History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources, Part 62

Author: Walling, A G pub
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Portland, Or., A. G. Walling
Number of Pages: 832

USA > Oregon > Douglas County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 62
USA > Oregon > Jackson County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 62
USA > Oregon > Josephine County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 62
USA > Oregon > Coos County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 62
USA > Oregon > Curry County > History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources > Part 62

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There is a considerable discrepancy between the various maps of the region in respect of the western boundary of the county, and the dimensions, as given by the act quoted, do not by any means appear on the ordinary state maps. The western boundary is usually considered to be a north and south line dividing range nine west, through the middle from a point about three miles south of Rogue river to the California line. The boundary, as it appears in the act, would intersect the corresponding townships of range eleven, west, thereby giving to Josephine about twenty-nine townships more surface than are usually assigned her. But considering the character of the region thus gained, it would hardly seem a valuable acquisition. The greatest length of the county is from north to south, and is fifty-eight miles ; the greatest width, assuming the county to be as it is usually figured on maps, is twenty-seven miles, and the extent of surface is 777,600 acres, or little more than one-third of the area of Jackson county.

Josephine county is very rough and mountainous in its character and has little level land. The principal mountain range is the Siskiyou, whose main chain separates Josephine county from California. Spurs of this range trend north and northwest, enclosing the Illinois river, which is the principal habitable section in the southern part.

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SOUTHERN OREGON.

Between this valley and that of the Applegate is a rugged and lofty range, which is a portion of the Siskiyous. The general direction of these ranges is northwest, as is shown by the principal streams running that way, and the last named chain of moun- tains is no exception to the rule, for it continues in that direction as far as the conflu- ence of Rogue and Illinois rivers. In the northern part of the county the principal ele- vations are off-shoots of what are commonly called the Rogue river mountains and sometimes the Umpqua or Canyon mountains. The Grave creek hills, so called, lie between that stream and Jump-off-Joe, and the Wolf creek range between Cow and Wolf creeks. They are very broken in appearance, but lie in a generally east and west line and are of considerable height, some summits attaining an elevation of 4,000 feet or more. Toward Rogue river the mountains decrease much in height, the highest summits being in the extreme ends of the county, whereas that stream flows through its middle or not far therefrom.

As previously inferred, the principal streams take a northwesterly course through Josephine county. They are Rogue and Illinois rivers, and Applegate creek, whereof the first and last rise in Jackson county, to the eastward, while Illinois river begins its course in Josephine, far up among the Siskiyous, and flowing through the most valu- able part of the county runs into Rogue river about twelve miles from the coast of Curry county. This stream takes its name from the state of Illinois, whence some early miners came and applied that name patriotically. The Illinois is divided in the upper part of its course, and its two branches, called east fork and west fork, respect- ively, unite a short distance above Kirbyville. Into the west fork flows Rough and Ready creek, which rises in the mountains of Curry and flows eastwardly, and the east fork receives Sucker and Althouse creeks, streams of immense note in mining history. A few miles below Kirbyville, Josephine creek enters the Illinois from the west, and Deer creek from the east.

This section, commonly called Illinois valley, is, rightly speaking, a basin, whose sides are mountain ranges which enclose it perfectly excepting as to the narrow and al- most impassable canyon through which flows the Illinois on its way to join Rogue river. The smaller tributaries named flow toward a common center. The height of the rim of the basin toward the south is from 5,000 to 7,000 feet. On the west are the rough and heavily wooded mountains of Curry county, among whose deep canyons and pre- cipitous steeps man can find no habitable spot. The Illinois has, by the slow process of cycles, worn its deep and narrow passage, as has Rogue river, but upon their banks no fertile bottom land exists nor has humanity ever found a resting place by their tur- bulent waters. But nature wears a fairer aspect on the upper portion of the course of the Illinois. Here are many farms, and the soil is, though small in quantity, very rich and productive. Above Kirbyville the river and its tributaries have yielded the greater part of the immense quantity of gold taken from the mines of Josephine. In the palmy days of 1855 and neighboring years the banks were lined with miners and the product of gold was enormous. The course of the Illinois is north for the greater portion of its length in Josephine county, but on reaching the waters of Deer creek, on the western boundary of township 38, it assumes a northwesterly direction and flows into Rogue river, thirty odd miles from the confluence of the creek named The extent of the basin of the Illinois and its tributary streams in Josephine county

Applegate Cr.

River.

MURPHY.

Murphy Cr.

Deer Cr.

Josephine Cr.

OUNTY.

# KERBYVILLE.

Sucker Cr.

Rough-and-Ready Cr.

Althouse

ALTHOUSE.

WALDO.

ALL HOURS.

SCALE OF MILES :

CALIFORNIA.

F. W. BENSON, C. E.

WALLING - LITH - PORTLAND - OREGON.

Illinois

CURRY

Steamboat Cr.

DOUGLAS COUNTY.

WOLF CREEK.

Wolf Cr.

Coyote Cr.

River.

Rogue

LUCKY QUEEN.

Jump-off Jo Cr.

Louse Cr.

JACE

JOSEPHINE

COUNTY.

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JOSEPHINE COUNTY.

is about 400 square miles or 270,000 acres, which is about one-third of the total area of the county. This extent of mountain, hill and dale comprises the most valuable por- tion of the county and constitutes an agricultural section of considerable importance. Here are gathered two-thirds of the total population of Josephine, with the greater part of the permanent improvements, etc. Here, too. is the county seat, Kirbyville, and the greater number of inhabited localities.

The northern section is less regular in outline than that just described, and is also more diversified. It falls short in the matter of natural advantages, nor has it means for supporting as numerous a population as the Illinois valley. The principal streams are the Rogue river and Applegate, Williams, Slate, Galice, Jump-off-Joe, Louse, Grave, Wolf and Coyote creeks, all of which ultimately find their way into the one channel of Rogue river. Applegate creek, the largest of these, enters Josephine county on the eastern boundary, and running northward joins Rogue river nearly in the middle of the county. It receives in Josephine county two considerable streams, Wil- liams and Slate creeks, both of which rise in the divide between the Applegate and Illinois and run northeast. Galice creek rises in the western portion of the county and empties into Rogue river, a short distance below Grave creek. Louse creek joins Jump-off-Joe and runs into Rogue river, from the opposite direction. Grave creek pursues a westerly course, receives Wolf creek and adds its waters to the main river, about fifteen miles below the mouth of Jump-off-Joe. Coyote creek is an affluent of Wolf ereek, and rises in the northwestern part of Jackson county. All of these creeks. without exception, have been the scene of mining operations and some are yet pro- ducing wealth and promising still better yields.

The flora and fauna of Josephine county have an almost exact resemblance to those of the sister county of Jackson. As regards the former there are various trees and plants of economic value, the principal of which are the sugar pine, pitch pine, cedar and red fir, of great importance in lumber making ; there are several species of hard wood, particularly the black oak and white oak, as well as various descriptions of smaller trees, underbrush, etc. Speaking in general terms we may say there is enough timber in the county to supply the probable demand for many generations ; and owing to its comparative inaccessibility large quantities will most likely remain standing for a long term of years.

Wild animals of many species are found in Josephine county, and those consid- ered as game are particularly abundant. Deer of the black-tailed variety abound in large numbers in nearly all parts of the county and are much valued as a means of sustenance. Bears of the small black species are not uncommon, and the more formid- able grizzly is met with, but not frequently. The cinnamon bear is also said to exist in the county. Elk, once plentiful, are now reduced in number to a few individuals who inhabit elevated and almost inaccessible spots in the mountains. The congar, bet- ter known as the California lion, and sometimes miscalled panther, is to be seen or heard in the wilds, and the mischievous coyote, the fox, raccoon, wild-cat. badger, and occasionally a porcupine are seen. Of fur-bearing animals there are the beaver, otter, marten, fisher and mink. Silver foxes are occasionally seen in the Siskiyous.

The mineral resources of Josephine county are similar to those of Jackson, no great difference being noted in any respect. Properly speaking, the two counties are

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SOUTHERN OREGON.

but one in location, industrial resources and natural advantages. As to mineral wealth, Josephine is well supplied with a large number of the more useful and valuable met- als, ores and rocks, most particularly of gold, copper and marble. Of the latter a mountain exists near the former town of Williamsburg, of various colors and emi- nently adapted for constructive purposes, and being in such vast quantity may justly be looked upon as of great future importance. The celebrated cave, so much spoken of, is, like nearly all great natural caverns, in limestone, whose quantity is inexhaust- ible. Copper has been an article upon which great hopes have been based. Several locations have been made on promising veins, and work has been undertaken in two or three instances. Near Waldo a mine of this sort whose ore contains twenty-three per cent. of metallic copper is owned by S. F. Chadwick, John Brandt and C. Hughes. The same parties own a similar claim fifteen miles below Kirbyville. Iron ore of assumed valuable quality exists in Josephine, but of course it can be looked upon only as a possible source of wealth in the very remote future.

But all other sources of mineral wealth become trivial in comparison with the gold mines of Josephine. The region is pre-eminently a country of gold mining, exceeding in respect to those interests any other portion of Oregon. The first gold extracted in the state was found in Josephine county, and after a third of a century actively spent in that pursuit, the deposits are by no means exhausted. There are placer diggings from which, as in Jackson county, by far the greater bulk of the wealth has been taken, the quartz mines producing a very small portion of the total yield.

CHAPTER LIV.

EVENTS OF THE COUNTY HISTORY.

Organization-Waldo, the First County Seat-Name Derived from Miss Josephine Rollins-Prospectors Arrive in 1851-Discovery of Placer Diggings-Althouse-A Hard Winter -- Roads -- Mining, the Principal Resource -. Statistics-Conclusions.

Josephine county was organized by act of the territorial legislature which took effect in January, 1856. The county seat at first was Waldo, originally and most frequently called Sailor Diggings, because of the discovery by a party of sea-faring men of rich placers in that vicinity. That place succeeded Althouse as the foremost locality in the Illinois valley, and in time was succeeded by Kirbyville, whose location is near the geographical centre. The first court of Josephine county was held in the fall of 1856, at Waldo, Judge M. P. Deady on the bench. The reason for setting Josephine off as a distinct county was that the people of that portion of Jackson county were incommoded by being obliged to travel so difficult a road to the county seat. This reason was of great force at that time, as the roads were extremely bad-in fact, were only trails-and

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JOSEPHINE COUNTY.

travel was necessarily slow and expensive. At the present day that mode of reasoning has lost much of its force, particularly with regard to the northern part of the county, whose people, aided by the railroad, would find it much easier to reach the capital of Jackson county than the comparatively secluded county seat of Josephine. The county derives its name directly from Josephine creek, and indirectly from Miss Josephine Rawlins or Rollins, at one time the only white female in the county. Her arrival took place in 1851, her father being, for a short time at least, a miner on Josephine creek, just below the confluence of Canyou creek. This young lady afterward settled in Yreka, and became the wife of O'Kelly, a resident of that town. It is worthy of remark that a member of the Legislature proposed to substitute the name Kelly for Josephine when the organic act was under discussion ; but the attempt against euphony and fitness signally failed.

The earliest visitors to what is now Josephine county undoubtedly were the trap- pers employed by the Hudson's Bay Company, who came through this region, travers- ing the northern part of it in the vicinity of the Oregon trail, and probably exploring in a casual way the valleys of the principal stream. It is known that they gave names to some of the water-courses and elevations of that part of the country, but the extent of their explorations and knowledge cannot now be known. At a later date, the trail -by that time well known and comparatively much used-was traversed by sundry parties of settlers from the northern part of the state, who were in the habit of making occasional trips to California for cattle, etc. Still later, the gold discoveries attract many people from the Willamette to the California mines, and travelers were frequent. Many curious and interesting occurrences must have taken place in these years, but of the most of them we have no knowledge beyond tradition and garbled hearsay state- ments.

In the year 1851 the history of the county really begins, in the discovery and working of the placers in Canyon and Josephine creeks. Herein we find that the commencement of the history of this county antedates that of Jackson by a year, and in some sense Josephine may be looked on as a progenitor of the neighboring county, in respect to its actual development, though not, of course, as regards the county organiza- tion, since that of Jackson preceded the other by four years.

In 1851, several prospectors came north from the Klamath river, and passing over the divide into the valley of the Illinois, found gold to the west of that stream, in the sands of a creek which flows into the Illinois a few miles below Kirbyville. The news of their discovery was immediately communicated to the numerons and populous min- ing camps of Northern California, and people began to move toward the new diggings in considerable numbers. This was the first mining locality discovered or worked in Oregon, and therefore a historic spot. During the season, more particularly in time of the same year, a considerable number of men arrived on the creek and mined, meeting with varied success. Several of these old miners now reside in various parts of South- ern Oregon, there being Hardy Eliff, of Cow creek, Dan Fisher, of Willow Springs, J. E. Ross, Nathaniel Mitchell and James Tuffs, now of Jackson county, and possibly others ; while the most of them, of course, have passed away.

When in June, 1851, active hostilities began against the Indians along the banks of Rogue river, Major Kearney dispatched a subordinate officer to the Illinois valley

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SOUTHERN OREGON.

for assistance in conquering the enemy. Quite a large proportion of the Josephine creek miners responded to the call and proceeded to Bear creek where they served for a few days against the Indians, their warlike career being terminated by the Gaines treaty of peace. Some thirty, it is said, were thus engaged, but others have fixed the number at twice that. How many remained on the creek is not known. Little pros- pecting was done in this year excepting on Josephine creek and its tributary, Canyon creek, nor were the diggings along these two streams very well developed. Canyon creek has continued to yield well ever since and is still worked somewhat. During the fall of 1851 a number of Willamette valley farmers and others tried their fortunes on the two creeks, but with indifferent success, owing mainly to their lack of skill and almost total lack of mining tools. In the following spring immigration set almost entirely toward Jacksonville, and Josephine county was neglected, until in the latter part of the year the Althouse-called so for Phillip Althouse, who washed the first pan of dirt in which gold was found on that stream-diggings were discovered and that place quickly assumed an importance almost equal to that of Jacksonville. Along Althouse creek for ten miles and more, the diggings extended and a vast number of miners labored there, perhaps not less than a thousand in the most active times. The pay dirt on this stream in places was of the richest description and probably surpassed any other locality in the whole of Southern Oregon. The aggregate production of the mines on Althouse and Democrat gulch, only separated by a divide, must have been enormous, for a very large number of miners labored there with satisfactory results for more than fifteen years. The average yearly number could not have been less than 300, and was probably more. Other mining districts filled up in like pro- portion, the principal ones being on the tributaries of the Illinois and on Galice creek, and when Josephine was organized as a county her mining population was probably not less than 2,500. Nearly the same mutations were experienced here as in Jackson county, in respect to the alternate ebb and flow of fortune and population, and there was a similarity in other respects, such as the difficulty of transportation, the want of communication with the outer world, lack of roads, etc. Prices were extremely high, particularly in the winter of 1852-3, when a great many miners were forced to leave their claims for want of food, and those who had the hardihood to remain were in many cases reduced to the direst straits, and not a few had to live on meat alone, and without salt. A considerable loss of life from hunger and improper food resulted from the distressing condition, which was made.so intolerable from the great fall of snow, which blocaded the trails in all directions and prevented ingress or egress. Spring came, however, communication was re-established, pack-trains began to arrive with loads of provisions, prices decreased, and the miners set about their season's work with great hope and courage.

It does not appear exactly when the trail from Illinois valley to Crescent City was first traversed, but it must have been early in the summer of 1853. Soon after, an active transportation business sprang up, whereby pack-trains became common, their function being to supply a good part of the miners with the necessaries of life, and these articles were, at a somewhat later date mostly shipped in by way of Crescent City, which place soon supplanted its northern rival, Scottsburg, in the importing business. For several years the trail to the former point remained only a trail. In

WALLING-LITH-PORTLAND-OM.

RESIDENCE OF DANIEL WELKER, NORTH UMPQUA VALLEY, DOUGLAS CO.

449

JOSEPHINE COUNTY.

1854, people having become aroused to the necessity of having a wagon road to the coast agitated themselves and procured the survey of a practicable route. The survey was soon completed, but it was not until 1857 that the Crescent City and Illinois wagon road was commenced. In due time it was finished and has since been used very much, but in a decreasing degree. This noted and important highway, second only to the old "Oregon trail " itself, beginning at the port of Crescent City, in Del Norte county, California, takes a northeasterly course to the Oregon state line, which it crosses at a point about three miles south of Waldo. Here it assumes a generally north direction and crossing the east fork of the Illinois, proceeds to Kirbyville, and then bending toward the northeast, crosses Deer creek and reaches the Applegate near the mouth of Slate creek, and Rogne river at Long's or Vannoy's ferry. Still keeping a north- easterly course it intersects the Oregon trail at Louse creek, near the eastern border of Josephine county. The Oregon trail enters Josephine from the north, at Galesville, after passing through the celebrated Canyon, and proceeds southward across Wolf, Coyote and Jump-off-Joe creeks, passing into Jackson county a short distance south of the latter stream. It was customary to traverse the " hill route," which lies over the Grave creek and Wolf creek hills, but sometimes the traveler chose a somewhat longer but more level course further to the west and consequently crossing lower down those streams. These routes were substantially the ones traveled by those who came through Southern Oregon in early years and they have since continued to be the main arteries of traffic, until supplanted by the railway.

The Applegate road leading from Wilderville on Slate creek, along the south bank of Applegate river was a thoroughfare of some importance ; and in late years has been the ordinary stage route from Jacksonville to the Illinois valley.

The question of roads has always been an important and ever present one in Jos- ephine county. Permanent roadways are of difficult construction and expensive main- tenance, and the traffic of the country necessarily small. Many attempts have been made to secure closer communication with outside markets, but unavailingly. In 1874 D. S. K. Buick surveyed a route to Chetco, in the southern part of Curry county. His proposed road was to begin at a point eight miles north of Kirbyville, and proceed in a west-southwest direction to the coast. Its length was fifty-seven miles, which is twenty-three miles less than the Crescent City road from the same point to its ocean terminus. The steepest grades are said to be less than in the latter road, and the high- est point is but 1,900 feet in altitude, while the Crescent City road reaches an elevation of 4,800 feet. The cost of the proposed road was estimated at $55,800. This high- way, though offering considerable advantages to the people of the Illinois and Rogue river valleys, was never constructed.

In consequence of her limited area of agricultural land Josephine county was possessed of but one principal resource, that of mining. In this latter respect she excelled all other counties in Oregon in the amount of auriferous gravel within her borders, and probably-though that is an unascertained fact-in the amount of gold produced. We must consider the county as almost exclusively a mining community, whence we shall find a reason for the marked decadence immediately succeeding the period of great- est prosperity, which we may regard as ending in 1860. Until that time the number of Caucasian miners in the county had not sensibly diminished since the formation of

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SOUTHERN OREGON.

the new county, while agriculture, such as it was, had got in a fit way to supply the demands of these miners for articles of sustenance. In 1857 and 1858 there took place that remarkable mining craze, the Frazer river excitement, which has become typical of all its kind. It was directly responsible for a great falling off in the popu- lation of Josephine county-a loss which was considerable, but whose extent is not definitely known. The loss was, as regards numbers, nearly made up by the increment of Chinese miners, and we find accordingly no diminution in the number of polls as returned by the assessor.

The statistical history of the later years of Josephine county is mainly embraced in the assessors' rolls for the various years, from which we extract the following accounts. In 1858, at a rather prosperous era, we find the polls to have numbered 712, and the taxable property to have been $313,852. Three years later the county had a total population of about 1,400, the number of voters was 724, the value of real estate was $253,920, and of personal property $347,377, and the rate of tax was twenty-five mills per dollar. Then came a long period of depression, when mining notably decreased, the aggregate population fell off one-fifth, and the number of voters one- half. In 1875 the assessor returned the population as numbering, 1,132, the polls 331, and the acreage under cultivation 6,269. The agricultural products of that year, wheat 16,000 bushels, oats 9,000, barley 3,000, corn 5,000, potatoes and apples each 10,000, and hay 3,000 tons. There were 6,000 sheep, 1,000 cattle, about the same number of horses, and twice as many hogs. The production of lumber for the year was 45,000 feet. The showing for 1880 was about the same. The number of polls had increased to 340, the gross value of all property was reckoned at $403,932, of which $253,594 was taxable. The acreage of land enclosed was 40,972, whose average value was fixed at $3.80 per acre. For 1882 the returns gave the number of acres of private land at 47,500, valued at $187,400; the gross value of property, $452,247 ; taxable property, $315,600. The polls had diminished to 241. When the Oregon and California railroad entered Josephine county value rose considerably, as we see by the assessment rolls of 1883, which give the value of the 55,889 acres of private lands as $227,746 ; the gross value of property, $563,880; taxable, 392,351 ; and the number of polls had increased to 547. The average assessment of lands was $4.07; there were 854 horses and mules taxed, 2,070 head of cattle, 2,700 sheep and 2,359 hogs. The population of Josephine county, as given by the census of 1880, was 2,400 souls ; which by the influence of steam communication has probably been increased to nearly 3,000.

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History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos counties, comp. from the most authentic sources, Part 62

Author: Walling, A G pub Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Portland, Or., A. G. Walling Number of Pages: 832

Author: Walling, A G pub
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Portland, Or., A. G. Walling
Number of Pages: 832