This year Deschutes County celebrates its centennial! The County was formed back in 1916 (the same year the two big sawmills opened on the river and statewide prohibition took effect) out of the western part of Crook County, the last of Oregon’s counties to be established. So all year long the County is teaming up with the Deschutes Historical Society and a citizen volunteer committee to plan “a year-long celebration that will bring together groups of all kinds through a variety of events and activities.” Check out the centennial page for all the details and to stay up to date.

One of the first things is a poster contest for local artists to create the official centennial poster:

Poster designs should represent the past 100 years of Deschutes County history.

Poster Contest Guidelines:

• Only original artwork will be considered
• The winner’s work will become the property of Deschutes County
• Please submit your poster as a .jpeg or .pdf. It may be emailed or sent on a CD.
• The winner will be asked to submit a high-resolution .jpeg.
• Artists may submit multiple posters.
• All submissions are due by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

You can submit via the online entry form here.

Other events and projects planned for the year include a theatrical production on the history of the County’s formation, a centennial time capsule, a traveling historical display, Voter’s Pamphlet cover art contest, and more.