Over on his Source Weekly blog, Bob Woodward (who should rightly be Bend’s official historian) posts an interesting piece of Bend history: a summary of the life of George Putnam, an early Bulletin publisher and mayor of Bend, who married Amelia Earnhart.

As Mayor he approved the laying of Bend’s first sewer lines. As majority owner of The Bulletin, he turned it from a weekly into a daily paper.

Putnam’s marriage to Earhart was a much publicized event, and according to books on her life was, a very modern "open" marriage. Open or not, Putnam was a big supporter of Earhart’s career and a major financial backer of her various flights leading up to her final flight in 1937.

As to their life in Bend, Putnam and Earhart set up residence at 606 NW Congress Street. The house still stands.

Neat. I’d love to see more interesting history from Woodward.