Homesteader gives up farming for his rock gardens
Petersen Rock Garden was a major tourist attraction in the Central Oregon area
Petersen Rock Garden is a tourist attraction located seven miles southwest of Redmond and three miles north of Deschutes Junction. The site was developed by Rasmus Petersen. Rasmus Christian Petersen was born in Odense, Denmark, on July 21, 1886. He came to the United States when he was 17.
He arrived in Central Oregon in 1906 and started clearing land for a homestead near the area known as Pleasant Ridge located between Bend and Redmond. He eventually obtained rights to 250 acres that included some water rights. He raised alfalfa, potatoes, wheat and rye.