|
|
Bend is a city in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. The name Bend was derived from "Farewell Bend," the designation used by early pioneers to refer to the location along the Deschutes River where the town eventually was platted, one of the few fordable points along the river. It is the principal city of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 52,029 at the 2000 census, though it has grown to over 75,290 as of 2006.
Bend is located on the edge of the Cascade Range Ponderosa Pine forest on the west as it transitions into the Great Basin high desert plateau, characterized by junipers, sagebrush, bitter-brush, and little water. Originally a logging town, Bend has become identified as a jump-off point for multiple outdoor sports, such as mountain biking, fishing, hiking, camping, rock climbing, white-water rafting, skiing, and golf.
|
|
Bend Education
|
The Bend area is served by the Bend-La Pine School District. There are four high schools (Mountain View High School, Marshall, Bend High School, and Summit High School) (grades 9-12), four middle schools (grades 6-8), (Cascade Middle School, Pilot Butte Middle School, High Desert Middle School, and Sky View Middle School), 12 elementary schools (grades K-5), and three magnet schools. There are several private schools within the area as well, including Seven Peaks and St. Frances of Assisi (grades preschool-8) and Morningstar Christian and Trinity Lutheran (grades preschool-12). Central Oregon Community College (COCC) and the Bend campus of Oregon State University (OSU) serve the community with both two- and four-year programs.
|
|
Bend Employment
|
Tourism is one of Bend's largest sectors. The Mount Bachelor ski resort brings in tourists from all over Oregon, Washington, and California. The nearby Cascade Lakes are also a large draw for tourists. Recreational activities include downhill and cross country skiing, hiking, biking, rafting, golfing, camping, fishing, picnicking, rock climbing, and general sightseeing.
Bend is also home to the Deschutes Brewery, the largest of several microbreweries in the city. Since 2004, Bend has also hosted the Bend Film Festival.
In 2005, Bend's economic profile comprised five industry categories: tourism (7,772 jobs); healthcare and social services (6,062 jobs); professional, scientific and technical services (1,893 jobs); wood products manufacturing (1,798 jobs); and recreation and transportation equipment (1,065 jobs).
Much of Bend's rapid growth in recent years is also due to its attraction as a retirement destination. The rapid population growth has fostered organizations such as Central Oregon Landwatch and Oregon Solutions.
Major companies
As of 2005, the top 20 regional employers (EDCO, 2005)[3] were:
* St. Charles Medical Center (2,337 employees)
* Bright Wood Corporation (1,466)
* Les Schwab Tire Center (1,142)
* Sunriver Resort (870, seasonal)
* Mt. Bachelor, Inc (750, seasonal)
* T-Mobile (674)
* Beaver Motor Coaches (654)
* iSKY (625)
* Clear Pine Mouldings, Inc. (597)
* JELD-WEN Windows & Doors (521)
* Eagle Crest Partners, Ltd. (500, seasonal)
* Safeway (490)
* Knife River Corporation (formerly Hap Taylor & Sons) (465)
* Bend Memorial Clinic (460)
* Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing (447)
* Wal-Mart (445)
* Fred Meyer (411)
* Woodgrain Millwork (365)
* Black Butte Ranch (350)
* Kah-Nee-Ta (350, seasonal)
|
|
Bend History
|
Until the winter of 1824 , the Bend area was known only to Native Americans who hunted and fished there. That year, members of a fur trapping party led by Peter Skene Ogden visited the area. John C. Fremont, Dr. John Strong Newberry, and other Army survey parties came next. Then pioneers heading farther west passed through the area and forded the Deschutes River at Farewell Bend.
Actual settlement did not occur until the early 1900s with the founding of the Pilot Butte Development Company by Alexander M. Drake. A small community developed around the bend in the river, and in 1904 a city was incorporated by a general vote of the community's 300 residents. On January 4, 1905, the city held its first official meeting as an incorporated municipality, appointing A. H. Goodwillie as the first mayor. Twelve years later, Deschutes County was formed from the western half of Crook County and Bend was designated as the county seat. In 1929 , Bend amended the charter and adopted the manager/council form of government.
The settlement was originally known as Farewell Bend.
|
|
Bend Recreation
|
Bend is home to the Bend Elks of the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League. The Elks play at historic Vince Genna Stadium. It is also the home of the Central Oregon Hotshots of the International Basketball League. The Central Oregon Steelheaders, continually one of the top teams in the NW conference of the PASL, play at the Central Oregon Indoor Soccer Center in Bend.
Bend is the home of the professional cross-country ski team XC Oregon, which competes in races locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. Top team members include: Colin Mahood, Evelyn Dong, Brayton Osgood, Zach Violett, and Marshall Greene.
Bend's high school sports teams include the Summit Storm, Bend Senior High Lava Bears, and Mountain View Cougars.
|
|
Bend Transportation
|
Airport
The nearest commercial airport is Roberts Field in Redmond, Oregon, 18 miles north. Bend Municipal Airport (KBDN) is located 5 miles northeast for general aviation.
Bus
Bend was previously the only metropolitan area west of the Mississippi without a public bus system. A measure that would have created a transit district was on the November 2004 ballot, but was defeated 53 to 41 percent. As of August 2006, however, funding was acquired and the B.A.T. (Bend Area Transit) bus service began on a limited basis. Buses have been running since September 27, 2006.
|
|
Bend Weather
|
Bend's climate is typical of the high desert with cool nights and sunny days. Annual precipitation averages 10-13 inches, which is part of the average snowfall of 34 inches. The winter season in Bend provides typical daytime temperatures in the 30s to 50s. Nighttime temperatures range anywhere from 22 to 51 degrees F.
A typical central Oregon summer is marked with daily temperatures in the 80s and 90s during the day, and the mid 40s and 50s during the night. Hard frosts are not unheard of during the summer months. Autumn usually brings warm, dry days and cooler nights, and Bend is known for its annual Indian summer.
|
|