History of Brothers, Hampton and Millican Valley
Posted by: 
Volcanoguy
N 43° 48.807 W 120° 35.985
10T E 693042 N 4853953
Sign about history of the High Desert of central Oregon.
Waymark Code: WM5XDB
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 02/24/2009
Views: 3
This is one of two signs near the restrooms at the Brothers Rest Area.
Marker Name: History of Brothers, Hampton and Millican Valley Area.
Marker Text: Wagon trains crossed this area in the 1840’s and 1850’s looking for a shorter route to the Willamette Valley. These travelers suffered greatly from the Desert Environment. In the late 1800’s, cattlemen and sheepmen competed for grazing rights, and angry cattlemen shot thousands of sheep to discourage the sheepmen. When the railroad arrived in Bend in 1911, homesteaders poured into this area, attracted by free government land advertised by develorers as a paradise for agriculture. Small towns sprang up, usually centered around a school or post office. By 1918, homesteaders realized the futility of farming here, and most moved away to employment in Bend where the large sawmills had opened. Towns and homesteads have since returned to sage & rabbitbrush only. A few homestead shacks still stand.
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