Bend
The city of Bend graces the Banks of the Deschutes River, which
is draped like a silver ribbon between the eastern slopes of
the Cascade Mountain Range and the high desert plateaus of
Oregon's central interior. Originally a small mill town,
Bend has emerged into a full service city and Oregon's fastest
growing high technology area.
History
Around the turn of the 20th century, trappers, ranchers, and
loggers carved out a living near the town that eventually
became the Deschutes County Seat. Then, as now, Bend is
the commercial, retail, and service center for a region that
nearly stretches from the Washington State line to the
California border. With the arrival of a rail line to
Bend in 1911, lumber and agricultural products could be
economically shipped to outside markets.
By the 1920's three mills operated by Shevlin-Hixon and two
operated by Brooks-Scanlon dominated the local economy and
brought significant population and employment growth. By
the 1950's, timber resources began to show signs of strain,
when Shevlin-Hixon closed all three mills and sold its Central
Oregon holdings to Brooks-Scanlon. In an effort to better
utilize the declining supply of wood fiber, timber companies
diversified into moldings, particleboard and plywood
manufacturing during the 1960's and 70's.
In the early 1980's the community hit an economic low point
with nearly a quarter of the workforce unemployed. About this
time community leaders pursued tourism development as an
additional leg to its economic foundation and as a tool for
broader diversification efforts. Success of this strategy has
been felt through the 1990's as the community attracted new
investment in nearly all sectors. A "critical mass" of
quality amenities for both residents and visitors has also
built an industry presence in computer software and hardware,
medical equipment, aerospace, and recreation equipment
manufacturing.
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