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5.27.2019-There was no thought of an eventual town or a city at the present Bend locale in those pioneer days. But on a spring day in 1900, there arrived on the present site the covered wagon of Alexander M. Drake, a Midwest capitalist, who heard of irrigation possibilities in the upper Deschutes country.
He founded the Pilot Butte Development Company, and the nucleus of Bend began with the construction of a lodge. Bend became incorporated by a vote of the people in 1904, with officers taking over their duties in January, 1905. A.H. Goodwillie was the first mayor.
The town of Bend, OR is really not just a town, more like a small city. Not as big as Orlando yet, but more like a Sanford or Melbourne, FL. You can find anything you want in Bend, the bigger cities only have more than one of everything. Actually Bend has four Ace Hardware Stores…Awesome! So to take pictures of Bend is what you’d find in almost any town so you have to go to the outskirts of this town, namely Sunriver. In this town, just outside of Bend you’ll fine Lava Land. I believe I read that this county has four-hundred volcanoes of various sizes. Above is one of the bigger ones. I read that this entire county is built over dozens to about three-hundred feet of lava rock..
A Name for the Town Earlier, when Bend’s future was still uncertain, there was a controversy over a name for the new hamlet. In the late 1870’s, William H. Staats filed a claim on the Deschutes near the “Farewell Bend” Ranch (which had been obtained by John Sisemore from John Todd) and made a rival bid for travelers. Each maintained a stopping place and each for a time had a post office. .
Staats platted his town as “Deschutes.” Some called the community “Staats.” Drake favored the name “Pilot Butte” and a bid was made for “Farewell Bend.” But officials in the Post Office Department in Washington, DC, decided Farewell Bend was too long and they finally approved the name “Bend.” After Bend’s incorporation, it gradually absorbed Deschutes.
This is Mount Bachelor (I hope to have a better picture should it ever stop raining.). It to is just about ten miles out of Bend also in Sunrise, OR. The official address of the Mountain is in Bend, OR. Just a little info on this awesome mountain. The overall height of the mountain is just over 9,000feet. The volcano lies at the northern end of the 15-mile long Mount Bachelor Volcanic Chain, which underwent four major eruptive episodes during the PIE. (PIE, the Paleo Indian Era roughly about ten-thousand -years BC.) So its been dormant for quite awhile. Being about twenty mile west of Bend gives it its popularity as a major ski slope. It offers over four-thousand acres of skiable terrain. It is also the highest skiable lift at over eight-thousand feet ASL in both Oregon and Washington states. It is also known for its light fluffy dry snow. It has a reputation of being one of the largest ski resorts in the US. It also boast of its long ski season beginning at Thanksgiving and lasting well into May. Lastly it a beautiful, majestic Mountain to just look at. It is visible from some of the areas in this campground.
Form of Government Bend changed in 1929 from the council form of government to that of City Commission – Manager form, with three commissioners. George P. Gove was the first mayor under the new form of government, with C.G. Reiter as the first City Manager; the mayor being elected by the other commissioners from their own ranks.
The charter was later changed to require seven commissioners and in 1995 the Charter was re-drafted to change the title for the elected representatives from Commissioner to Councilor. The Mayor continues to be elected by his or her peers.
Des Chutes Historical Museum
Source: All About Bend, Oregon Compiled, edited and published by the League of Women Voters of Bend, Oregon May, 1967