Bend Historical Timeline
1920s-
Population: 5,415
June 1920- First airplane crosses Cascades
March 1922- St. Charles opens on "water tank hill"
July 1922- First car drives up Pilot Butte
May 1928- Frank T. Johns, national leader of the Socialist Party and candidate for president, drowns in Mirror Pond in attempt to save drowning boy
April 1929- First talking picture show screens in Bend
1930s-
Population: 8,848
1930- Lava Bear becomes school mascot
1931- First Pet Parade
July 1933- First Mirror Pond Water Pageant
Dec 1936- Pine Tavern opens
1940s-
Population: 10,021
March 1940- Tower Theatre opens; Four Wives featured as first film
Nov 1940- Bend's first draftees leave
July 1943- Work starts on clearing land for military housing that in later years becomes known as Officers Quarters
Aug 1943- Army field hospital set up in Bend
Sept-Nov 1943- Central Oregon Army maneuvers
(15 soldiers die, 75,000 removed from area)
Sept 1946- United Airlines starts service from Redmond
Oct 1949- First classes at COCC are held at Bend High
1950s-
Population: 11,407
Dec 1950- Shevlin-Hixon Mill closes
Dec 1955- Indian Fighter movie opens in Bend, filmed in Central Oregon
Aug 1956- New Bend High School at 230 NE 6th is completed
in time for school year
May 1957- Juniper Golf Club opens
July 1959- KGLR radio goes on the air
1960s-
Population: 11,936
Aug 1963- Derrick Cave used for experiments in
moon landing planning
Feb 1964- First ski jump built on Pilot Butte
1964- Astronauts arrive in Central Oregon for training
1969- Sun River Resort Lodge opens
1970s-
Population: 13,400
Sept 1975- St. Charles Hospital moves to new (and current) location
Sept 1977- Old St. Charles Hospital on hill is demolished
Sept 1978- Mountain View High School opens
1980s-
Population: 17,910
May 1982- High Desert Museum founded
Sept 1982- Work started on Mt. Bachelor Summit Lift
Apr 1987- Shevlin-Hixon Mill torn down, burned.
