Compiled by Don Hoiness from archived copies of The Bulletin at the Des Chutes Historical Museum.

100 YEARS AGO

For the week ending

Dec. 28. 1913

Buildings are endangered

Fire starting in the Vienna Cafe about 2 o’clock Monday morning destroyed that building and the one next to it in which Bert Shuey’s grocery store was located temporarily and scorched and damaged E.A. Sather’s brick building and half a dozen structures on the opposite side of the street. The loss will total approximately $6,000, almost entirely covered by insurance.

There was a strong wind at the time and it seemed almost certain that the buildings across Wall Street would catch. As it was, they were all badly scorched. Mannheimer’s plate glass front was broken by the heat and some damage done by water; the Bend Theatre front was damaged, the glass in Patterson’s drug store was broken, as was also that in the old pool hall location, the Art Shop, Thornthwaite’s harness shop, the post office and O’Donnell’s. The flames at times leaped entirely across the street, the flimsy frame buildings burning with a fierce heat.

The fire caught in the Vienna, probably from the heater, about the middle of the building. The flames broke out from the rear first, and the front part of both buildings was filled with smoke. This made it impossible to carry out goods there. Nothing whatever in the cafe was saved, while all that was gotten out of Shuey’s store were the scales, cash register and typewriter. In the one-story annex to the building was stored a large amount of case and sacked groceries and practically all of these were carried out and saved. This was about half of Mr. Shuey’s entire stock.

All that saved the business part of town from being wiped out was Sather’s building. The brick wall withstood the fierce heat, although the coping caught and burned and the glass in the front downstairs and upstairs was broken. Four lines of city hose poured water on the two burning buildings but could not save them.

Mr. Shuey will move next week into the new Smith building and the Vienna will reopen as soon as a suitable location is secured.

Meeting in Lara’s Hall

The meeting of settlers here Saturday night will be held in Lara’s Hall at 8 o’clock, Manager Gould of the Commercial Club having arranged for its use. Everyone who is interested is invited to attend.

75 YEARS AGO

For the week ending

Dec. 28, 1938

Skyliners to opennew rink this evening

The Skyliners’ artificially lighted skating rink, surface of which was glass-like and 10 inches thick this morning, will be placed in service tonight. This new rink, one of the finest in the Northwest, was recently constructed near the Skyliners’ lodge on upper Tumalo Creek.

John W. Padden, Skyliner president, and Delbert Hale chairman of the organization skating committee, announced today that the big rink will be open daily, from noon until 2 a.m.

The rink is 125 feet by 225 feet, and rivals in size any of the three big units now in use at the world famous Sun Valley winter recreation center in Idaho.

Anticipating a large crowd, Hale and members of his committee are making arrangements for a real “big time” affair tonight. Seats have been provided along the edge of the big outdoor rink, a huge bonfire will blaze nearby, and sandwiches and coffee will be served on the grounds during the evening.

Skaters will be permitted to use the rink until 2 a.m. To meet expenses in connection with the operation of the new rink, such as lighting and flooding, the Skyliner committee will make a nominal charge — 15 cents for adults and a dime for children under 16 years of age.

The rink was given its final flooding last night as the temperature dropped far below the freezing point. When Padden and Myron Symons left the rink near midnight, the surface was smooth as glass.

Light for the rink is provided by a “Little Bonneville” plant, made by the Bend High School manual training classes in collaboration with The Shevlin-Hixon Company.

Tonight’s “grand opening” program will get underway at 8 o’clock. Skyliners are confident that the rink can be used through the entire winter, even if deep snow falls along the upper stretches of Tumalo Creek. Yesterday two men removed seven inches of snow from the icy surface without difficulty.

The Skyliner lodge also will be open tonight, for the comfort of the skaters. There will be some dancing.

Pageant will be presented Friday night

“The Christmas Story,” a spectacular and impressive Christmas pageant of rather large proportions, will be presented at 8 p.m. Friday evening on the portico of the Bend High School building by a cast of about 80 players assisted by a carol chorus of nearly a thousand school children. An outdoor Christmas feature of this nature is a new venture in the Northwest, and it is hoped that, if successful, it may become a traditional feature for the Bend community.

The pageant as planned this year is a greatly deleted portion of an original production written by the general director, Rev. J.B. Coan. It will be largely processional in type and will portray the essential and more popular scenes of the first Christmas events. The pageant has been in preparation for the past month with 14 committees and many score of assistants at work on various phases of the play.

Outstanding among the features will be the beautiful outdoor setting, colorful and elaborate costuming, spectacular lighting effects, a loudspeaker system with a series of microphones, the huge chorus and an audience amphitheater that will accommodate several thousands of people.

Because of the ample space for spectators it will be unnecessary for an early arrival of the members of the chorus or people in general. There will be no parking restrictions on any of the adjacent streets. Following the performance, all children taking part in the cast and the chorus are to be treated by the Chamber of Commerce and Elks.

Traffic and safety squads from the local police, firemen and from the state police will be on hand to assist with the crowds. A large group from the high school “Bear Paws” will also assist the pageant directors.

In general charge of costuming for the cast is Mrs. John Kruse and a large group of assistants. Rev. George Redden is director of the carol chorus and Ralph Coie assisting him. Miss Bessie Howard is accompanist.

50 YEARS AGO

For the week ending

Dec. 28, 1963

12 Shrine players honoredat dinner

Over 140 parents, friends and Bend High School football fans turned out at a special public dinner last night to pay tribute to the 12 Bend players who have donned togs in the Portland Shrine game.

Old Bend grid glories were brought alive again, as each one reminisced with the dining crowd some big moments in their days of gridiron combat.

Nine of the 12 were present. They were: Bill Sheffold, Wes Hogland, Dean Benson, Bill Baer Jr., Miles Boardman, Chuck Austin, Ron Anderson, Jim Dexter and Jim Leagjeld.

Sheffold and Wes Hogland played in the first shrine game in 1948. Dean Benson played in 1953. Baer, Boardman and Austin played in 1953. Anderson played in 1956. Jim Dexter played in 1962 and Leagjeld in 1963.

Absent were Phil Gillis and Doug Hogland, both of the 1949 game and Bill Pederson in 1963.

Bend’s 12 shrine athletes have come over a 16-year span. Each of three Bend coaches have produced four. Tom Winbigler, current mentor, has contributed Leagjeld, Dexter, Pederson and Anderson.

Hank Nielson, the first coach to send Bend gridders to the Shrine game, is credited for Sheffold, Gillis, and Wes and Doug Hogland. Bud Robertson sent Benson, Baer, Boardman and Austin.

What are they doing now?

Sheffold, a career officer in the Air Force is awaiting possible selection for a tour of duty in Vietnam. He is now stationed at McChord AFB near Tacoma.

Wes Hogland, who returned from Oregon State grid wars to put in some coaching days at Bend, is now a track and cross country coach at Mollala.

Benson is now a track coach at Medford. He played football and ran track at Willamette University. Austin, a former University of Oregon gridder, is now a youth pastor at the First Baptist Church in Salem.

Dexter, is now an Airborn private in the Army, stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky. Leagjeld just returned from California where he has lived since this summer.

Ron Anderson is now a health officer for Douglas County. He lives in Roseburg.

Kes Cannon, master of ceremonies, introduced the players.

25 YEARS AGO

For the week ending

Dec. 28, 1988

Bend’s ‘Mr. Appliance’ mourned

Friends and co-workers today mourned the passing of Ken Cale, a longtime Bend businessman who died Thursday.

Cale had owned and operated Ken Cale Appliance since moving to Bend in 1938 and was known throughout Central Oregon as “Mr. Appliance.” He had played an active part in the store until claimed by cancer.

Russell Chase, who was associated with Cale as a fellow member of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post, described Cale as “wonderful.”

“There’s nothing too high I can say about the man.”

Chase, who had known Cale since 1942, praised especially his generosity toward veterans who were confined to nursing homes.

He would give them a teevee, never charge me, and deliver it and everything else,” Chase said. “He was a good man all the way around.”

Cale was similarly generous toward needy members of the community, according to Bill Jarvis, who had known Cale since 1964 and most recently served with him on The Salvation Army board of directors.

Jarvis said that when The Salvation Army took over the men’s shelter several years ago, a large commercial stove appeared suddenly, courtesy of Ken Cale Appliance.

The business also contributed a number of appliances to families served by the organization, said Capt. Cliff Dickinson.

“He loans us a truck, he gives us appliances or sells them to us at cost,” Dickinson said. “Whenever we need something, he bends over backward to help.”

Jerry Sherman, manager of Ken Cale Appliance, said Cale was one of the kindest people he had ever known.

“He could be described as Santa Claus for as big as his heart is,” Sherman said.

Sherman said his death, while not unexpected, was felt as a great loss by store employees. “You couldn’t ask for a better employer.”

Besides his involvement in VFW and The Salvation Army, Cale was also active in the Bend Elks Lodge, where he has served as exalted ruler and district deputy, and was a charter member of the Bend Jaycees.