Image provided by: Rogue River Valley Irrigation District; Medford, OR
About The Central Point American. (Central Point, Or.) 1936-195? | View Entire Issue (May 4, 1939)
1 K M R . U . P O IN T PAGE TWO A-HJkAJCAN, JACKSON COUNTY t0 Jackson County in the heart of Southern Oregon his first question Is, "W hat is there here to interest me?” To answer such a question would call for a'book , not a brief article aucb as this. But perhaps I can give such a one some idea of what this country is and what it has to offer in the way of pleasure. First a word as to its geograph ical features: This county, one of the southern tier o f counties of Oregon, is almost in the same lati tude as South Dakota or Chicago— but with a difference. Jackson county is bounded on every side by mountain ranges. To the north are the Umpquas; to the east, the Cas cades; to the south, the Siskiyous and on the west, the Coast Ranges. And between these mountain ranges Is the world-famed Rogue River Valley, which, on account of Its sur roundings, has an extremely mild and equitable climate. No hurri canes, floods, severe thunderstorms, and the like ever reach this favor ed valley. Although the days aie bot In summer, the altitude and proximity to the mountains bring cool and bracing nights. 1 H L HMOAk , M A Y 4, lUU'.i P O L IT . O fU M O .l - in S h a s t a C a s c a d e W o n d e r l a n d tlon. A treaty of peace was signed springs, notably Dead Indian Soda on the slop- o f Upper Table Rock Springs, with a beautiful resort between Chieis Sam and Joe and I situated in a grove o f immense saga I Ue-ntral Lane, who commanded the i pine trees. 1 troops in the war of 185.1. Col. A* we turn our eye* lurth r to 1 John K. Hess, who lived on a Dona- j the southward m* the pass in • tlon Laud Claim between Jackson- the mountains through which man., I villa and what ia now Central Point. of the early-day settlers entered ! acted as interpreter for General Oregon. At first the main line of j Lane, who gave him the pipe of travel wa» from Fort Hall to the ; peace used that day. The pipe is Columbia river and down to the j now the prized possession of Col. present site o f Portland, then up In 18 42. a party : Ross' »on. John E Ross, of Central the Willamette. Point. headed by Lindsey Applegate started Turnin.- toward the Hast we see out to find an easier route. They Oregon over the snow-capped peaks of the Cas came into Southern cade range Fj-om the peaks sur- what is now almost the Pacific I rounding Crater Lake on the north Highway. Leaving Rogue river near ! to the Siskiyous on the south there the mouth of B*-ar Creek they fol Is much to interest the vacationist lowed that creek almost to its head. This region is probably the wildest Turning eastward they followed up and nearest to Nature as the what is now Emigrant Creek, over Almighty made it of any portion of Grecnspringg Mountain, Mt. Parker the county. There are several roads and Mt. Hayden to the Klamath bisecting this section, notably the river. Staying on the north bank of ones to the many lake» in the vicin the river they finally came to the ity o f Mt- McLoughlln. or Mt. Pitt, gap between Upper and Lower as the early-day settlers called It. Klamath Lakes, where they crossed was) the shortest Fish Lake 1* noted for just what its what is (and United States— Link name Implies, while a few miles river In the beyond Is Lake 0’ the Woods, one of River— and on eastward This route the most popular sites for summei is practically the same as now used homes in Southern Oregon. In this between the Rogue River valley and direction also are several medlclna' the Klamath country. IT’S RAINBOW END FOR VACATIONIST AND HQMESEEKER By A. E. Powell When the average tourist come* tt.lU k U . To the south of the valley lies - ma e-ti Siskiyou Mountains. 1 crags that th-- over th o*|c c to ra of ih . d V * ¡oiie,] t h e i r i, -o th valley. And today if le w i s h e s •o get a real picture of and Northern Or v g o n lu tb e rn California there 1.« n> better way t;-a i t.. ak- ihe Mt. Ashland Loop road from the city of Ashland to th - ummi t t of Mt. Ashland, the highest peak in thL, section. From there the road follows the Siskiyou divide westward and returning to the val- lev by way cf th ' -lob-ante river to Jacksonville. Au)uu ■ interested in real mountain scenery should by all means plan to make this trip, requiring less than a day. In closing this little sketch may I again call attention to the fact that starting at any point in the valley one can. In an hour's drive find himself In the "forest primev al” , far from the maddening crowds. Yet in the center o f this vast vaca tion land one finds modern cities with all their conveniences; the whole connected with mileg of hard surfaced roads. And the visitor will find here the same open-heart ed welcome and courteous treatment which made the old-time West pro verbial. In its history perhaps no other section of like area in the West ha-s seen so much drama. This section was probably first visited by white men as early as 1835, when trappers o f the Hudson's Bay Company pass ed through on their way to and from California, But It was not until after gold had been discovered a* Sutter’s Fort in California and th“ great rush of '49 and '50 that any real settlement of this region. In the fall o f 1851 gold was discovered at Rich Gulch In wbat Is now tin- town of Jacksonville by James Clug- gage and J. R. Poole. At once the news of the strike was carried all over the mining districts of Califor nia and up Into the W illamette val ley. Immediately a rush was on -n Inside a few months several hundred miners were at work In that region A little settlement was formed which came to be known as the center of activity for the entire region. Just how that settlement came to he named Jacksonville no one living seems to know, but It was for years the l«adln* city in the whole district south of the Umpqua mountains from the Pacific ocean to the Cas cades. Mining was for many years the principal Industry of the region and everywhere one looks one sees the scars of the old workings. Just what was the output of the gold mine* of the county Is not known, but It Is certain that the figure reached at least thirty millions between the years 1861 snd 1884. So to the Inquiring tourist we o f fer first the old town o f Jackson ville as a point o f Interest. There he may see all sorts o f things rem- nlseent of the pioneer and the gold miner. MwsxmmsGBnm«» aw As I sit in my office today within a few yards of the exact geograph ical center of the Rogue River valley I look about In all directions and see that every way I turn there Is something which is o f human In terest. T o the north Is the great river from which the region takes It name. The Rogue is perhaps one I of the beet known fishing stream* In the West. Heading far to the northeast on the slopes o f Mt. Maza- ma, in whose sunken bosom lies that I greatest of Nature's wonders. Crater Lake, It has dug its tortuous way to the sea. Along that beautiful gorge w * find summer homes, fishing camps. caMn camps and picnic grounds where one may rest in peace Also to the north we see the I two Table Rocks, which have always been noted landmarks in the valley | and about which much of the 1 troubles with the Indians centered l.vln g to the north of the Table Rocks Is a beautiful and very fertile valley which hears the name of a i noted Indian chief, called by the pioneers, gem lie and his brother. . Joe. were chief-« o f the Rogue River tribe and their home was In the vicinity o f Table Rock, with thetr favorite hunting grounds in the hilt« to the north Sam'" Valley and the hills about Evans Creek saw the last , »1 Ui* indTeb oVltrSiSIt* 4n *hfs sec J Incomparable < rater laike, M«*c* 7 \shland'» fanions I.ithia Pnrk. «•a o f vacationists from the four compris! ng 1,100 acres, to n c i ornrr, of Hie globe. This scenii I l*nilsea|iei| and sonie In natural for* marvel 1» reached in a two and on- • est, bas long been n favorite spot half hour drive over a fine n ad for lourists. Tennis, horse»hoe and from Medford. «■roquet courts, a ,wo and ehildren's ^ The Southern Oregon College o f Education at Ashland offers a fully ac> n all ted teachers rour»e and two yeats o f Junior college work are available. Sightly building, in a beautiful setting make the school one o f the most attractive in the stale's system of higher education. ^ M edford', beautiful Itogu,- Kir* ••r Valley golf cours«-. in hole» labi out by th«- Inte H. «handler Egan, master golf architect and for* m«-r national champion, |» consider- n i one of the world's finest. M«sl- ford also has a nine-hol,. municipal «•ourse and Ashland h«>nsts a splen did nine*ho|t< course. 5 Plny park are ln< lud«-d wtliin area. j Lake o ’ th«- Woo«]» 1» one of Ja«ks«in county'» favorite recre ational spots. The tmautiful body of water, surrounded by forest Is an bleat spot for tourists^ .|iort.men an«| campers. Lake o' the Woo<|. may- be reache«! by r«ia«ls front Ash* laml. Medford or Klamath Falls. 9 The Med lord Co« poration «if Medford, operate« the largest sawmill in Jackson county. Some o f the largest hodie. of sugar pine in the United Slates lie within this ate* and provide raw material for numerous lumbering concerns. I , w l!" - i,e M m kmiwi fhw of Jackson ro u n ty , mos, .port.men thè worid ore «leligbtfnl varaiion «pota I» pia- Its fighiin g «teelbead troni «m «nond l-"hr g .1 mite, fmm Mrdford. ndghty rtdmmk w'm on. The i fbvnd flshlng. a, wrll as hoating and ; rrarhe« withln Jackson m unir ninnile, i. <nj<iy«d In Ibis beanti- I nvinv camping spot» and sur fti? faina • . v, lhe
