History More than 11,500 years ago, the region was inhabited by native tribes who called the forests, meadowlands and lakes home. Nearly 7,000 years ago, lava flows dammed the Deschutes River at Benham Falls, backing up a lake that covered much of what is now Sunriver. When the river finally broke, a lush meadow surrounded by thick forests was left behind. During the winter of 1843, explorer John C. Fremont and guide Kit Carson traveled through the Sunriver area. In 1855, Robert Stockton Williamson and Henry Larcom Abbot surveyed the area for the railroad between California and the Columbia River. In the late 1880s, cattlemen drove their herds through the area. William and Sadie Vandevert along with their seven children were among the first homesteaders in the area. 1943-44: During World War II, the U.S. government purchased 5,500 acres to become Camp Abbot, a military training base for the Army Corps of Engineers. Constructed in 1942 as a self-contained city, Camp Abbot contained roads, water/sewer facilities and enough housing to sustain up to 10,000 soldiers at a time. During the 14 months of operation, Camp Abbot trained 90,000 troops. It was decommissioned in 1944 and the buildings and infrastructure were torn down. • The Great Hall, formerly known as the Camp Abbot Officer’s Club, is the only remaining building from historic Camp Abbot. The building was constructed in three months with native materials, including 511 logs, ten tons of volcanic rock for the fireplace and 150,000 board feet of timber. Late 1940s to 1960s: The land used by Camp Abbot was returned to the U.S. Forest Service, but 5,500 acres were sold to private landowners. The property changed hands many times. 1965: John Gray and Don McCallum, the original developers, purchase 5,500 acres in “the middle of nowhere” to form Sunriver Properties. 1968: John Gray and Don McCallum finish their “Plan of Sunriver.”Their goal was to create an environmentally sensitive and friendly community. Sunriver is named after the area’s two main features: sunshine and the river. Lot sales and home construction began in 1968. Today: Sunriver welcomes guests throughout the world. There are more than 4,100 homes and condominiums. From its beginning to its present, the area has been a place of wonder, joy and uinspiration for all who live and visit Sunriver. Sunriver’s History The entrance to Camp Abbot, a combat engineer training facility during WWII Photos courtesy of Deschutes Historical Museum 2024-25 | SunriverChamber.com 15
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==