Deschutes & Ochoco National Forests
Crooked River National Grassland

History - 1920 to 1929

1920

• Herbert L. Plumb becomes Supervisor of the Deschutes National Forest (1920 - 1926)
• Population of Bend - 5415.
• The "New" McKenzie Pass Highway completed.
• May 1920 - Crosby's report on Benham Falls Reservoir released. Recommends reservoir above Benham Falls. Also recommends national park status for Newberry.
• May 20, 1920 - Work begins on single lane Bend to Elk Lake Road. Road planned from Big Springs to Dutchman Creek Pass, to south end of Lost Lake (now Todd Lake), along south side of Soda Hill to Sparks Lake, west to Devils Lake and then south to Elk Lake.
• July 25, 1920 - 1st Annual Shevlin-Hixon Picnic held near Dillon Falls with 1840 people in attendance.
• July 27, 1920 - Bend to Elk Lake Road completed. Access from the south to Elk Lake already existed by this time.

1921

• Logging town of Shevlin moves from Lava Island area to Spring River Area.
• July 1921 - State Geologist Ira Williams proposes Lava Tunnel National Monument for Dillman Cave (Lava River Cave).
• August 3, 1921 - Bend Commercial Club plans to push Century Drive as a tourist attraction. Century Drive was a 100 mile loop from Bend to Bend.
• August 29, 1921 - 2nd Annual Shevlin-Hixon Picnic held at Benham Falls. Annual picnics were held at Benham Falls for the next 10 years.

1922

• Lost Lake renamed Todd Lake for John Y. Todd, too many Lost Lakes.
• February 2, 1922 - Act authorized the adjustment of the boundaries of the Deschutes National Forest, established the exchange boundary, and established the authority to exchange land for land, land for timber, and land for timber receipts. P.L. 67-138 (42 Stat. 362)
• May 23, 1922 - First timber sale on the Deschutes National Forest. Sold to Brooks-Scanlon.
• November 14, 1922 - Construction of Crane Prairie Dam completed.

1923

• The Southern Pacific Railroad and the Utah Construction Company began construciton of the Natron cut-off from Kirk to Oakridge.
• August 1923 - Increasing traffic on Century Drive leads to suggestions for one-way traffic or widening. At this time road was narrow single lane and passing oncoming traffic was a problem. Sundays were a popular day to drive the Century Drive loop (100 mile loop). Newspaper articles about the many attractions along Century Drive.
• November 1923 - East Lake Health Resort burns.

1924

• Post Office established at Elk Lake (closed in 1954).
• September 1924 - East Lake Health Resort rebuilt.

1925

• Logging town of Shevlin moves from Spring River Area to Lava Caves Area (10 miles south of Lava Butte).
• August 1925 - Harold Stearns (U.S.G.S.) studies Newberry area. Recognizes the fissure system which extends from Lava Butte to East Lake.

1926

• R.I. Fromme becomes Supervisor of the Deschutes National Forest (1926 - 1929)
• January 1926 - Shevlin-Hixon donates area around Lava River Cave to State of Oregon for park.
• June 1926 - Quarry developed in fault scarp east of Lava Butte as material source for paving of first The Dalles-California Highway (U.S. Hwy. 97).
• July 1926 - Survey of railroad grade south from Bend underway. Bend to be connected with Southern Pacific Railroad at Chemult.
• November 1, 1926 - The Dalles-California Highway (U.S. Hwy. 97) completed. Passes over east branch of Lava River Caves.

1927

• Complaints on lack of maintenance of Century Drive.
• July 1, 1927 - Underground ceremony held for dedication of Lava River Caves State Park. Over 250 people attend.

1928

• Tree molds first reported in the future Lava Cast Forest area.

1929

• W.O. Harriman becomes Supervisor of the Deschutes National Forest (1929 - 1930)
• Summer 1929 - Paulina Lake Lodge built.
• November 1929 - Cinders from Lava Butte shipped to Longview, Washington, to be used in construction of Longview Bridge across Columbia River.
• December 1929 - Scenic Rim Drive proposed around rim of Newberry Crater.