1996: Chamber names boys choir director, Marvin Cochran, the citizen of the year

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95 years ago

February 4, 1926

More than four hundred people from all over Crook County attended the old time dance at the Prineville pavilion last Friday night and from all reports had the best they had had in years. The music was furnished by a mixed organization consisting of fiddles, banjo, guitar and organ. From six to eight sets were on the floor at each quadrille and Gene Jones, the caller, handled them in old time style. The following dances were enjoyed by the large crowd during the evening, quadrilles, schottische, polka three-step, waltz, two-step, rye waltz and the French minuette.

With more than 30 delegates present from Sisters, Redmond, Bend, Mitchell, Antone and Dayville, interest expressed in telegrams from John Day and Prairie City, the Mitchell-Dayville Highway association came into being here Saturday afternoon when C.H. Miller of Redmond was made president, A. King of Mitchell vice-president and H.T. Smith of Prineville secretary. Any resident of Oregon who is interested in this connection is eligible to become a member. The slogan adopted is: The Mitchell-Dayville connection is the next major construction project in Central Oregon.

75 years ago

January 31, 1946

While the March of Dimes campaign in Crook County will not come to its official close until tonight, the people of Crook County have already broken all records with their contributions to the infantile paralysis campaign and there is the possibility that Crook County may be the outstanding county in Oregon in the 1946 March of Dimes, committees of the Prineville-Crook County junior chamber of commerce reported Wednesday night. The Jaycees are sponsoring the March of Dimes in Crook County this year. Reports made by committees at the regular meeting of the Jaycees Wednesday night showed contributions totaling $1,963.83 had been placed in the March of Dimes account at the bank by Wednesday afternoon. The largest previous collection was a little less than $900.

50 years ago

February 4, 1971Crook County's official population in the 1970 census was 9,985, up 5.9% from the 1960 figure of 9,430. The official population of the state was 2,019,385, up 18.2% from the 1960 population count, which was 1,768,687.

While the official census states the population of Prineville decreased to 4,100 people, city administrator Jim Watson thinks otherwise. Watson believes the figure is closer to 5,000. And, at $20 per head in revenue from gas, cigarette and liquor taxes, he believes it is worth looking into.

"Based on the number of sewer connections and the average number of people per family, we're at least 4,800 people," Watson said. "We've added over 200 people just in annexations. It seems like we've added enough people to exceed 5,000."

25 years ago

January 25, 1996

Local music teacher Marvin Cochran was chosen as Prineville's Citizen of the Year at the annual Chamber of Commerce banquet. He was recognized for his work with the Crook County Cadet Boys Choir. The choir, which Cochran organized 30 years ago, has taken local boys in the art of singing, making them competitive on a national basis. It is estimated that since 1965, well over 1,200 boys participated in this program. Cochran's work over the past three decades is based, according to the nominations, on three things; tremendous dedication, patience and a tremendous love to see these boys develop into something special.

"It is easy," Cochran said when accepting the award, "to soar with eagles, when you have so many angles to support you."