History Bricks

by Kelly Cannon-Miller | May 6, 2026

History Bricks Its LEGO™ meets history this July 4th as we celebrate America’s 250th by exploring historic landmarks of Deschutes County. We are inviting community members to explore, learn about, and recreate the distinctive architectural landscape of historic...

History Pub: About Scott Joplin and the Ragtime Spaces of Deschutes County: 1900-1918

by Tracy Alexander | May 6, 2026

When Bend became a city in 1905, ragtime music by Midwesterner Scott Joplin and other African American composers dominated entertainment venues across the US. Even in Deschutes County, Oregon, ragtime enlivened town life for at least 20 years, proving unexpected ties...

The Bend US Federal Post Office

by Tracy Alexander | Apr 29, 2026

By Vanessa Ivey Before Bend had The Bulletin, or was laid out between Bond and Wall Streets, the tiny community had a post office, established in 1886. The story goes that John Sisemore applied for a post office under the name of “Farewell Bend.” That name...

Come Along on the Oregon Trail

by Editor | Apr 3, 2026

Between 1841 to1869 more than 350,000 people emigrated along the Oregon Trail. The 2,000-mile journey was difficult and dangerous. Travelers traversed unfamiliar prairies, deserts, rivers, and mountains with minimal help along the way. Join Lynda Paznokas as she...

March History Pub: About the Changing Skyline- 100 Years of Landscape Change in Central Oregon

by Tracy Alexander | Mar 3, 2026

During the summer of 1920, Frederick William Cleator (1883-1957), a Forest Service recreational planner, surveyed and signposted the Skyline Trail. This trail, first laid out between Crater Lake and Mount Jefferson, was a predecessor to the Pacific Crest Trail, which,...