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

Dec. 12, 1920

Cattle loss found heavy

Unexplained losses of cattle on the Sisters-Metolius range during the past season will total at least 150 head, according to the report made Saturday at a meeting of the stockmen’s association of the district. The number is approximately twice that of unrecovered strays of the year before. The cattle placed on the range this year by the association numbered 3500.

Logged areas changed into farm acreage

Turning logged-off lands into farm acreage is being carried on by the Brooks-Scanlon Lumber Co. chiefly for the benefit of employees who may wish to acquire irrigable land close to the city. At present about 1000 acres has been platted for the most part in 40-acre tracts, under the direction of Robert B. Gould, but more than 1500 acres, possibly 2000, of irrigable land will be available for platting.

The plan is one which was worked out by J.P. Keyes, late manager of the Brooks Scanlon interests in Central Oregon, and S.A. Blakely, logging superintendent for the company shortly before Mr. Keyes’ death. It was intended originally that the logged-off tract, which had been but sparsely timbered, and hence easily cleared, should be offered to employes, but purchase may now be made by others, H.E. Allen of the lumber company states. Irrigable acres are being marketed at the rate of $50, including water rights, and a policy of extremely easy payments is in effect. Water for irrigation is to be secured from the Arnold ditch.

As far as the employes are concerned, the company is not only assisting by inaugurating a system of payments permitting the distribution of the cost over a long period of years, but is also financing improvements being made on the new farms.

Breaks quarantine, pays a fine of $5.00

James Brown of 34 Marshall was arrested yesterday afternoon on a complaint signed by Dr. C.A. Fowler, city physician, charging violation of the quarantine. Brown admitted in police court that he had left his house, where a case of scarlet fever is isolated, and had come into the city. He was assessed a fine of $5 by Judge Nell Markel and was warned against a repetition of the offense.

Every effort will be made to see that the quarantine ordinance is strictly enforced, Dr. Fowler declared following the hearing.

Bend girls to fill Christmas stockings

Girls to fill 1000 stockings in preparation for the community Christmas tree program will be needed just as soon as the Women’s Civic Improvement league committee completes its canvass for funds Friday and places the necessary orders. Filling the stockings will be done as soon as possible, in order that those who give their services for this work will not be inconvenienced in making their own Christmas preparations, E.H. Brandenburg, chairman of the general committee on arrangements, declares.

Although Santa Claus is planning to look after fully a thousand children at the community tree on the evening of December 24, only $150 will be asked in the canvass.

75 Years Ago

For the week ending

Dec. 12, 1945

Yule tree quest warning issued

Reporting that scores of persons have invaded the Deschutes national forest and cutting Christmas trees at random, officials of the forest today warned that permits are necessary for the taking of the trees, and that cutting is restricted to certain areas.

Supervisor Ralph W. Crawford of the forest, said that cutting of trees is forbidden within 500 feet of a main highway or in any recreation center such as the Skyliners playground, Shevlin park or any forest camp ground. Permits must be obtained for each tree taken, and these permits are issued free by the forest service headquarters in the post office building or by district rangers.

Persons cutting trees for commercial purposes are required to purchase permits, Crawford explained.

People cutting trees without permits are liable for arrest and prosecution as trespasser, the supervisor said.

Swimming pool work postponed

Bend’s school board, meeting in the high school last night, gave its chief attention to questions of repair or replacement of worn-out equipment, decided that the bus situation needed looking into if rolling stock were to be brought up to district needs and regretfully postponed any renovation of the swimming pool after reading the architect’s estimate of $7,500 to $9,000 for the job. For the protection and maintenance of existing facilities it was decided to have the 8-year-old bus now in use overhauled in the Christmas vacation and to purchase additional fire extinguishers to meet risks revealed by inspections conducted in the high school and Kenwood school buildings.

Estimate on the swimming pool job, requested last month, came from F. Marion Stokes, Portland architect retained by the board. Properly done, Stokes wrote, the job would involve new plumbing and drainage lines, increasing the filter capacity, tearing up and replacing concrete floors to provide for better drainage, replacement of rotten bleachers, cleaning floors and walls and woodwork and refinishing and installing new lights and vapor-proof fixtures.

The cost figures, Stokes said were conservative and he doubted that the repair was warranted, especially in view of the city’s plans for pool construction.

Removal of dead trees under way

The work of removing beetle-killed pine trees from Drake and Pioneer parks has been practically completed, and the wood is being stacked to dry for use by the city, it was reported today at the city hall. The wood will be used as fuel at the fire station.

Meantime, it was announced by City manager C.G. Reiter, that the Brookings Wood yard is engaged in removing the beetle-killed trees from Shevlin park. A considerable number of the trees have already been taken down, and workmen yesterday began burning the slashing there.

50 Years Ago

For the week ending

Dec. 12, 1970

Two lines set for phone calls to Santa Claus

Youngsters in the Bend area will have their annual opportunity tomorrow evening to talk with Santa Claus at the North Pole.

Bend Jaycees have made arrangements for two special lines to handle the calls. The numbers are 382-4611 and 382-1511.

Jaycees have asked that the calls not be made before 6 pm so that Santa will have an opportunity to eat a hearty dinner before talking with the children. Santa will continue to take the calls until 8 pm.

Jaycees also reported that the community tree is now in place at the corner of Wall Street and Oregon Avenue and will be hung with lights tomorrow morning. The tree was donated by Mrs. O.D. Mitchell, 206 Tumalo Ave.

Among activities at the tree this week are a lighting program sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce on Friday night and a visit by Santa Claus Saturday. Santa will distribute some 3,000 bags of candy through arrangements made by the Jaycees. The hours he will be at the tree will be announced later.

‘African Queen’ may soon ply along Deschutes River

EUGENE — The African Queen which carried Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn up a jungle river in the memorable movie of the same name, may be playing the Deschutes River next summer.

Hal Bailey, owner of a heavy equipment rental firm here and a long time Bogart fan, purchased the craft and plans to restore it.

“I bought a legend more than a boat,” said Bailey. “That movie really got to me.” When he heard the craft was for sale “I knew I had to have the boat,” he added. In the movie, Bogart, playing a drunken trader, and Miss Hepburn, as a prim missionary, took the African Queen to Lake Victoria during World War I and sank a German gunboat. The blast resulted in destruction of the Queen too.

The 30-foot boat with steel hull was brought to the United States from Africa after the movie and used in promotion of cancer fund drives. Bogart died of cancer. Bailey said he plans to restore the steam power and fix up the interior system in the boat this winter and take it in June to the Deschutes, where he and his wife have riverfront property near Sunriver Resort. He said the boat is basically sound.

25 Years Ago

For the week ending

Dec. 12, 1995

Growth brings another prefix for Bend

The communication age is upon Bend-area residents like a winter blizzard. And it’s blown in a brand new telephone prefix- 330.

U.S. West Communications Inc. began issuing the 330 prefix to Bend-area customers Dec. 2. It comes only 18 months after the new 317 prefix was activated in May 1994. “Normal growth is the reason, growth in the exchange,” said R. Hollis Lasley, a regional manager for U.S. West.

It wasn’t too long ago when Bend had just three prefixes- 382, 388, and 389. Then came the 383 and 385 additions with the past five years, followed by the 317 number. Each prefix can handle about 10,000 lines before exhausting all possible combinations.

That doesn’t mean the Bend area has 70,000 households. While normal population growth contributes to the need for new prefixes, information age technology also plays a major role, Lasley said.

For example, many businesses no longer rely solely on a one-number switchboard to handle incoming calls. Instead, businesses have gone to direct dial, so each employee has his or her own telephone number, adding to the demand for prefix numbers.

Also, fax machines, computer modems and myriad other telecommunications services push up demand for prefixes.

Lasley noted that U.S. West has had difficulty keeping up with demand, even here in Bend. It has been tardy in connecting telephone service to the SunPointe subdivision on Eagle Road, leaving some new residents there without service for several weeks.

Patti Personett moved into SunPointe in November, and waited for phone service for a month.

A single mother of three children under five, Personett requested phone service for her new home Nov. 1. On Dec. 2 her service finally was turned on.

Personett’s son has a developmental delay, which causes him to choke often while eating. She ordered the phone service 10 days before she moved into the new house because she needs to be able to call 911.

“It’s actually a big relief to know I have (a telephone) now,” Personett said. “It seems to be working okay.”

Lasley said, “We have that problem resolved, but as an example, one of the homes out there took three lines. It’s fax machines, modems, additional phones for the kids” that is pushing the growth.

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