Deschutes County turns 100, works to preserve history

Every May, Deschutes County celebrates National Historic Preservation Month, but this May is extra special because it’s also the county’s centennial. Monday evening kicked off a month-long series of events dedicated to celebrating the High Desert’s heritage and the county’s 100 th birthday.
The Deschutes County Historical Landmark commission met Monday evening to discuss endangered places n the county. The meeting was open to the public, as the commission wanted help from the community in brainstorming a list of endangered places.

One resident suggested commissioners issue a proclamation to preserve Troy Field. Commission members said they want to help preserve the downtown patch of turf, but that they need to clarify how much jurisdiction they have to play a role. They plan to meet in a few weeks to discuss how they can help protect the Field.

“I’m hoping that preservation month is a stepping stone to further involvement in the community,” said landmarks commission ex-officio member Rachel Stemach.

Commissioners also decided to place “idea boards” at events around the county to get feedback on areas the community wants protected.

“We wanted to provide folks the option to have an interactive experience and jot down the things that are important to them,” said county Associate Planner Mathew Martin.

Commissioners explained how public involvement is crucial. Two years ago, a group of residents proposed making the 100-year-old Pilot Butte Canal a historic site. The canal is now the county’s newest addition to the National Register of Historic Places.

Commissioners hope to use historic preservation month as a springboard to save more historic sites in Deschutes County.

For more information, visit www.deschuteshistory.org or www.deschutes.org

For a list of historic events happening throughout the month see this calendar (Adobe PDF):

http://www.deschuteshistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/May2016-Full-Schedule-of-Events.pdf