100 years ago

For the week ending

Feb. 3, 1924

Park mystery is explained today

The mystery of the man who was seen digging a hole in the city park near the footbridge last night at 9 o’clock, by lantern light, has been solved.

He was not burying treasure, not was he hunting buried treasure, nor concealing the corpse. Anticipating the introduction of filtered water into the city mains today, employees of the Bend Water, Light & Power Co. have been cleaning the mains for several days, and to finish in time, they found it necessary to work late. A water main runs through the park at the point where the hole was being dug, and that main was being cleaned at night

E.M. Thompson answers call

E.M. Thompson, 49 years old, pioneer furniture dealer of Bend, died in his apartments in the Thompson building on Wall street at 2:15 this morning after an illness of many years. Cause of death was pulmonary tuberculosis.

Besides his wife, Myrtle, a resident of this city, he is survived by a son, Hugh, local architect, and a daughter, Mrs. Maurice B. Hill.

In 1910, when he first came to Bend, Thompson opened up a furniture store in the building at present occupied by the Erickson grocery on Wall street. At a later date moved to the Mutzig building on Oregon Avenue now housing the American bakery. The Thompson building on Wall street was constructed in 1916 and the veteran furniture dealer moved his stock to the new structure, taking up residence in the apartments above the store. Selling his furniture stock to the Bend Furniture Co., in 1918, Thompson started a music store a year later.

Thompson was a Knight Templar and the Masonic lodge will have charge of the funeral services. Burial will be in the new Greenwood cemetery.

Lava Bears to improve caves

Further exploration and improvement work in the Lava River caves, one of the most noted natural attractions in Central Oregon, will be part of the program of activities the recently organized Bend Lava Bears, an auxiliary of the local commercial club.

It was pointed out by Frank Prince, exalted woof of the Lava Bears, that within a short time The Dalles-California highway will pass near the Lava River caves, underground caverns made attractive by peculiar formations and that the caves will be visited by many tourists. It is planned to build a path into the caves, making the great tunnels accessible.

It is probable a little excavation work at places in the caves now blocked by sand would open up other caverns, greatly enhancing the value of the caves as an attraction for tourists.

Prisoners assume duties of firemen

Protecting the city that had jailed them, four prisoners of Bend yesterday afternoon at 12:30 played the role of firemen when they climbed on the fire engine and made a hurried run to Irving avenue in answer to an alarm.

Le Roy Fox, fire department engineer, was supervising the work of the prisoners in cleaning up around the fire house when the fire call was turned in. The fire was not serious, but needed immediate attention. Being alone with the prisoners, Fox realized he did not have time to lock them up, so he cranked the engine and told them to climb aboard.

Upon arriving at the residence it was realized that the small blaze was under control, but the prisoner firemen were all prepared to battle a conflagration.

The four prisoners rode back to the firehouse with Engineer Fox and continued with their work, apparently they got considerable “kick” out of their experience.

75 Years Ago

For the week ending

Feb. 3, 1949

Bend’s wildfowl receiving rations

Bend’s Mirror pond ducks, swans, geese and other birds are receiving their daily ration of barley these wintry days at five different feeding spots along the Deschutes river, Clifford Sandy, in charge of the work for the city, reported today. The birds each day receive from a sack to a sack and a half of food.

Sandy has noticed that a considerable number of migrants have joined the Mirror pond birds for the winter season. These are not as tame as the local waterfowl, but show up for the “eats.” Included in waterfowl being fed this winter are 22 swans.

Interest in paper bought by Cady

C.L. McAllister, publisher of the Bend Pilot, has announced the purchase by Marion Cady of a part interest in the weekly paper. Cady will actively participate in the administration of the company, and on February 1 will assume his duties as business manager. Cady has been a resident of Bend since 1942 and for the greater part of that time was associated with Sam R. Scott in the ownership and operation of the Bend-Troy laundry, which they sold to Bert Farris in 1947.

Cady is a graduate from Oregon State college and has been active in civic and service work in Bend.

Trailways buys Portland firm

The Pacific Trailways, with headquarters in Bend, has purchased the operating rights, trade name and goodwill of the Rose City tours, Portland sightseeing company, and will take over operation on March 15. The firm has been incorporated with Myrl P. Hoover as president, Jerry Chester, vice-president and manager; William Niskanen, secretary, and Leonard Bolton, treasurer.

The new owners are purchasing the latest type sightseeing buses and cars available. These will be equipped with radio and public address systems. The firm is also purchasing a limousine, for deluxe tours. The Rose City Tours, Inc., will operate from the Tralways depot in Portland, at 520 Salmon street. The firm will specialize in trips up the scenic Columbia river gorge and to Mt. Hood and Timberline.

50 Years Ago

For the week ending

Feb. 3, 1974

Truck halt hasn’t hurt midstate yet

The first effect in Central Oregon of the independent truckers’ shutdown appears to be the gray hairs the manager of Bend’s biggest wholesale produce company is getting over two shipments of grapefruit.

Del Grout of Pacific Fruit & Produce Co said today about 95 percent of the fruit and vegetables he sells are moved by independent truckers.

“So far, we’ve lost none,” Grout said. “We’re still sweating out a couple of shipments one out of Texas, one out of Florida,” both of grapefruit, he said.

Grout said Pacific Fruit & Vegetable here gets five to six truck shipments a week. Bud Green, manager of Inland Services and about 10 per cent of the canned and bottled goods he wholesales to groceries and other outlets are brought in by independent truckers.

“We haven’t had any problems,” Green said, “But we’ve got our fingers crossed.” At the Northgate truck stop, George Wells said diesel fuel sales are down and there has been a definite drop in truck traffic, apparently from the east and south. There have been no gas pump blockades or violence. “The truckers have been real good to us,” he commented.

25 Years Ago

For the week ending

Feb. 3, 1999

Bridge building

Construction crews continue work on two bridges across the Deschutes River — one a pedestrian foot bridge and the other a local-access bridge for cars — in the Old Mill District at River Bend. Work on the foot bridge is mostly complete. The auto bridge features two travel lanes and is meant only for local traffic within the Old Mill District itself. The ambitious development ultimately will feature retail, residential and office space on a 270-acre plot of land on both sides of the Deschutes River south of the Colorado Street bridge. Included is a 10- screen cinema scheduled to open this fall.

Group undertakes inventory of graves

Some dedicated genealogists are spending their spare time wandering the cemeteries of Deschutes County.

They’re not communing with their ancestors. These volunteers are documenting every grave in the county to create a comprehensive guide to the local cemeteries. “This is all new ground for us — literally, “ said Phyllis Hurworth of the Bend Genealogical Society.

The genealogical club, comprised of about 150 local residents, plans to publish a book this summer. The guide will include an index of the estimated 30,000 people buried in the county along with maps of all the local cemeteries and pictures of unique and historical tombstones. The book may also include stories about the cemeteries in the area.

The project recently was identified as a priority in the Oregon Heritage Needs Assessment report and it could receive funds from heritage commission. A cemetery guide would be an essential tool for people researching their family histories, Hurworth said. Someone looking for a lost family member can look through the book and find exactly where that person is buried. The book would be available at family history libraries around the country.

Hurworth said part of the mission of the genealogical society is to preserve history. Members decided this was a worthy project because they have relied on cemetery books compiled by other societies around the country for their research.

“If it hadn’t been for people who have done this for us, we wouldn’t be able to find our ancestors,” said Joyce Gorman, who is working with her husband, Ken, to compile the data for the book.

Gorman said the project also is important because many of the older tombstones in the area are deteriorating and they want to make sure to document them before they are no longer legible.

Volunteers have spent many hours walking through cemeteries in Terrebonne, Tumalo, Sunriver and Sisters. They write down names on the the graves, draw maps and take pictures. “It’s a slow process,” Gorman said.

The Gormans have so far entered 9,100 graves in their computer for the book and that’s not counting the newer, larger cemeteries.

Although the work may seem tedious at times, volunteers said they are enjoying learning more about the history of the area and helping to preserve that history. “It’s a labor of appreciation,” Gorman said.