A History
Long before it was the outdoor recreation capital of the West, Bend was a hub for the timber industry, once home to two of the largest pine sawmills in the world: Brooks-Scanlon and Shevlin-Hixon. If you've ever walked through the Old Mill District, you've seen the three towering silver smokestacks that still stand today—remnants of the powerhouse that fueled the logging boom. The city actually got its name from a specific "Farewell Bend" in the Deschutes River, a spot where pioneers on the Oregon Trail would stop to rest and gather their bearings before moving on to less certain territories.
Beyond the logs and the river, Bend has some truly unique "fiery" landmarks. It is one of only three cities in the continental U.S. to have an extinct volcano—Pilot Butte—right within its city limits, offering that iconic 360° view of the High Desert and the Cascades. If you head downtown, the Tower Theatre stands as a beautiful Art Deco anchor, preserved since 1940 to remind locals of the town’s transition from a dusty mill site to a cultural center. And, of course, no mention of Bend is complete without a nod to the last remaining Blockbuster Video in the world, which has essentially become a living museum and a pilgrimage site for anyone nostalgic for the days of physical rentals.
