V ISI T CENTRAL OREGON
50 YEARS O F SUPPO R T ING TOURISM IN CENTRAL OREGON
400,000 years ago
1855
1920
The area known today as Newberry Volcanic Monument begins a period of eruption, shaping the landscape of Central Oregon.
Oregon Territory leaders negotiate treaties with Native Americans in Central and Eastern Oregon, establishing the Warm Springs Reservation. In the 1930s, the Warm Springs, Wasco and Pauite tribes organize as the self-governed Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.
Fifteen years after Bend is first incorporated, railroads and lumber mills bring more residents to Central Oregon. Bend’s population hits 5,000.
1970s
1970
Pilot Ron Ochs begins hosting annual fly-ins at his ranch. The event grows and moves to Madras, becoming the Cascade Air Show.
Development company Brooks Resources establishes a homeowner association and start development of Black Butte Ranch, a community and destination resort north of Sisters that today welcomes golfers and vacationers year-round.
1971
1982
1988
The Central Oregon Recreation Association, now known as Visit Central Oregon, is established as a destination marketing association for the region.
The High Desert Museum opens, offering a window into the natural world and cultural history of the high desert.
Deschutes Brewery is founded by Gary Fish as a small brewpub in downtown Bend. Today, Central Oregon is home to 33 breweries.
2023
2019
2017
2009
Oregon is expected to experience an annual solar eclipse on Oct. 14, with Central Oregon and Crater Lake in the path of the event.
Pronghorn Resort opens the 104-room Huntington Lodge, named after a 19th-century wagon trail that ran through Deschutes County.
Madras and surrounding Central Oregon is in the path of totality for the total solar eclipse, drawing visitors from around the world.
Facebook opens the first of its eleven data centers in Prineville, which is also home to three data hubs for Apple.
Mill photo courtesy Deschutes Historical Society
1928
1940
Members of Redmond’s Ray Johnson American Legion Post and the Redmond Commercial Club stake out land and begin scraping the first dirt runways on what would become the Redmond Municipal Airport.
Cowboys compete for a $500 purse at the first Sisters Rodeo, nicknamed the “Biggest Little Show in the World.”
1968
1964
1958
The first home site in the resort community of Sunriver is sold, and ground is broken on the Sunriver Lodge.
NASA astronauts train for the moon landing in Central Oregon, at Hole in the Ground, Fort Rock, Lava Butte and the Newberry Caldera.
Bill Healy leads the opening of the first ski resort in Central Oregon on today’s Mount Bachelor. The resort, called “Bachelor Butte” had one rope tow and one poma lift, and tickets were $3.
1990
1993
1999
The 55,000-acre Newberry National Volcanic Monument is established within Deschutes National Forest.
Sunriver Resort is acquired by current owners, Sunriver Resort Limited Partnership, beginning an extensive capital improvement campaign that continues to this day.
On July 1st, Deschutes County Fair’s first event held at the new Expo Center site.
2006
2002
2002
Two years after resort planning initially begins, construction kicks off for Tetherow Resort’s golf course, designed by acclaimed architect David McLay Kidd. It opens two years later.
Approval is given for Pronghorn Resort, a 640acre development with two golf courses between Bend and Redmond.
Les Schwab Amphitheater opens for its first season of shows along the Deschutes River in the Old Mill District.
50 YEARS OF VISIT CENTRAL OREGON
maupin madras
sisters
prineville redmond
bend sunriver lapine
supporting youth and family needs throughout the region. In 2014, Visit Central Oregon opened the Regional Visitor Information Center in Sunriver, meeting the demand for visitor information in the community, which attracts 2.5 million overnight visitors annually. VCO has not only promoted and raised money, but it also created a matching grant program to help the tourism industry grow. This program helped improve commercial air service and flights at the Redmond Airport, arts, culture and museum programs, trail development and maintenance, special events, seasonal transportation options and more.
Tourism in Central Oregon today: 3.25 million annual overnight visitors 8,350 jobs generated by travel spending $919 million of economic impact from tourism
*Locations shown on map are approximate
Visit Central Oregon, founded as the Central Oregon Recreation Association, has been serving tourists and locals alike since 1971. Over time, the purpose of the organization has evoloved, with the early years focused exclusively on marketing, promotion and sales to drive overnight visitation in Central Oregon and develop the region as a nationally known destination. Over time, the mission expanded to include destination management, ensuring Central Oregon remained an appealing and healthy place to visit. In the early years of the organization, one focus was marketing the region as a ski destination. In the mid-1970s, Mt. Bachelor was seeing 250,000 visitors annually. But by the 198283 season, that number had doubled to reach a half-million, thanks in part to efforts by Visit Central Oregon to promote the region’s skiing. For more than 20 years, Visit Central Oregon held an annual fundraising event called the Gala at the Riverhouse, ultimately raising more than $2 million for local programs, primarily
*
warm springs
PRINEVILLE
Population 1970: 4,101 Population 2019: 10,035
Prineville is the oldest city in Central Oregon. The community has roots back to 1871, but the town itself was incorporated officially in 1880. Originally founded for the nearby lumber industry, Prineville saw substantial growth as settlers ventured west to avoid conflicts occurring along the present day Oregon-Idaho border. Prineville’s historic Crook County Courthouse was one of the tallest buildings in Oregon when first built in 1909 with a threestory clock tower. Prineville is home to an entrepreneurial spirit, and is the founding town of the Les Schwab Tire Company. In the last decade, data centers for Facebook and Apple, among other companies, have descended upon this country town. The town is known as Oregon’s cowboy capital and can trace its history of horse racing back to 1880. Between 1916 and 1926, a group of cowboys who made their living off the land would come together to pool their cattle and separate them before winter. These first roundups laid the groundwork for the modern Crooked River Roundup, a huge, annual rodeo event that attracts thousands each year. In 2021, Prineville Reservoir State Park was designated as Oregon’s first International Dark Sky Park.
LA PINE
Population 2006: 1,585 Population 2019: 2,343
La Pine is simultaneously an old and new town. The community was founded sometime in the late 19th century, but was not incorporated as an official city until 2006, when the local community passed a ballot initiative. La Pine has always acted as Central Oregon’s gateway to Newberry Country, where visitors will find the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, a must-see natural wonder and great day-trip destination. The area is home to the largest living ponderosa pine in the world; at over 160 feet tall and 23 feet in circumference, the tree, named Big Red, has stood for over 500 years in what is today La Pine State Park. Land to create La Pine State Park was acquired from 1966 to 1981, and today it’s more than 2,300 acres of solitude along the Upper Deschutes River.
ally The Great Hall, origin l at the officers mess hal Camp Abbot
SUNRIVER
Population 2019: 1,294 (full-time residents)
A destination resort and residential community with abundant sunny skies and clean flowing water, “Sunriver” is aptly named. Sunriver was built on the ruins of Camp Abbot, a World War II era military training camp mostly razed at the end of the war. The only building spared was the former officers club, which is today’s Great Hall of Sunriver Resort. Modern-day Sunriver includes thousands of homes and vacation rentals, with the resort and the Village at Sunriver retail area central to the quaint Central Oregon community. These days, the unique Great Hall space is one of the most sought after venues for conferences, gorgeous weddings and special events in the Pacific Northwest. Development of the resort and surrounding community happened simultaneously, leading to a well-designed network of biking and hiking trails, surrounded by well-preserved nature. Sunriver is truly an outdoor lovers’ paradise in the high desert. In 2020, Sunriver was designated as the first International Dark Sky Place in Oregon. Visitors can take a peek at the starry night sky from the Sunriver Nature Center and Oregon Observatory, which opened in 1968, and has expanded steadily over the years. Jay
Bowerman is a longtime Sunriver resident and a bit of a local expert on the town, and explained the nature center was originally tied to the developers and administrators of Sunriver, with responsibilities shifting over the years to the Sunriver Owners Association. “To ensure the future of the nature center, a private non-profit corporation was created in 1981. The developer donated the land and the nature center corporation raised the funds to build the interpretive center first, followed by the Pozzi Education Center, and finally the observatory.” The facility kicked off a major expansion project in 2021. Now in its 44th year, the Sunriver Music Festival offers world-class musical experiences, including an outdoor concert series featuring classical music. The community continues to expand its recreation offerings, particularly those involving the water. The Sunriver Homeowners Aquatic and Recreation Center, or SHARC, is an all-season waterpark and recreation center at the heart of the community, completed in 2012. In 2021, Sunriver Resort opened its expanded COVE aquatic center, offering even more pools, waterslides and fun to the area.
REDMOND
Population 1970: 3,721 Population 2020: 30,167
Just 25 minutes north of Bend, Redmond is quickly attracting new residents and growing in popularity as a destination for Central Oregon travelers. While the city economy in the 1970s was reliant on the wood products industry and potato farming, today Redmond is driven by an assortment of manufacturing, retail, government, healthcare and tourism, and is the location of the region’s commercial airport. In 2019, Roberts Field (RDM) saw over 1 million passengers, an increase of 100 percent over five years. If growth continues, RDM is poised to become the second busiest airport in the state, behind Portland. The number of daily flights offered continues to grow with new carrier Avelo Airlines offering the latest new flights in 2021. The Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center is used not just for the county fair, but for concerts, graduations, conventions and recently, the site of the largest COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Central Oregon. Revitalization of Redmond’s downtown district kicked off ond Fair The Redm po Center Ex d an in 1995 and continues today. U.S. Highway 97 was rerouted around downtown, with new streetscapes, infrastructure and more than 100 facade improvements completed. The city worked with local artists to create permanent public art installations, and plans call for tripling the population living downtown while adding more restaurants and retail.
Photo Marvin Walder
SISTERS
Population 1970: 516 Population 2020: 2,643
A Western-themed town at the base of the Cascade Mountains, Sisters is often a last stop before heading up into the mountain passes that connect Central Oregon to the Willamette Valley. To locals and visitors, though, it’s so much more than a quick pit stop. The Sisters Rodeo is a staple of Oregon and a time-honored tradition. It was awarded the “2019 Best Large Rodeo of the Year” by the Columbia River Circuit. Over the course of five days, thousands of people flock to town to enjoy bull riding, parades, barrel racing, performances from professional riders and delicious food featuring local ingredients. The Sisters Quilt Show is the largest quilt show in the United States and features local artisans along with food, drinks and live entertainment. Sisters Coffee was the first coffee roaster in Central Oregon and has remained one of the most popular caffeine stops around. Couple the coffee with a baked good from the Sisters Bakery, and your tastebuds will be in heaven.
BEND
Population 1970: 30,882 Population 2020: 100,421
Bend is one of the fastest growing cities in the country, attracting new visitors and residents each year. The city’s economy was once driven by lumber mills, and today the history stands tall at the Old Mill District and the nearby Box Factory, both revitalized into modern hubs of restaurants, stores, offices, breweries and wine tasting rooms. First opened in 1940, Bend’s iconic Tower Theatre closed down in 1997 for a full revitalization, reopening in 2004. “The $4.3 million balcony-to-basement renovation upgraded nearly every inch of the theatre yet only slightly expanded the original 1940 building footprint,” said Ray Solley, executive director of the Tower Theatre Foundation. “The iconic spire and marquee dominating Wall Street were refurbished and re-lit. Local artists provided murals Bend circa 1930s, facing Southwest and hand-crafted finishing touches.” Known for its craft beer, Bend is ranked third in the country for breweries per capita. Bend’s vibrant events scene includes Munch & Music, a weekly music series in Drake Park each summer, and the Cascade Cycling Classic, a stage cycling race with beautiful views around Bend. The outdoor Les Schwab Ampitheater, has hosted live music since the early 2000s, with 26 shows (the most ever) scheduled for the 2021 season.
MAUPIN
Population 1970: 428 Population 2019: 441
Whitewater rafting and other outdoor adventures await in Maupin, a tight-knit community where sunshine is plentiful and the lower Deschutes River flows freely. Once a tiny railroad stop, Maupin evolved over the years to become a popular destination for fly-fishing, rafting and other activities, with the small population swelling each summer with seasonal visitors. A growing number of amenities include outdoor outfitters and guides and dining and lodging establishments. In late May, the annual Maupin Daze event celebrates the simple life in the charming community.
MADRAS
Population 1970: 1,500 Population 2019: 6,700
Madras is a small ranching community that lies south of the Warm Springs Reservation. Even though it has more than quadrupled in size in the last 50 years, Madras has maintained its small-town charm and culture. Recently, Madras became the epicenter for the 2017 solar eclipse, when over 100,000 people flocked to the town to view the eclipse in totality. The Erickson Aircraft Collection is a highlight of Madras that is dedicated to the history of aviation. Most of the aircraft in the collection are from the WW2 era and are still in flying condition, and guests can reserve appointments to soar through the sky with a trained pilot in a real, vintage WW2 aircraft. Back on the ground, Madras joined the rest of Central Oregon and opened up its first brewery in 2018 called Madras Brewing Co. For outdoor recreation, Madras has nearby Lake Billy Chinook, Lake Simtustus and a multitude of downhill mountain biking trails, some of which are open to electric bikes.
WARM SPRINGS The community of Warm Springs is the gateway to the 1,019-squaremile Warm Springs Reservation. The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation includes the Wascoes, the Warm Springs Bands and the Paiutes. The three tribes came together in 1937 by adopting a shared constitution and by-laws, and by 1938 they had signed a deal with the federal government declaring a new era of tribal self-governance. Highlighting the history and culture of the region, the Warm Springs Museum tells the stories of the diverse peoples who have come to call this land home. The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs own and operate the Indian Head Casino, which offers special deals for military members, first responders and frontline healthcare workers, as a way to thank these individuals for their service. In 2020, the Warm Springs community got a boost of color with two new murals commissioned by Visit Central Oregon. Artist Winona Garrison’s mural “Ta’Aminwa Nam Ap’xtat” shows a riverside scene of deer, horses and salmon surrounded by nature, a reflection of the natural beauty in the area. Nearby, Jefferson Greene’s thought-provoking mural “Shúkwat” depicts a large eagle and horse, drawing on the stories and wisdom of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.
Population 1970: 550 Population 2019: 3,200
circa 1930 Warm Springs Reservation
LOOKING BACK ON 50 YEARS IN CENTRAL OREGON “For all its abundant natural beauty, access to outdoor recreation that ranges from the exhilarating to the sublime, and rich and varied culinary offerings, it is the passion, vision and foresight of the good folks that call Central Oregon home that have made and continue to make this region great. It’s 50 years (and more) of folks devoting their time, resources and ingenuity to create,
restore, preserve and share the places and amenities that enrich the livability for those who call this region home, and produce an essence of approachability and warmth for those lucky enough to visit and be enriched by their transformative Central Oregon experience.”
“The mission and purpose [of Visit Central Oregon] were initially marketing, promotion and sales to drive overnight visitation to develop Central Oregon as a nationally competitive destination. This was achieved quite successfully over the years, so the mission was expanded to include destination management to ensure the
destination remained appealing and healthy … Tourism was the economic development engine and catalyst to entice visitors and new businesses to Central Oregon, and has become one of the region’s leading industries and employers.”
“I’ve only been here just shy of 22 years, but one big change over that time is the breadth and depth of industries the region has to employ Central Oregonians … Much of the success economic development has realized over those years can be traced back to business leaders that had a high quality visitor experience or even tradition
of visiting the region that gave them an affinity for the area and gravity to return. At the same time, the region just keeps adding more and more things to do for visitors in addition to it’s established renown for being an outdoor recreation destination.”
“Over the years, Central Oregon has added many cultural institutions, from the High Desert Museum to BendFilm, Community Theatre of the Cascades, Scalehouse, the Les Schwab Amphitheater, music events and many others. The area has also evolved into a year-round destination, not just a place for skiing. There are more and better restaurants and a robust healthcare
system now. Overall, it’s the people of Central Oregon that make it a great place to visit and live, from high-quality and ethical government officials to caring volunteers, strong nonprofits serving the whole community and enlightened civicminded business leaders.”
VISIT CENTRAL OREGON
—Todd Davidson, Chief Executive Officer at Travel Oregon
—Alana Hughson, Visit Central Oregon director from 1993 to 2019
—Roger Lee, Economic Development for Central Oregon
—Mike Hollern, chairman of the board, Brooks Resources
VISIT OUR REGIONAL VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER IN THE VILLAGE AT SUNRIVER, OR GIVE US A CALL AT 1-800-800-8334 ©VISIT CENTRAL OREGON