USA > Oregon > Douglas County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 43
USA > Oregon > Jackson County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 43
USA > Oregon > Josephine County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 43
USA > Oregon > Coos County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 43
USA > Oregon > Curry County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 43
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" A portion of the country we purposed to traverse was at that time marked on the map ' unexplored region.' All the information we could get relative to it was through the Hudson's Bay Company. Peter Ogden, an officer of that company, who had led a party of trappers through that region, represented that portions of it were desert-like, and that at one time his company was so pressed for the want of
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water that they went to the top of a mountain, filled sacks with snow, and were thus able to cross the desert. He also stated that portions of the country through which we would have to travel, were infested with fierce and warlike savages, who would attack every party entering their country, steal their traps, waylay and murder the men, and that Rogue river had taken its name from the character of the Indians inhabiting its valleys. The idea of opening a wagon road through such a country at that time, was scouted as preposterous. These statements, though based on facts, we thought might be exaggerated by the Hudson's Bay Company in their own interest, since they had a line of forts on the Snake river route, reaching from Fort Hall to Vancouver, and were prepared to profit by the immigration. One thing which had much influence with us was the fact that the question as to which power, Great Britain or the United States, would eventually secure a title to the country, was not settled, and in case a war should occur and Britain prove successful, it was important to have a way by which we could leave the country without running the gauntlet of the Hud- son's Bay Company forts and falling a prey to Indian tribes which were under British influence.
" June twentieth, 1846, we gathered on the La Creole, near where Dallas now stands, moved up the valley and encamped for the night on Mary's river, near where the town of Corvallis has since been built.
" The next morning, June twenty-third, we moved on through the grassy oak hills and narrow valleys, to the North Umpqua river. The crossing was a rough and dangerous one, as the river bed was a mass of loose rocks, and, as we were crossing, our horses occasionally fell, giving the riders a severe ducking.
"On the morning of the twenty-fourth, we left camp early and moved on about five miles to the south branch of the Umpqua, a considerable stream, probably sixty yards wide, coming from the eastward. Traveling up that stream almost to the place where the old trail crosses the Umpqua mountains, we encamped for the night opposite the historic Umpqua canyon.
" The next morning, June twenty-fifth, we entered the canyon, followed up the little stream that runs through the defile for four or five miles, crossing the creek a great many times, but the canyon becoming more obstructed with brush and fallen timber, the little trail we were following turned up the side of the ridge, where the woods were more open, and wound its way to the top of the mountain. It then bore south along a narrow backbone of the mountain, the dense thickets and the rocks on either side affording splendid opportunities for ambush. A short time before this, a party coming from California, had been attacked on this summit-ridge by the Indians and one of them had been severely wounded. Several of the horses had also been shot with arrows. Along this trail we picked up a number of broken and shattered arrows. We could see that a large party of Indians had passed over the trail traveling southward only a few days before.
" On the morning of the twenty-sixth we divided our forces, part going back to explore the canyon, while the remainder stayed to guard the camp and horses. The exploring party went back to where we left the canyon on the little trail the day before,
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and returning through the canyon, came into camp after night, reporting that wagons could be taken through.
" Making an early start we moved on very cautiously. Whenever the trail passed through thickets we dismounted and led our horses, having our guns in hand ready at any moment to use them in self-defense, for we had adopted this rule, never to be the aggressor. Towards evening we saw a great many Indians posted along the mountain side, and now and then running ahead of us. As we advanced toward the river, the Indians in large numbers occupied the river bank near where the trail crossed. Having understood that this crossing was a favarite place of attack, we decided as it was growing late, to pass the night in the prairie.
" In selecting our camp on Rogue river, we observed the greatest caution. Cutting stakes from the limbs of an old oak that stood in the open ground, we picketed our horses with double stakes as firmly as possible. The horses were picketed in the form of a hollow square, outside of which we took up our positions. We kept vigilant guard during the night, and, the next morning could see the Indians occupying the same position as at dark. There had been a heavy dew, and fearing the effects of the damp- ness upon our fire-arms, which were muzzle-loaders, of course, and some of them with flint-locks, we fired them off and re-loaded. In moving forward we formed two divis- ions, with the pack horses behind. On reaching the river bank the front division fell behind the pack horses and drove them over, while the rear division faced the brush, with gun in hand, until the front division was safely over. Then they turned about, and the rear division passed over under protection of their rifles. The Indians watched the performance from their places of concealment, but there was no chance for them to make an attack without exposing themselves to our fire. The river was deep and rapid, and for a short distance some of the smaller animals had to swim. Had we rushed pell mell into the stream, as parties sometimes do under such circumstances, our expedition would probably have come to an end there.
" After crossing, we turned up the river, and the Indians in large numbers came out of the thickets on the opposite side and tried in every way to provoke us. There appeared to be a great commotion among them. A party had left the French settle- ment in the Willamette some three or four weeks before us, consisting of French, half- breeds, Columbia Indians and a few Americans ; probably about eighty in all. Pass- ing one of their encampments we could see by the sign that they were only a short distance ahead of us. We afterward learned that the Rogue Rivers had stolen some of their horses, and that an effort to recover them had caused the delay. From our camp we could see numerous signal fires on the mountains to the eastward.
"On the morning of June 29th, we passed over a low range of hills, from the summit of which we had a splendid view of Rogue river valley. It seemed like a great meadow, interspersed with groves of oaks which appeared like vast orchards. All day long we traveled over rich black soil covered with rank grass, clover and pea- vine, and at night encamped near the other party on the stream now known as Emi- grant creek, near the foot of the Siskiyou mountains. This night, the Indians having gone to the mountains to ambush the French company as we afterwards learned, we were not disturbed. Here our course diverged from that of the other company, they
WALLING-LITH-PORTLAND.OR
STORE AND RESIDENCE OF ADAM PERSHBAKER, RANDOLPH, Coos Co.
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following the old California trail across the Siskiyou, while our route was eastward through an unexplored region several hundred miles in extent.
" Spending most of the day in examining the hills about the stream now called Keene creek, near the summit of the Siskiyou ridge we moved on down through the heavy forests of pine, fir and cedar, and encamped early in the evening, in a little val- ley, now known as Round prairie. On the morning of July 1st, being anxious to know what we were to find ahead, we made an early start. This morning we observed the track of a lone horse leading eastward, thinking it had been made by some Indian horseman, on his way from Rogue river to the Klamath country, we undertook to fol- low it. This we had no trouble in doing, as it had been made in the spring, while the ground was damp and was very distinct, until we came to a very rough rocky ridge where we lost it.
" The next day, July 3rd, we again traveled northward, further than before, mak- ing a more complete examination of the country than we had previously done, and at last found what seemed to be a practicable pass. Near this was a rich grassy valley through which ran a little stream, and here we encamped for the night. This valley is now known as Long prairie.
" After crossing the summit of the Cascade ridge, the descent was, in places, very rapid. At noon we came out into a glade where there was water and grass and from which we could see the Klamath river. After noon we moved down through an immense forest, principally of yellow pine, to the river, and then traveled up the north bank, still through yellow pine forests, for about six miles, when all at once we came out in full view of the Klamath country, extending eastward as far as the eye could reach. It was an exciting moment, after the many days spent in the dense forests and among mountains, and the whole party broke forth in cheer after cheer." [For the conclusion of this expedition the reader is referred to page 148 of this volume, and for the contemporaneous visit of Fremont to page 187.]
Such are the material events of Southern Oregon prior to its settlement, and the plan of this work does not embrace any further generalization of events. The details of occurrences and early settlements will be found carefully arranged by counties and recited in the history of the special locality in which they occurred. 10
JACKSON COUNTY.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
GEOGRAPHY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
Jackson County- Its Situation and Boundaries-Extent of Surface Diversity of Scenery-Mountain Ranges The Country a Basin-Mt. Pitt-Crater Lake-The Upper Rogue River-Rogue River- Origin of Name- Smaller Streams-Bear Creek Valley.
Jackson county occupies a position on the southeastern angle of Southern Oregon, and comprises about two-sevenths of the aggregate area of that division of the state. In form it is nearly square, and its boundaries are mainly composed of straight lines, which have directions towards the cardinal points. More minutely, the southern boundary-co-incident with the northern boundary of California-is forty-eight miles long and runs due east and west. The eastern boundary, dividing Jackson and Klam- ath counties, is ninety miles in length, and its direction is north and south, or making a right angle with the southern boundary. The northern boundary separates Jackson from Douglas county, and follows the summit of the high land or divide between the Rogue river and South Umpqua, having a curved course bending southwesterly. The fourth side of the square is formed by the boundary between Josephine and Jackson, and is an arbitrary and broken line, made up of three straight lines which coincide with township boundaries. This dividing line measures fifty-one miles in length, and terminates on the California line at the point where Jackson, Josephine and Siskiyou counties meet. All these boundaries, excepting the western, although the eastern and southern are straight lines, conform very closely to natural lines of division. As for the southern, it follows the course of the lofty Siskiyou range, which naturally sepa- rates Oregon from California ; on the east the water-shed between the Rogue river basin and the Klamath lake region approximates with the separating line of Klamath and Jackson counties ; northwardly, nature has built up the Canyon mountains as a barrier between the Rogue river and Umpqua regions, and man has accepted them as marking the political divisions of the two counties.
To recapitulate : Douglas county lies on the north of Jackson, Klamath on the east, Josephine on the west, and Siskiyou county, California, on the south. The area of Jackson county is approximately 3,000 square miles, or to be more precise, contains the equivalent of eighty-one townships of thirty-six square miles each, or 2,916 square miles. Rendered in acres this is equal to no less a number than 1,866,240-an area not far short of the size of Connecticut, and nearly twice that of Rhode Island.
Within this large tract is a great diversity of land and scenery. The whole region is broken up into valleys, and mountain and hill ranges, adown or between which flow streams which find their way to the Rogue river. Excepting a small por- tion of the southeastern corner of the county, all its waters make their way to that stream, tributary to it, as all their valleys are tributary to the central valley of the
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Rogue river. The word basin describes the general aspect of the country ; all around, excepting upon its western border, lie lofty mountain ranges hemming in the valley of the Rogue as with a wall. On the south the Siskiyou, on the east the Cascades, on the north the Canyon mountains, form majestic barriers to isolate the basin of the Rogue river. The highest point of these natural bulwarks approaches 9,000 feet. Mount Pitt, otherwise called MeLaughlin, lying nearly in the center of the eastern boundary, has been accredited with a height of 9,250 feet, or the same altitude as Mount Thiel- sen (known to the people of Jackson county as Diamond peak, but called by moun- taineers Cow-horn peak), which lies a few miles beyond the northeasternmost point of Jackson county. At the foot of Thielsen heads Rogue river ; which, pursuing its pre- cipitous way southwestward between steep mountain sides forming a stupendous canyon, runs on to the wide valley below, where the mountains sink into hills and finally are lost at the junction of many streams. Rising at an altitude of over 6,000 feet the Rogue pursues its tortuous course for a hundred miles before passing the boundaries of Jackson county, and in that distance arrives at a level of about 1,000 feet above tide- water as it enters Josephine county. The altitude then of the lowest point in Jackson county may be taken as 1,000 feet, this point being a short distance below Grant's Pass, on the extreme western edge of the county. The utmost depth of the basin of Rogue river, accordingly reaches 3,000 feet if we assume 4,000 feet as the least altitude of the wall of mountains which surrounds the basin, and the estimate is doubtless cor- rect with respect to all but those mountains which lie to the northwest, which may fall somewhat short of these figures.
Thus far no exact determinations of altitude have been undertaken with respect to the mountains of Southern Oregon. The railroad people have indeed surveyed the points which lie upon their route, and private surveyors have reported upon the heights of many points upon county and other roads; but no exact scientific measure- ments have been undertaken as to the higher summits of the Cascades. From the notes of engineers who have surveyed the California and Oregon boundary line, we take the following excerpts :
" The line traverses Lower Klamath lake thirteen miles; thence ascending a very broken, rough and timbered country it crosses Klamath river at a point 1043 miles from the ocean; it then takes over high, rocky mountains cut by the deep canyons of Long Prairie and Jenny creeks, between which two streams it reaches the southern extremity of the eastern boundary of Jackson county at a point ninety-eight miles from the Pacific ocean. At seventy-nine and a half miles from the Pacific it crosses the Oregon and California stage road, just north of Cole's station. Thence ascending to the summit of the Siskiyou range, and leaving the Hungry creek mines in Cali- fornia, the line crosses the head of Applegate valley, leaving the southwestern corner of Jackson county, which is just fifty and one-half miles from the Pacific. Thence passing over exceedingly rugged mountains it continues five miles south of the Althouse, and crosses the Illinois river at the junction of its forks, and three miles south of Waldo. This point is twenty-eight miles from the Pacific."
The Siskiyou chain attain a lofty height, being piled up quite to the line of perpetual snow. These elevations exceed in altitude any summit east of the Missis- sippi, and are only second to the majestic Cascades themselves. Their aspect is rugged
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in the extreme. Huge cliffs tower aloft, the main range sends forth many off-shoots, and profound canyons penetrate its dense recesses. Over this grand wall of granite, sandstone and basalt a wagon road, projected early and begun in 1849, passes, to accommodate travel between California and Oregon. A few miles west of the road Pilot rock towers aloft, a column-like mass of basalt, a thousand feet high and barely half that in diameter at its base. A noted landmark this, and known and noticed since the earliest times. On the sides of the range and perhaps a mile in elevation above the present sea level, sea shells are found, a never-ceasing source of wonder to the observer, whose cogitations find vent in repeating the truism that "the sea must have covered the whole country in early times." Mineral springs, thermal springs and springs of water of supposed medicinal qualities abound. Soda springs of great capacity exist and a "health resort" of wide celebrity may be expected to ensue in future.
The eastern boundary of the Rogue river basin is composed as already hinted, of the summits of the Cascade mountains. This stupendous range it will be observed, extends north and south and divides the basin of Klamath lake from the country tributary to Rogue river. Approaching Klamath river the vast bulwark of hills and mountains sinks gradually until its greatest elevation, instead of presenting the aspect of a mountain range, is simply a plateau whose streams course indifferently to the east or west. Its height is about 4,000 feet; its surface is mainly covered with prairies and open glades. This portion, mainly inhabited by a few cattle-raisers and herdsmen, is of some agricultural value, and is capable of supporting the flocks and herds of quite a population.
Further north rises the majestic cone of Pitt-the Mont Blanc of Southern Oregon. Its summit, coated with the unmelted snow of ages, rears itself aloft, an enduring landmark to the people of two counties. Few scenes partake so much of sublimity as the view of the white summit of this grand mountain outlined against the clear sky of that elevated region. All its neighboring summits are dwarfs in compari- son, and for a hundred miles on either hand no rival rises. In form the huge peak is more nearly faultless than any other in the Cascades or Sierra Nevada, only St. Helens being worthy of comparison with it in this respect. The usual asperities of mountain peaks are absent here, where a symmetrical cone rises through the clear sky, covered with snow and belted beneath by a zone of ever-green trees, scattered in the upper regions but growing more and more thickly toward the base, and where the mountain broadens out into the plateau, merging into a gloriously dense and majestic forest.
But grand and imposing as Pitt is, nature has set near it a rival wonder more remarkable and more unique. Indeed, in point of uniqueness it is unrivalled upon the known face of the earth. This is Crater lake, of which those who have seen it have borne away recollections never to be erased. The pen and pencil of many visi- tors have been busy with its description and photographs have aided to afford an accurate conception of the glories of this tremendous work of nature. One who saw it, wrote: "The greatest curiosity of this region and one of the greatest of the whole northwest, is Crater lake, in the very summit of the Cascades, seventy-five miles northeast of Jacksonville. Its remoteness from the usual routes of travel has kept it in comparative seclusion; but more are attracted hither yearly, and it will, in the
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future, be one of the regular objeets visited by tourists in this region. It has been variously known as Blue lake, Deep lake and Lake Majesty, but the more appropriate title it now bears will no doubt remain with it forever. In approaching the visitor suddenly finds himself upon the edge of a tremendous precipice, and looking across a wide stretch of water that lies far beneath. The shores vary from 1,500 to 3,000 feet in height. To be critical, there is no shore, for only at one point can a sure-footed person descend the cliff to the lake level, and when there the presence of a few boul- ders and some fallen debris is all that indicates a shore. The waters are wide, deep and silent. It is seldom that a breeze disturbs them, but at moments a wierd breath moves softly along and breaks the calm surface into ripples. Looking across from the surrounding wall the sky is seen so perfectly reflected in the water that were it not for the rocky margin of the lake it would be impossible to discern the line of division. The circumference is more than twenty miles, and the altitude of its surface as great as the summit of the pass over the mountains. On the outside the steep walls shelve off into mountain ridges, wooded to the top; on the inside they stand almost perpendicular, looking down forever on the captive sea.
In the early years, before the wide scope of country to the east was covered up with lava and ashes, there must have stood here one of the grandest mountains of the world. How immense this great volcano must have been can be imagined when it is realized that these walls that now stand from 7,500 to 9,000 feet high, are only the shell of the mountain as it once existed. With a base of twenty miles in circumfer- ence, at a height of 7,000 feet, what must have been the altitude of the cone that was reared above it? Beside it Hood, Shasta and Tacoma would hide their diminished heads. That such a mountain once stood here as an active volcano can not be doubted. The country to the east for many square miles is buried beneath ashes, pumice and volcanic scoria. To the terrible convulsions of nature, those miles of desolation, those rocky walls and this vast crater bear witness. In the midst of the lake rises a perfect but extinct volcano, at least 1,500 feet in height, its sides fringed with a stunted growth of hemlock. The lava flowing from this has made an island in the lake at least three miles long. The cone has a dish-like depression in its apex, which shows where once its crater was, and into which one can look from a position on the bluff's above. The period of the first great eruption was followed by a season of rest and then a second eruption, during which the small cone was formed by the final effort of the expiring forces. Burning lava flowed fiercely down its sides, where now the dwarfed hemlock has gained a precarious foothold and seeks to hide its ugliness beneath a mantle of vegetation.
The Indians view Crater lake and its surroundings as holy ground, and approach it with reverence and awe. It is one of the earthly spots made sacred by the presence of the Great Spirit, and the ancient tribal traditions relate many mysterious incidents in connection with it. In the past none but medicine men visited it, and when one of the tribe felt called upon to become a teacher and healer, he spent several weeks on the shore of the lake in fasting, in communion with the dead, and in prayer to the Shahullah Tyee. Here they saw visions and dreamed dreams, and when they came down from the mountain, like Moses from Sinai, they were looked up to with reverence as having communed with the Great Spirit, and seen the unknown world."
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Another writer, more flowery and voluminous, published in the State Line Herald his impressions of a trip to the wonderful lake, which are here reproduced as contain- ing much valuable information of the country through which the traveler passes on his way to the lake. The most usual, and, in fact, the only route from the inhabited portion of Jackson county, lies along the Rogue river, passing up that stream for many miles. The story of the journey is thus told: Some there are who have traversed the Alps and the Appenines, have visited Yosemite and Tahoe, only to stand entranced on the brink of this once mighty cauldron and look with silent awe into its awful depth; or, turning, view with rapture the beautiful landscape spread out like a map below and around them. The roads leading to this wonderful spot, too, are fruitful of other treats in the rugged grandeur of this picturesque range. The best time for visiting Crater lake is in the month of August, before the snows of autumn come to block the way, or her frost to bite the wanderer, or blight the verdure so near these lofty summits. The location of the spot we seek is twenty-five miles in a northerly direction from Fort Klamath, near the northwest border of Lake county, Oregon, and is directly on the summit of the Cascade range, at an elevation of 9,000 feet above the level of the sea. Leaving the California and Oregon stage line at Jack- sonville or Ashland, in Rogue River valley, having first provided ourselves with all the necessary accoutrements and paraphernalia for camp and mountain travel, we start in a northerly direction for the banks of Rogue river. The Rogue river road to Fort Klamath is a reasonably good one at this season of the year, and will bear us within three or four miles of the lake, which is about ninety miles distant from our starting point.
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