The value of public lands cannot be overstated. In the 1920s, select citizens of Bend understood this, and they petitioned to preserve what is now Drake Park, a 13-acre riverfront public park at the heart of Bend’s city center. 

In 1855, lands occupied primarily by Wasco, Warm Springs, and Northern Paiute Nations members were ceded to the U.S. government through the Treaty of 1855 and later purchased by private U.S. citizens (or Euro-American men intending to become citizens). The first recorded homesteaders to occupy “Farewell Bend” (Bend’s original name) were Stephen Staats and Court Allen, whose disputed lot lines resulted in turning a log cabin into a school in 1883 for children of the half dozen or so families living along the Deschutes River. In 1900, when, according to census records, 21 people lived in Farewell Bend, Alexander Drake and his wife arrived and purchased the land known today as Drake Park. 

In 1904, they began supplying water through their newly established irrigation company, which eventually evolved into the Central Oregon Irrigation District. Drake founded the Pilot Butte Development Company and was responsible for subdividing, platting, and laying out many of the roads of downtown Bend and the surrounding neighborhoods. He built a sawmill, a hydroelectric power station, and a dam across the Deschutes River, which still exists (in an upgraded form) to hold Mirror Pond. By 1910, Bend’s population had grown to 536, and the Drakes sold their holdings in Central Oregon to the Bend Company, which reserved the riverfront property for further industrial use.

In 1919, when talk of home development threatened to privatize the southeastern banks of the Deschutes River near Mirror Pond, the Women’s Civic Improvement League, led by May Arnold, petitioned the city to purchase the land. In a town inhabited by roughly 5,400 citizens, they gathered 1,500 signatures to get a bond measure on the ballot, which passed and allotted $21,000 to finance the purchase. In 1921, Bend Company deeded the 11-acre park to the now incorporated City of Bend. In 1928, the city council made a resolution to rename the area from City Park to Drake Park in honor of the town’s founder. Over the decades and over one hundred years later, Drake Park has undergone additional improvements, become a staple for city events, and is maintained by the Bend Park and Recreation District. Improvements include purchasing additional land for a total of 13 acres, maintaining lawns, constructing a footbridge, adding safe river access and an amphitheater, building bathrooms and picnic tables, and paving walkways. 

In 2023, a new boardwalk was built alongside Mirror Pond. This boardwalk improves ADA access, reduces riverbank erosion, and elongates the Deschutes River Trail system by creating an important connection to Pacific Park and the First Street Rapids farther upriver. Currently, Bend Park and Recreation District and the City of Bend are partnering to plan and design improvements to Riverfront Street, a neighborhood street on the south side of DrakePark that serves as an unofficial connection between Drake Park and Miller’s Landing Park, another popular riverfront recreation area near the Old Mill. Such improvements will transform this currently car-centric street into a more pedestrian and bicycle-friendly area, further elongating the Deschutes River Trail. Once connected by Riverfront Street, the Deschutes River Trail will go from Farewell Bend Park on the far side of the Old Mill District to First Street Rapids.

One of Bend’s most significant treasures is the river around which this town was built. Thanks to the early foresight of particular residents and the long-standing dedication to creating and preserving public parks through Bend Park and Recreation District and the City of Bend, residents and visitors can enjoy this beautiful resource as a place to walk, run, bike, play games, picnic, and enjoy with family and friends. 

What’s happening at Drake Park? 

In addition to organized community walks, runs, concerts, and theater events, Drake Park is home to plenty of year-round activities, including:

• Bend Brews & Beyond (May)
• Bend Summer Pride (June)
• Bend Pet Parade (July 4)
• Munch & Music (July and August, weekly)
• The Great Drake Park Duck Race (September)
• And more! 

Thanks to the Deschutes County Historical Society for celebrating the Drake Park Centennial and providing historical information in their June 2021 newsletter. More information can be found at deschuteshistory.org and bendparksandrec.org.