History of Bend’s Old Mill District – Our Story
For nearly a century, timber production was the unchallenged king in Bend, most of it taking place in the Old Mill District. Hardy men used axes, crosscut saws, horses, and “high-wheel” rigs to cut down huge Ponderosa pines in the surrounding forests. The first of the big mills, operated by the Shevlin-Hixon Co., opened in March 1916.
A month later a rival company, Brooks-Scanlon, began operations at its “Mill A” complex on the other side of the river. In 1922 Brooks-Scanlon established a new, bigger mill complex upstream from Mill A. This “Mill B” site makes up the largest portion of the Old Mill District. At their peak, the Brooks-Scanlon and Shevlin-Hixon operations were two of the largest pine sawmills in the world, running around the clock and employing more than 2,000 workers each.
In 1950, facing dwindling timber supplies, Shevlin-Hixon sold its interests to Brooks-Scanlon. Brooks-Scanlon’s Mill A closed in 1983 and was in a state of near ruin before being restored in the early 1990s. The old brick powerhouse buildings and their three towering smokestacks still stand, silently testifying to the district’s colorful past.
Shelvin-Hixon and Brooks-Scanlon Mills
This photo was taken between 1916-1919, with the Shevlin-Hixon Lumber Company on the west side of the river (left) and Brooks-Scanlon Lumber Company on the east (right) side.
Brooks-Scanlon’s Mill A, now an office building near the Colorado Bridge, began with a single smokestack and burner (seen in the photograph).
Today the two cylindrical cement footings for Mill A’s burners, and the foundation of Mill A’s powerhouse, can still be seen on the back patio of Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe filled with flowers each summer.
In 1920 Shevlin-Hixon added a third smokestack and burner to their mill and Brooks-Scanlon Mill A added a second smokestack and burner increasing lumber production. The powerhouse building produced the energy to run the mills. The material used to feed the burners was called hog fuel, made of woodchips and shavings.
During the early years the Brooks-Scanlon Mill operated two 8 hour shifts daily, milling a combined average of 300,000 board feet of lumber a day. That’s roughly enough framing for thirty homes (1,800 square feet each).
Logs for the two mills were separated by a log boom dividing the river in half. The boon can be seen to the left of the photo. If you look carefully you can see the trestle bridge in the background. The Shevlin-Hixon railroad trestle bridge was built in 1915. It crossed the Deschutes River just north of where Colorado Ave. is today, you can still see the grassy hill where the trestle came off the bank before crossing the river. The trestle bridge was demolished in 1990.
Note: In 1923 Brooks-Scanlon Lumber Company built a second mill, Mill B. Today the Mill B’s powerhouse is home to REI in the Old Mill District.
Visit the Deschutes Historical Museum located downtown for more information on Bend’s history.
Read More About Bend’s History of the Old Mill District
2021 You Gave Us A Good Run!
The Old Mill District in Bend, OR celebrates the memorable moments of 2021. As we reflect on the events of last year and what [...]
Bend, Oregon Featured in “Our Towns” HBO Documentary
Debuting on April 13, 2021, on HBO, is the documentary created by Academy Award-nominated film producers -- Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan-- that features Bend, [...]
Where Do the Rock Chucks Go?
By Alysia Wolf, Associate Curator of Wildlife at the High Desert Museum On an early summer morning, before the heat of the day sets [...]
Percy A. Stevens – Bend’s First Casualty of the Great War
Bend High grad was one of 14 local men who died in World War I As we honor veterans on Veterans Day, we look back [...]
Fall 2019 arts, lectures and events
Cultural happenings in Bend and beyond There’s always something going on in Bend during the fall, from History Pubs and poetry workshops to visiting scholars [...]
Brooks-Scanlon mill remnants now house floral arrangements
Former mill waste burners have been converted into giant flower pots The past is ever present here in Bend. From the iconic powerhouse building and [...]
SIGN UP FOR EMAILS
Subscribe to get the latest on Bend shops, restaurants, and things to do.