first places assigned to Bend music groups, two to Klamath Falls and one to Redmond. In addition three No. 2 ratings and one No. 3 ratings were announced.

The music festival, in which more than 400 high school students took part, opened yesterday afternoon in Trinity Parish hall and concluded with the evening program that attracted music lovers from all parts of Central Oregon.

Judges were Stewart Smith in charge of music at Ballard high school, Seattle, Wash., and member of the University of Washington summer school faculty; Glenn Griffith, supervisor of vocal music in the Eugene public schools and director of the Eugene Choral club and assistant director of the Eugene Gleemen, and Douglas Orme, supervisor of instrumental music in the Eugene public schools and conductor of the Eugene Junior Symphony.

Redmond victor in track meet; Bend is second

Redmond’s Panthers rolled up 59 2/3 points to Bend’s 49 1/2 and Prineville’s 42 5/6 to capture the Central Oregon track meet yesterday afternoon. Fielding a well balanced team that scored in all but one of the 14 events, the Panthers led from the start of the meet.

Individual scoring honors went to Rasmussen of Bend, who turned in the only outstanding mark of the day, in the pole vault. The Bend star also copped the two hurdle races to full up 15 1/4 point. Chalfont, Prineville sprint star who won the 220 and 440 and anchored the winnings relay team, captured second honors with 11 1/4 points. Neal of Redmond, who captured the shot and javelin, was tied by Maudlin, Bend sophomore, with 10 points. Maudlin won the mile and turned in a creditable 19 ft. 7 1/2 in. Jump in the broad jump.

Bend city parks caretaker named

Frank Warren, a native of Germany who came to this country 49 years ago and studied botany and horticulture because of his health, today assumed the duties of custodian of Bend’s city parks. Warren is a recent arrival in Bend from Salt Lake City, Utah. He spent the day in visiting the parks with City Manager C.G. Reiter.

Warren said that he launched upon a career as a mechanical engineer, but was advised by his physician to take work in the out-of-doors. Accordingly he studied for two years under Prof. Laurie, botanist at Columbus, Ohio, operated greenhouses and devoted his life to a study of horticulture and floriculture.

First goslings seen on river

Goslings, first reported from Bend’s Mirror pond this season, were afloat on the Deschutes this morning, with six reported by Mrs. S.W. Thompson, 748 Harmon Boulevard. The tiny geese, carefully guarded by the parent bird, were reported enjoying an early morning swim near the Tumalo avenue bridge.

The goslings are believed to be from a nest on the “islands” just below the bridge.

Headlines: Mussolini dies begging for his life — Nazis surrender in Italy — Hitler reported killed — Drastic cut in sugar rations faces American’s rest of year — Allied forces invade Borneo island

50 years ago

For the week ending

May 2, 1970

Fire destroys Sunriver condominiums

Fire whipped by strong winds raged through two buildings at Sunriver last night, destroying eight condominiums with a total value of $350,000.

Sunriver Properties vice-president Len Hayes said “three or four” persons staying in the condominiums escaped without injury.

Hayes said 10 per cent of the rental capacity of Sunriver was lost in the fire. It will mean cutbacks in convention bookings, he said, but will mean fewer rooms available for overnight guests, so the resort can meet convention commitments. The two buildings were part of a cluster of condominium buildings northeast of Sunriver Lodge. All eight condominiums were privately owned. Hayes said a service boy discovered the fire at 9:30 last night when he opened a utility closet in one of the condominiums. “The fire blew up in his face,” Hayes said. With no sprinkler system to check the blaze, it swept through the entire building and carried by a strong wind spread to an adjacent unit to the northeast.

The building where the fire started was virtually destroyed. One wall was left standing. The second building was leveled. Only the stone chimneys were left. Heat from the fire melted windows in nearby condominium buildings but no other serious damage was reported. Hayes said the fire appeared to have started in the utility closet. He did not know the cause.

Representatives of the State Fire Marshal’s office were to have started investigating the fire today. About 30 men, including 12 from the LaPine Volunteer Fire Department, fought the blaze for five hours. The Sunriver and LaPine fire trucks pumped nearly 160,000 gallons of water before the fire was extinguished at 3:30 am.

One fireman, William N. Gillmor, collapsed at the fire. He was taken to St. Charles Memorial Hospital where he was treated for smoke inhalation and released.

Because Bend and Sunriver have no fire protection contract, Bend fire fighting equipment did not answer the blaze. The destroyed condominiums are insured by a property owners association; Hayes said they will probably be replaced this summer.

25 years ago

For the week ending

May 2, 1995

Bend artist called in

Jeanne Boylan, a nationally recognized forensic artist living in Bend, said the FBI has invited her to help in the nation’s deadliest domestic terrorist attack.

Boylan left Tuesday night for Oklahoma City, where she will draw another sketch of “John Doe 2,” the man believed to be a second suspect in the April 19 truck bombing that blew away half a nine-story federal building.

Although Boylan said the summons from the FBI tells her “they have a tremendous amount of faith in my abilities,” she wishes she would have been called to do the first sketch. She will draw the third likeness.

“In case after case, I get called in when their backs are against the wall, ” she said. “It’s frustrating because I never get a fresh crack.”

Another Boylan sketch also is getting national attention. She previously drew a likeness of the Unabomber, a mail bomber who killed a timber industry lobbyist Monday in his Sacramento office.

New Burger King planned for Bend

In a recent brochure, the Bend Chamber of Commerce claims the city has more restaurants per capital than anyplace in Oregon. And it’s about to get one more.

Wayne Riley, franchise owner of the Burger King fast-food outlets in Bend and in Redmond, plans to construct a new Burger King on the north side of town.

Riley hopes to open the 2,500-square-foot Burger King by Labor Day. The full-service outlet, which would include drive-through windows and a playground for kids, would be located north of the Jackpot gas station/mini-market.

Riley said he and Burger King studied the competitive Bend fast-food market and decided to push ahead for two reasons. First, the Burger King would be located on one of the busiest sections of Highway 97, with about 35,000 cars per day driving by. Second, the site is one of the last vacant commercial parcels remaining along Highway 97 in the north part of town.

Riley added that the Burger King, which would employ about 25 mostly part-time workers, would be the first fast-food restaurant south-bound motorists would see driving into Bend.