This sign is located west of the interpretive shelter at the East Portal Site for the McKenzie-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway.
Marker Name: A Century in Sisters
Marker Text: For many years, Sisters had existed as a gateway to the Cascades but didn’t become a city until 1901. During those early years, more sheep and cattle passed through town than people.
The Hotel Sisters was built in 1912. It soon became a landmark in this fledgling town, which also included a Drug Store, General Store, Post Office, Blacksmith Shop, and a few modest homes.
By 1920, a fire lookout tower was fashioned from a 100-foot tall ponderosa pine. A fire broke out in 1923 burning half the town. A year later, a second fire burned the other half leaving just a handful of original structures. The lookout tower was retired shortly after.
Despite the handships of the time, determined Sisters residents not only rebuilt, but managed to have some fun as well. Entertainment included dances, fairs, racing horses down Main Street, and establishing the “Biggest Little Show in the World,” the Sisters Rodeo.
As automobile travel became more common, gas stations and the first motels were built. During this period, the local logging industry was accelerated by a short-lived railroad line, which ran between Sisters and Bend.
This feisty little town of hard working individuals eventually found itself struggling in the post-war years. Growth was slow and opportunities were limited. By the 1970s, the local economy was in trouble and the town was searching for an identity.
It was around this time that developers suggested an “1880s western theme” for the town. Within a short time the town began to experience economic success with a booming real estate market attracting entrepreneurs and injecting new life into the town.
One hundred years later, the little city of Sisters is prepared for big growth. Thanks to an architectural design code the city’s style will always pay tribute to its turn-of-the-century beginnings.
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