The area where Madras now stands was originally known as "The Basin." Sheep and cattle operators first utilized the site, where Willow Creek also flows, as a grazing zone. The Basin area was eventually settled by homesteaders in the late 1880s, and the location of present-day Madras is situated on the land of four early farmhouses. Madras was incorporated on March 2, 1910, and became a commercial center with the arrival of railroads in 1911, earning the nickname "Gateway to Central Oregon." With the arrival of irrigation water from the Deschutes River by means of the North Unit Project in...
The area where Madras now stands was originally known as "The Basin." Sheep and cattle operators first utilized the site, where Willow Creek also flow...
Early in 1868, Francis "Barney" Prine arrived in the Crooked River Valley of Central Oregon, established a blacksmith shop made of logs, and dispensed spirits from the back of the cabin. Prine saw the potential for development and industry along the lush banks of Crooked River and Ochoco Creek, and as more and more settlers arrived, the post office of Prine was established in 1871. The community soon emerged as a major commercial center for Central Oregon, one of the last frontiers in the state. In fact, Prineville boasts the only remaining city-owned railroad to operate in the United States....
Early in 1868, Francis "Barney" Prine arrived in the Crooked River Valley of Central Oregon, established a blacksmith shop made of logs, and dispensed...
