The Deschutes County Fair premiered in 1919 and was known as the Potato Show.
Shevlin-Hixon sawed its last log in 1950. The county population had reached almost 22,000. Further growth began in 1960 when plans unfolded to convert the US Army’s Camp Abbot into Sunriver. Bachelor Butte (Mt. Bachelor) lured skiers from abroad. Central Oregon Community College broke ground for its new campus on Aubrey Butte. The beginning of the end of the logging era occurred in 1980 when Brooks-Scanlon sold its timber interests to Diamond International. The county population had reached www.deschutesswcd.com
50,000, and the main industry changed from logging to tourism. Growth has steadily increased as people throughout the country have discovered the richness of the area. Deschutes County offers downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, fishing, hunting, rock climbing, white water rafting, golfing, horseback riding, hiking, canoeing, touring and a host of cultural and educational events. The population of the County is approaching 171,000 (2009). Deschutes County Rural Living Handbook
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