Old Bend in Deschutes County, Oregon — The American West (Northwest)

Frank T. Johns

Born February 23, 1889, Sunbory, Pennsylvania

— Died May 20, 1928, Bend, Oregon —

Frank T. Johns Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, May 27, 2024

1. Frank T. Johns Marker

Inscription. Frank T. Johns—Social Labor Party candidate for the presidency of the United States finished his address near this memorial then responded to a call for help from two boys who had fallen into the river from the footbridge upstream. Here Frank T. Johns made the supreme sacrifice on the 20th day of May, 1928.
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13-14

Erected 1970 by A Friend of Labor Allied Christian Foundation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Events. A significant historical year for this entry is 1928.

Location. 44° 3.57′ N, 121° 19.104′ W. Marker is in Bend, Oregon, in Deschutes County. It is in Old Bend. It can be reached from Northwest Riverside Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 880 NW Riverside Blvd, Bend OR 97701, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Oregon’s High Desert.

It is also in the American Mountain West

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

in the Cascade Range,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Frank T. Johns Landmark (here, next to this marker); Klondike Kate (within shouting distance of this marker); Horses and High Wheels (within shouting distance of this marker); Bend School Landmark (within shouting distance of this marker); Pioneer Homesite (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Clyde McKay Landmark (about 500 feet away); Founding of Bend (about 800 feet away); A.M. Drake Homesite (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bend.

Also see . . . Frank T. Johns (1889-1928). In 1928, Johns was again nominated as the presidential candidate at the party's national convention in New York. He returned to Oregon, where he made Bend the first stop on his national tour. On May 20, either directly before or immediately after an evening speech in Drake Park on the Deschutes River, Johns was interrupted by calls for help. Jack Rhodes, who was ten or eleven years old, had fallen off a nearby footbridge and into

Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, May 27, 2024

2. Frank T. Johns Marker

the freezing river. Johns removed his coat and dived into the water to save the boy. He reached Rhodes in the middle of the river and tried to push him toward shore, but was overpowered by the icy current. Both Johns and Rhodes drowned. (Submitted on February 17, 2025, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon.)

Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, May 27, 2024

3. Frank T. Johns Marker

A related marker resides on the backside of this marker.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 18, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 17, 2025, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. This page has been viewed 129 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 17, 2025, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.