BEND, OR -- One of Central Oregon’s most famous homesteaders will soon be commemorated in a sculpture at the Deschutes Historical Museum.
Executive Director Kelly Cannon-Miller says Kate Rockwell, better known as “Klondike Kate,” will be honored in the piece, which will also recognize the contributions made by other early women settlers. "A tremendous amount of single women utilized the Homestead Act. And, they weren’t necessarily young women, either; you had women who were in that second phase of life, like Kate. Or, you had a huge number of widows, post-civil war, who that provided them with an opportunity. So, it’ll really give us a chance to talk about a lot of different things through this one piece of art." She says Rockwell was was a polarizing character of her time, who contributed to the pioneering spirit of early Bend. "The other person that this memorial is recognizing is Charlene Blahnik," says Cannon-Miller. "She is from the Rastovich family, who is another pioneer family. In fact, Rastovich Farms, in 2019, they’ll be eligible to be the first ‘century farm’ in Deschutes County, as a farm that’s been continuously run by one family for a hundred years. And, Charlene had a career as a very modern, contemporary artist."