Logging in the Ochocos, circa 1900
Crook County, founded in 1882, sits in the heart of the state of Oregon. The timber industry, which includes logging and milling, was here from the start. (In fact, the first export of timber may have pre-dated the county by fifty years or so.) In the early 20th century, logging operations and mills provided lumber for local uses, building the towns and ranches of Prineville, Powell Butte, Post, and Paulina. During World War II, timber demand soared. The local timber industry responded and by the 1950s, Prineville was a vibant mill town.
The national recession in the early 1980s and forest policy changes in the 1990s impacted the local timber industry. By the dawn of the 21st century, many Crook County mills had closed and local forests began to show signs of diminished health - increased disease and fire.
About This Project
Since the creation of the Bowman Museum in 1971, generations of Central Oregonians have contributed time, money, and family heirlooms to help tell the history of their county. With our region changing faster than ever, the time is now to expand the A. R. Bowman Memorial Museum in downtown Prineville.
This digital exhibit is a supplement to the expansion of the physical space. It presents some of the family heirlooms - photos, video clips, and stories of the local timber industry - that have been generously shared with the museum. The Ponderosa Pine Capital of the World exhibit will anchor the new exhibit space in the expanded museum. It will include "The Woods" and "The Mill," two full-size areas that highlight the workers, tools, and history of the trade. The history is one that is not yet complete. One of the takeaway messages of the exhibit is that the wood products industry is poised for reemergence.
