Complex sentence: Not long after, homesteaders began to settle the region, making use of the wide open lands for ranches, and in 1877, Prineville became the first city in the region, followed in 1888 by the founding of Sisters.
Split into simpler sentences: Not long after, homesteaders began to settle the region, making use of the wide open lands for ranches. In 1877, Prineville became the first city in the region, followed in 1888 by the founding of Sisters.