Former Oregon lumber town rides digital wave to a comeback

Fifteen years ago, Facebook came looking for a site for its first wholly owned data center. The executives liked that the chilly night air at 3,200 feet (975 meters) above sea level could cool the servers, cheaply and in an eco-friendly way. They liked the 15-year abatement on property taxes, and the fact there was room to grow.

The California-based company completed a 300,000-square-foot (27,870-square-meter) data center in 2011. Within months, it began building a second. Facebook is now building a third on a bluff 400 feet (120 meters) above Prineville. Apple followed suit, and officials recently announced it will also build its third data center in the town of about 9,000.

The future looks sunnier. Unemployment is down to 6.8 percent.

Andrew Selsky, Associated Press

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