La Pine, Oregon
Deschutes County
41-41050
La Pine is a city in Deschutes County of the U.S. state of Oregon with 1653 inhabitants ( 2010). The place is located in Central Oregon, in running from south to north valley of the Little Deschutes River on the eastern flank of the Cascade Range, which dissolves here in a few mountain ranges and passes to the Columbia Plateau. La Pine is one of the youngest independent cities in the United States, it was registered in early 2007 as a subdivision of the type of a city, the main statutes charter of the city came to be confirmed by the population on July 1, 2011.
History
The present city was nearly 100 years, an unincorporated community, sparsely populated in the form of scattered settlements on the corridor which results from the river and its continuation to the south along the mountains. The majority of the settlers lived here on suitable for forestry and animal husbandry areas off the route.
The area at the edge of the Cascade Range was originally a transition zone between the home ranges of the Klamath and Paiute Indians. The first white men were trappers and traders of the Hudson's Bay Company, who were advancing from the Columbia River in the valley of the Deschutes River south to hunt the beaver deposits. In the 19th century, individual settlers from the Willamette Valley and the Columbia River area came to exploit the natural resources, especially the forests of the region. From the west was built in 1867, the Oregon Central Military Road from Eugene to the Snake River Plain through the Cascade Range and the Basin and Range Province, whereupon the influx from the Willamette Valley increased. The settlers were after the Homestead Act 160 acres ( ~ 65 hectares ) take public land owned, if they used it agricultural or forestry within 5 years. 1870 came Bynon Pengra Johns, head of the surveying authority of Oregon, in the valley of the Little Deschutes River and claimed a settlement plot at the edge of the La Pine area.
The occurrence of ores and other mineral resources were low, but the forests offered a good source of income, given the enormous consumption of wood for the settlements in western Oregon. The settlers followed distributors, restaurateurs and from 1897 there was also a post office, which was built on the land of Pengra. 1900, the route was extended along the river as a road for wagons and opened up the area and north. Until the first decade of the 20th century, the La Pine area was the largest settlement on the Deschutes River, only with the systematic development of the Pilot Butte and the founding of Bend, the center was established about 50 km north.
Also in the La Pine area was initially Rosland, a leader on the east side of the valley. The post office bearing that name and as early as 1900 a dependent townsite called Rosland was registered. This changed in 1910, when three entrepreneurs from Portland established an irrigation project in the western valley. They erected in their La Pine area called the first hotel in the region and built free of charge for the County own school. So they moved more companies on their side of the valley; to 1920 La Pine had a butcher, a dairy and in La Pine also appeared the first newspaper in the region, the La Pine Inter-Mountain. As early as 1912 closed the small school of Rosland and joined La Pine on. A French stocky member of the investor group also applies its name to the project and as a result the place. The irrigation project, as well as all his successors failed, due to the altitude of the region, it is of only limited for farming.
1917 Highway was built in the north-south direction, which initially led to an economic boom. In particular, the development of the region followed the construction of several dams west of the valley. However, the basis of the region remained forestry. In addition, the tourism industry developed after the Second World War. The forestry broke from the 1990s onwards a solid, after which the region was long no new basis. Only in the 21st century, there are efforts to develop an industrial structure that will be continued in the coming decades, according to the Comprehensive Plan in 2010.
La Pine was the longest time a large-scale unincorporated community and towards the end of the 20th century, the most populous area in Oregon without formal self-government status. First attempts at a town foundation failed in 1985 and 1994. During the election year of 2000, the non-independent census -designated place La Pine 5,799 inhabitants 76 km ², then the spin-off, however, a larger planned city was still rejected by self-administration. In November 2006, a new proposal, which covered only a small part of the CDP, agreed and La Pine was the beginning of 2007 to an independent city. The urban area is 18 km ² today, and had in the city survey 1,585 residents.
La Pine today
The young city of La Pine has modest central functions for the surrounding unincorporated area and the north adjacent CDP Three Rivers in the years before and after the establishment, efforts were made to locate industrial and commercial. The regional utility Midstate Electric Cooperative has moved its headquarters to La Pine and the first stage of the industrial area is already fully utilized. Another industrial area for service providers and an industrial area on the railway line are available.
For the city and the region, tourism plays a significant economic role. La Pine is completely surrounded by the Deschutes National Forest and lies at the gateway to Newberry National Volcanic Monument, a volcanic crater lakes and excellent fishing opportunities. Hiking and hunting play a more important role. The river offers opportunities for swimming and canoeing. Annually since 2001, is a major rodeo event held in La Pine. West of the town are in the mountains, several large reservoirs that were created by the Bureau of Reclamation for the use of hydropower. They also contribute to the recreational value of the region, the larger are suitable for windsurfing and sailing.
The character as a scattered settlement implies that infrastructure for substantial funds must be spent. Roads, water pipes and ducts must cover large distances per inhabitant connected. This was a major reason for the rejection of the larger planned city foundations. Therefore, should the planning horizon to 2029 three settlement areas to be consolidated and developed as small Ostschaften with extensive autonomy.
La Pine is part of the metropolitan statistical area of almost 50 km northern city of Bend, who carries out central functions for La Pine and the entire region. U.S. Highway 97 provides access to the valley of the Little Deschutes River and continues after its confluence with the Deschutes River to Bend continues to this. To the south of the Highway 97 La Pine connects Klamath Falls in southern Oregon and then to California. Through the village runs parallel to U.S. Highway, a railway line of the BNSF Railway, which currently has no railway station in the municipality or its environment.
The school administration in La Pine was not included if the city was founded and remains the responsibility of the Deschutes County. The schools in La Pine are part of the Bend -La Pine School District.
Economically, La Pine area as a region with very rural character far behind other parts of Oregon and Deschutes County back. In 2000, the former CDP had a median household income of $ 29,859 while Deschutes County (distorted but by statistical corrections) to $ 53,913 came .. Also the formal education level of the region lies with only 8.4% of the population with a college degree far below the comparable figure for the County with 28.9 %
Since the area around the year 2000, however, has taken a huge upswing, Deschutes County has experienced a population growth of around 50 % in the decade to 2010, which also significantly wealthier residents have come with higher formal education in the region of La Pine, but only are reported in the U.S. Census 2010.