THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1949.
BROOKINGS HARBOR PILOT, BROOKINGS, OREGON
"Pioneer Trails Of Coos and Curry"
Emil R. Peterson, Historian, Coos-Curry Pioneer
)
Association, R. 1, Box 528, North Bend, Ore.
In telling about the Roland
Prairie-Eckley trail from Coos |
into Curry last week. I failed to
state, for the benefit of those
who may not know, the Roland
Creek flows into the Coquille
from the southwest, several miles
above Broadbent, having its
source on the ridge which forms
the watershed divide between
Coquille river and the coast
streams of northern Curry Co.
This same divide also forms a
good portion of the boundary
between the two counties.
shack city that mushroomed to
a reported population of some
5000 people took on the name of
Randolph.
There had been travelers along
the coast of what is now Coos
county earlier than 1853, but
there is nothing to indicate that
they followed the course taken
by gold seekers of the latter
date. The Jedediah Smith party
came up through what is now
Curry and Coos in 1828, but they
followed roughly what is now the
Seven Devils road. .
Persons who used this route
Tn the autobiography of Daniel
passed over or around two moun Giles (Claude’s father) we find
tains of the same name Sugar one of the earliest references to
loaf. There is one Sugarloaf this route, but he does not refer
Mountain on the north side of to it by the name of Randolph.
the middle fork of the Coquille, Tn fact, he doesn’t give it any
4in Coos county, another by the name. It appears that the trail
same name in the Eckley coun was not definitely established
try on the Curry side of the until later, if it ever did have
border.
a definite location. But it is in
Today, let us take a look at teresting to quote from Mr. Giles'
the second route from Coos into account. He had come from
Curry. This one came later, per Jacksonville with a pack train
haps in the ’70s. Starting in Myr- to Scottsburg, then down the
tie Point, the traveler went up Umpqua
1
, — to - its - mouth, down the
the river bank for a mile or ocean beach, camped on the
perhaps a little more, to Reed’s north side of Coos bay, then
ferry, crossing the river there to swam his horse across to Em-
Catching Creek; then up Catch- pire City. This, he says, was in
ing creek to the Coos-Curry line [ the latter part of October, 1853.
near Bennett Butte. (Was this | Then he says:
named for Gus Bennett, who had ,
Here we had to stay for sev
hunted elk in that neighborhood eraj ¿ays, waiting for the return
when he was a boy, along with ! of thp COw, for we had to get
Bill Perkins? Or was it named our jrait taken up prety near to
for his father, George Bennett?) the head of the south slew and
From Bennett Butte, the trail take our horses through t h e
wended its way down to Lang- woods the best way we could
lois, joining the coast trail or and then ferry them over the
”
road to the south. This route slew to the scow . .
Mr.
Giles
and
his
party
required
was shorter than the one by way
a
full
day
to
get
from
Empire
of Eckley, sometimes saving as
across
South
slough
much as a day in the trip to City to and
the
south
side
over
Gold Beach. But, during the win camping on
to
tie
our
horses
ter months, the Sixes and Elk night. “Had
rivers and other coast streams to trees all knight without feed
were swollen and treacherous to and the next day we made our
cross; and so the Roland Prairie- journeys end and pitched our
Eckley trail retained its share of tents on the bluff overlooking
the Randolph beach and saw the
the travel for many years.
The Randolph trail, though fine gold aworking along with
wholly within Coos county, later the sand in every little rivelet.”
Referring to our Empire quad
became a part of one of the
routes leading down the coast rangle map and continuing with
into Curry county. The earliest the one from the Bandon sec
date that appears to be attached tion, we find a trail leading out
to this trail is 1853, when the of Empire, running in a south
gold rush was on to the rich erly direction, around the head
gold mines at the mouth of Whis of South Slough, crossing several
key Run creek. The tent and creeks (Eliott, Talbot, John B.,
Winchester) all flowing into the
South Slough.
After crossing
iWnchester creek, the trail
runs sometimes westerly, some
times easterly, but always to
ward the south, apparently in
an attempt to follow the ridges
and avoid the deep canyons as
much as possible. But it appears
that it couldn’t entirely escape'
crossing the headwaters of some
of the Seven Devils. And finally
it winds and twists and turns
and wabbles like a drunken sail
or (but these were miners) un
til the trail ends near the mouth
of Whiskey Run, where the
early “city" of Randolph was
located.
PAGE THRE8
the basic facts behind the great
conservation movement that is
engaging the most idealistic
In the rush of things last week
thought and the best scientific The Pilot erred in its account
minds, not only of our own na- of Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Grooten-
tion but of the entire world to dorst and the story of the agree
the end that each generation of ment with Alfred O. Panzer.
mankind become better “world
Mr. and Mrs. Grootendorst ar
house-keepers and nobler guests rived in America in 1946, in
in this great house of God. our stead of 1945, as was stated. The
world.**
article continued that this was
Above is Mrs. Bradley Page’s their first visit to Holland since
message, as president, to mem before the war. They obtained
bers of Azalea Garden Club. It permission to enter Holland in
is. however, of interest to the 1945, accompanying government
community as well, for as respon figures.
Mr. Panzer will attend to the
sible citizens eager to improve
and build a better world, and property of the Grootendorsts in
particularly, a better Brookings the weeks they are gone.
From there a road is indicated and Harbor, it is worth ponder-
A delightful Thanksgiving day
on the map, running in a south ing over. We aie building for
was
spent at the home of Mr. and
the
future.
Let
us do it well.
easterly direction to the Coquille
Mrs.
Wm. D. Fisher of Rivers
The' next meeting of Azalea
river, the place where Randolph
End
by
Mr. and Mrs. George
Garden
Club
will
be
Thursday,
was finally located, and where
Funk
and
Mr. and Mrs. J. T.
8.
This
is
the
Christmas
the little hamlet of a few houses Dec.
Jacobs
of
Brookings.
may be reached today by auto party and please bring a small
gift. Something home-made or
on the North Bank road.
The Pilot for a present (?)
grown, preferably. We’ve been
saving up for a rainy day and
it has come, at last!
Saving the work that takes us
“The ideal conception of con
from
our garden, fruit cakes to
servation asks us to consider this,
mix,
and
cookies to make, Christ -
cur planet, as God’s house one
¡mas
packakges
to wrap and the
of His “many mansions" We are
cards
to
address.
Sunny days
His guests, His visitors passing
are
garden
days,
of
course! Get-
through. Almighty God has had
•
ting
down
to
earth
with a gar
many guests in the past. There
den
boner
given
by
a friend
are many expected in the fu-
did
you
hear
of
the
city
cousin i
ture. While we are here we are
who
visited
in
the
country
and |
His house-keepers. He has set
saw
a
manure
spreader
at
work?
up this earth with adequate pro-
visions for His plan but in al “Quick," she said, “Country Cou
lowing F ee will to man He has sin, go and tell him he’s dropping
given him the power to waste, his load."
despoil and endanger the future
Food sale and bazaar at The ‘
occupancy of His succeeding gen
erations, not only of mankind Town Shop, December 3. Bap- <
but of all life on this globe.
fist Missionary Circle.
—adv.
spiff
Conservation, as a study, seeks
Send the Pilot for Christmas!
to bring practical knowledge of
A Correction
Along Azalea Row
A MESSAGE
NOVEMBER 28, 1949
More than thirteen years ago We started in a very small
way to sell groceries to the people of the Brookings-Harbor
area. We have grown as the community grew. The people of this
area have favored us with increasing patronage as time went
on, and we are deeply grateful for their favor.
We most earnestly desire to deserve and to retain the
confidence and the trade of our customers in the future as
in the past. In order to do this, we must keep prices down.
We have, h jretofore, done a credit business. Dealing on credit
increases our costs. It therefore increases the price we must
charge for our merchandise. Credit dealing involves expense
for bookkeeping and for collections. It also requires that the
customer who pays his bill promptly must pay for the cus
tomer who does not pay.
By selling for cash only we can reduce our selling prices
five per cent or more. Our good customers are entitled to this
saving.
For these reasons, commencing the first of next year, our
store will sell for cash only. At the same itme, we can and
will reduce our prices throughout the entire store by an aver
age amount of five'per cent or more.
We sincerely hope that all of our customers will under
stand the reasons for this change of policy and that they will
approve. We hope they will appreciate and enjoy the price re
ductions which result. We sihall most sincerely strive to merit
continuance of the patronage with which we have been fav
ored over the past years.
Very sincerely yours,
Cur-Del
Cleaners
ARE NOW OPEN
FOR BUSINESS IN
THEIR NEW LOCATION
FOR FREE PICK-UP
AND DELIVERY SERVICE
WILSON FREEMAN AND SON
PHONE 233
Or Leave Orders at Òur Office
I ihí Jihi
The World's Best Climate
THE
nliil’i
CHETCO STOKE, BROOKINGS