Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR 97523 November 6, 2002
Page 9
Resource unit
meet Nov. 7
Two of our children and five of our grandkids live in Med-
ford, and so we go there quite often, especially when they need
some help.
Every trip, on going over Gold Hill and down into the Rogue
Valley, I look at Mt. McLoughlin to check out the snow level.
This is the tall volcanic peak east of Medford that is indicated by
a sign along the freeway. The book, “Oregon Geographic
Names,” by Lewis McArthur, relates the complicated story of
how the mountain received its name.
The first available map of the area, printed in 1838 by Samuel
Parker, uses the name Mt. McLoughlin. Later, records by Peter
Skene Ogden, a trapper; and by the cartographer for John C. Fre-
mont, use the name Mt. Pitt for the same peak. Because it was
spelled with two t’s it implies that the name was to honor a person
such as William Pitt, a famous British statesman, or an early set-
tler. However, there is no record to substantiate that assumption,
and there were no settlers living in that area when the name first
was used.
In 1855 a government railroad survey noted that Mt. Pitt was
named for pits dug near the mountain by local Indians to trap ani-
mals, as is the name Pit River farther south in Northern Califor-
nia. Why the double t’s were used is not known. Journals of early
Rogue Valley settlers showed that other names, such as Snowy
Butte and Big Butte, occasionally were used, but Mt. Pitt was the
most common name in printed reports and journals.
This name was superseded in 1905 when the Oregon Legisla-
ture designated Mt. McLoughlin to be the name, and this was ac-
cepted by the U.S. Board on Geographical Names in 1912, mak-
ing it official.
John McLoughlin was named “Father of Oregon” in 1957 by
the Oregon Legislature, and his name is found all over Oregon on
streets, schools, museums, and parks. McLoughlin was born in
Quebec Province, Canada on Oct. 19, 1784. Trained as a physi-
cian, which occupation he followed for a time, he later joined the
fur trading business. He served in various posts in Canada and
then was sent by Hudson Bay Co. to be in charge of its Columbia
River
region.
He
arrived
at
Ft.
George on Nov. 8, 1824, which was the headquarters at that time.
Fort George started as Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia
River and was built in 1811 by the Pacific Fur Co. founded by
John Jacob Astor. Astoria was turned over to Hudson Bay Co. in
1813 because its leaders were convinced that the British would
capture it anyway during the War of 1812. No bloodshed was in-
volved, and England returned it to the United States in 1818 as
part of the final treaty of the war.
One of John McLoughlin’s first duties on taking over as
“Chief Factor” for Hudson Bay was to build a new fort, where
they would be free of American interference. In spring 1825 Fort
Vancouver was started on the north side of the Columbia River,
near the mouth of the Willamette River. It became the main cen-
ter for all activities in the area which included fur trapping, but
also military visits, settlement attempts, missions for the Indians
and natural history collectors.
John McLoughlin became the benevolent dictator of an em-
pire, which reluctantly allowed and even provided for the begin-
ning of what is today known as the state of Oregon.
Only those who risk
going too far will ever know
how far they can go.
Riverside Physical
Full Rehabilitation Services:
•Physical Therapy
•Occupational Therapy
•Speech Therapy
TWO LOCATIONS
TO SERVE YOU
Cave Junction Office
218 N. Redwood Hwy.
(541) 592-6580
grants Pass Office
1619 N.W. Hawthorne Ave.
Suite 109
(541) 476-2502
•Mike Johnson, P.T.
•Jeff Wood, M.S., P.T.
Meidinger Concrete Construction
Serving the Valley since 1974
Licensed - Bonded - Insured
Specializing in all types of Concrete and Masonry
New - Foundations - Walks - Drives - Patios
Mobile Home Runners and Foundations
Bridges and Abutments - Slabs - Large or Small
Exposed Aggregate - Retaining Walls and Basements
Stamped & Colored Concrete
Phone 592-4485
Mike Meidinger
License #93173
The Siskiyou Resource
Advisory Committee will
meet on Thursday, Nov. 7
from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the
Harbor Sanitary District office
in Harbor.
The RAC will review and
recommend Title II projects
for fiscal year 2003, and will
be updated on projects of the
previous year. The public may
address the committee be-
tween 11:30 a.m. to noon.
Resource Advisory Com-
mittees recommend projects
that benefit trails, roads, forest
health, fuels reduction, water-
sheds, and fish and wildlife
habitat on federal lands.
The Siskiyou RAC recom-
mends projects in Josephine,
Coos, and Curry counties.
For more information,
contact Nancy Rose, Siskiyou
RAC acting designated federal
official at (541) 471-6507.
SUNNY BROOK CLUBHOUSE -- Work on the clubhouse at the new Sunny Brook Mobile Home
Park on Laurel Road is nearing completion. The first phase of the development, by John Con-
stanzo of Aptos, Calif., will include 44 sites. Streets and water/sewer lines are installed; and
landscaping is under way. Mobile home models are to be available in approximately three
weeks. The 25-acre site is to be developed in three phases with a total of 120 to 125 sites.
Recycle: Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.