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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 18, 1921)
11 IM FIVIIHI I U I I J I I II I', jrwiVI. m IM iU.N, J 1 1 IVM J.A V , Ut'lUlilMi I? I! -The First Road in By Alice C. By Alice C. Sargent. I 'am writing this article with the hope that tlie people of southern Ore gon, and the Kogue Uiver valley- In particular, may become lntureisteil in learning something of the history of the first road through this valley. The only nccnunt of this hazardous undertaking was written by Lindsay Applegato, one of the organizers of the expedition, some years after the completion of the work. , In order that all who read this little sketch may understand the relives which Induced this hli'n body of men to undertake IhM irangerous work, 1 shall quote from the manuscript writ ten by Lindsay 'Applegate: f. . "Our Immigration of 1813, being the largest that had ever crossed the plains, our progress was necessarily slow, having to hunt out passes for j our wagons over rivers, uicenn, iiccii gullies, digging down the banks where nothing but a pack trail had been be fore, cutting our way through the dense forests before we could reach tlie valley of the Columbia, and then it appeared U3 though our greatest trou bles bad begun, for here we bad to encounter cataracts and falls of the Columbia and the broad and lofty Cas cades, with their heavy forests. "At Fwrt Walla Walla, on the banks nf the Columbia river, with our teams about exhausted, we were advised to leave our wagons und animals over winter at that place in the care of the Hudson Bay Company. A portion of the Immigrants, including my two brothers' families and my own accept ed the proimsitlon, providing we could procure boats in wlilch to descend the river, ns It was supposed - we might procure them from tho Hudson Hay Company. Under these considerations wo made arrangements with Nthe said company for the care of the latter through the winter. We failed In our efforts to obtain bouts; having a whip saw and other tools with us, wo hunt ed logs from tho masses of drift wood lodged along the river banks, hewed them out, sawed thorn Into lumber, and built boats, and with, our families and the contents of our wagons, commenc ed tho descent of tho river. Dr. Whitman, procured us the service of two Indians to act as pilots to The Dalles. Krom there we thought we would have hut little trouble by mak ing a portage at the Cascades. Wo did well till we roachod The Dalles, a series of falls and cataracts. . Just above tho Cimcnde mountains one of our boats, containing six persons, was. caught In one of those terrible whirl pools olid upset. My son, Wurrun, 1 0 years old, my brother Jesse's son, Edward, same age, and a mini by the name of McClellan, who was a innm bor of my family, . were' lost. The Sj&re not Satisfied CITY CLEANING & DYING CO. 401 South Riverside QUALITY, WORK, i; Shoes Repaired While You Wait. E. N. v BIDEIf , . Prop.' .. ..' When your " Duds Are iu our Suds you can bet, you'll getj' sults. 'Rcme'nil)cf wo spe cialize on-rough, dry family wash. ; mericati Laundry Co. 21f. iS. Riverside. Phone 873 WOOD OF ALL KINDS i " Good Measure Courteous Treatment Phone 441 -J LOKGWILL Southern Oregon Sargent. other three who escaped, were left to struggle the best they could until we made the land with the other boats, leaving the women and children on shore while we rushed to the rescue, It was only with the greatest effort that we were able to keep our boate from sharing the same fate. William Doake, a young man who could not swim, held on to a feather bed until overtaken and rescued. . W. Parker and my son Klisha, then 12 years old. after drifting through whirlpools among cragged rocks for more than a mile, rescued themselves by. catch ing hold of a large rock a few feet above the water at tho head of Rock Island. At the time of the disaster it was utterly impossible to render them any assistance for it was only with the greatest skill that wo K"cceeded In saving tho women and children from sharing the same fate. It was a Scene painful beyond description. We dare not go to their assistance without ex posing the occupants of the other boats to certain destruction, wlilli tho3e persons were struggling for life In the surging waters. The whole scene was witnessed byt General Fre mont and his company of explorers who were camped immediately oppo site, and wore powerless to render us any assistance. The bodies, ot the drowned ..' were never recovered, though wo offered a rewurd to the In dians who searched the river for mouths. Wa reached the Cascades without any other incidents worth .re lating. . , "Wo then made a portage around the fulls, packing the most of our ef fects on our bucks, dragging our boats over the rocks, reloaded and proceeded on our way" to Vancouver, ascended the Willamette river to tlie falls, there made another portage around the falls, reloadod again, as cended the river twenty-five miles, com'i ; to a place called Cuinpoeg, where wo finally left our boats and inado our way across the valley to Lee's Old Mission, ten miles -below where Salem now stands, and on the 1st day of December,. 18411, entered one of the old buildings to remain for the winter. "Previous to this, we had been In. the rain most ot the time for 20 dny3. ph, how we could hnve enjoyed our hospitable shelter could wo have look ed around the family circle and be held the bright faces that accompa nied us on our toilsome journey al most lo the end! AIub, they were not there! That long and dreary winter with Its pelting rains and howling winds, -brought sadness to us. Under those Bad reflect'ons, wo resolved If we remained in the country to find n better way for others who might wish to omlgrato, as soon us we could possibly afford tho thno. Phone 474 QUICK SERVICE The Model Boot Shop 21 S. Central THE COZY NOOK DeVoe's Eastside Fountain Is open for : . v Business in tho v v SPARTA BUILDING MEDFORD TENT AND AWNING WORKS Manufacturers Awnings, t'ainp Outfits. We make Auto Tops and cover cushions. I". I'. Ill-UK, l'rii. V2H No, ;iii St. Mi-dfoi-il. riimio nnn-u NASH BARBER SHOP Up-to-date Service. Bowmfii & Noe, Props. "So In 1S46, after making arrange merits for the subsistence of our fam ilies during our absence, we organized a company to undertake the. enter prise, composed as follows: Levi Scott, Henry Boygus, Jesse Applegate, John Oweas, Kobert Smith. Moses Harris, Benlt Osborn, John Scott, Lindsay Applegate, Ben jamin Birch, John Hones, Samuel Uoodhue, David Ooff, William Sports man and William 'Parker. ICach man hud his pack-horBe and saddle horse, making 30 animals to guard and take care of. . , - "A portion of the country we pro posed to traverse was at that tlmo marked on the map "unexplored re gion." The Idea of opening a wagon road through such a country at that time, was counted as preposterous. "One thing which had much Influ ence with us was the fact that the question as to which power, Great Lritain or the United States, would eventually secure. a title to the coun try was not settled, and In case a war should occur and Britain provo suc cessful, it was Important to have a way by which we could, leave the country without running the gauntlet of the Hudson Hay company's forts and falling a prey" to Indian tribes which were, under British Influence." On -the morning of the 20th of June, 184 0, the expedition was under way. On the morning of June 2 ink they passed over a low range of hills from the summit of which they hud a splendid view of the Kogue River valley, which is described as a great meadow Interspersed with groves of baks, which appeared like vast or chards. As they made their way through the Rogue River va:ley they were con stantly followed by the Indians and had to be on guard day and night. When they had to pass through heavy timber and brush they dismounted and led their horses, currying their guns ucross tho'r urms ready to fire. Tlie Indians wore armed with bows and poisoned arrows, the pioneers with tho old time muzzle loading ri fles. They made their way through tho valley, crossed the Cascade moun tains into the Klumuth country, and thence east to the Humboldt river. Here they met a train of Immigrants. They brought back with them 150 people, the pioneers truvullng ahead and making a road over which the wagons could pass. This train was taken through to the Willamette val ley. Hero I Blmll again quote from the account of the expedition, when on the return trip: , "No circumstances worth of men tion occurred on the monotonous march from Black Rock to tho tim bered regions of tho Cascade chain: then our labors became quite arduous, livery day we kept guard over the horses while we worked the road, and ut night -we dared not ceuse our vig Uancor for tho Indians rnnt'n-.nliv hovored about us, seoklng for advan Mason, Wholesale Grocers fl, Gigar Importers! Medford, Klamath Falls, Eugene, Portland, Astoria, Seattle Spokane, Lewiston If you want Medford ttf be a "LIVE WIRE" town be a "LIVE WIRE'.' yourself and patronize "LIVE WIRE" business fines and purchase goods made at home by'LIVE WIRE" factories, '.'::..''.,-.;..' ' . ;. -. ;, --;,:'- MEDFORD VULCANIZING -WORKS Carl Fichtner, Prop. Vulcanizing and retreading. Full line Michelin and Diamond Tires. Phone 451-J. 15N. Fir St. Something Delicious ; " ' Call for Rogue River Special Manufactured by Medford Candy Co. ROGUE VALLEY MILLING CO. . Leading Brands , VILMO :: HARMONY Medford, Oregon tage. . By tho tlm we had worked our way through the mountains to the Rogue River vulloy, and then through tho Grave Creek hills and Umpqua chain, we were1 pretty - thoroughly worn out.... Our stock of provisions had grown very short, and we had to depend, to a great extent for susten ance, upon game. Road working, hunting and guard duty, hud td,.ed our strength greatly, and oa our arri val In the Umpqua valley, knowlug that the greatest difficulties In the way ot the Immigrants had been re moved, a decided to proceed at once to ,our homes in the Willamette. There we arrived on the third day of October, 1840,. having been absent three months and thirteen days. Dur ing all this time our friends had heard nothing from us, and realizing the dangerous character of our expedi tion, many believed in the news which Borne time . before . reached, them, that we had all been murdered by tho Indians." , . , .It is a fa.ct that a great proportion ot the popuiutlon of Oregon entered, tho Btate by this route laid out by the 15 pioneers In 1846. We have living here in this ya'ley today people .who came Into Oregon over tins Old South Road, or as it was usually called "The Old Jnimi grant Road." .... ,. .. .The road was free to all, a work of,, (humanity, the only compensa tion, to the builders was a conscious ness of duty nobly done. , All the members of this road pary! returned In safety to, their homes, ex ctpt . Henry Boygus, a brave and handsome youth, who was probably .murdered by the' Indians near Fort ami,, . , , . i , .in closing, I will quote again from 'the Applegato munuscript: i "Perhups few companies of moil ever performed such a campaign with out,, reuoatca. quarrels and even se iriouB altercations, but 'the. members., jof the Old South Road company bore tc,gether tho. trluls and privations of me expedition wUh a, forgiving and jfui bearing", spirit, and their ,niutusl. 'burdens and the dangers to which they were exposed, continually devel Sleeps Any Old Way Now "I nm 50 yem-H old and never was . until 8 ' youi ago when I (fot stomach trouble'. I "have spent a for tune for medicine which did not cure. V kept' on Hiifferinif and getting worse. A fellow worker told mo about Muyr's Wonderful Jtemedy. After taking three doHL'H I felt like a dif ferent limn;; before taking 'U I could not Ho on my .back nor right side. 'Now J can sleep any old way." It is a '-simple, '.harmless preparation that removes the catarrhal' mucus from the 'Intestinal tract and allay tho In flammntibn v which- causes practically all stomachy liver-and intestinal ail ments, including1'' appendicitis; One 'dose will: convinctf or money refund ed.. At all druggists. , Adv-. : C Ehrma n Lee Watkins 6 Co. FEED STORE ' V;-'--: Choice Grade, Grusiiod Bar ley, Flour, ' Bran and Middlings,- Hay, Grain and I'oultry Feeds' 397 South Front St. Veterinary Hospital AM) Sale Stable DR. G. A. GITZEN 111 N. Fir St. Phone 551 Kxport Sorvltt'. lUasoiuil:e (lini-gp Peart's Garage 11.1 South ltiu-tlctt '.Slrrr, .. ' AlTIIOUIZr.l rilEVKOhET skkvick ;aii.(;k 3. XV. IVnrt lriirlotoi oped and strengthened their' frlend- I ship. A reunion of them, were such a, thine practicable, would be a season: of peculiar joy, one to be remember- ed by tho . veteran - survivors with UvUl & MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS i . .. Arc down . to rock bottom now;"' s Get your orders in early before -fall raises.. in price. . O.' L. DAVIDSON ." Cigar Store , Cor. Fir -and Main Streets When you store voiir irousc holdFfffeeta Choose a reliable- firm, ;. . EADSV Transfer and Storage 22 North Front St. MEDFORD BLACKSMITH SHOP Repairs and builds . spring All new springs guaranteed General repair, Blacksmith ing. Only Spring Furnace in Southern Oregon. 113 S. Eartlett. Phone 183-J Keeping faith . pleasure, until they, too. shall pass ...... . i it away into the great unknown. Since the account of the road ex J pedition was written, ail members of 'the partv have passed "into the great! v . Our lifelong '-knowledge of baccos, our years of manufacturing ex perience "and our .up-to-date facilities, are concentrated on .-making; CAMELS . the finest cigarette that can be produced. ;; ? .. Into 'THIS ONE" BRAND we put" the : UTMOST- QUALITY. ; A better ciga - rettecannpj be made even for a higher price.-.C1, ! ;V-'.: .'.'"'"-". ' '; ' CAMEL 'is ; THE J QUALITY CIGAw ; RETTE made for men who think for -themselyes for folks who appreciate; .; realjy fine tobacco . : ''' ::: ! ONE BRAND ONE QUALITY ONE SIZE 'PACKAGE. ' ; That is the way we keep faith with the smoker. "''':-": " x " ''".'' . REiVrJOtOS-TOBACCO COii.Wlnfton-SklMH. w.-i-.-j :. THE GUSHER CAFE :. , Bert M. Sullivan, Proprietor ' ' ' v . '. -' 15 So. Front Street Fa i'. , ( U ; Nask Hotel Building Automobile Springs Merrirhan's Blacksmith Shopf , . THOMAS T. MERREttAN, Propritr. 20 South Riverside . Auto and Bus Bodies Built to Order ' I'pholslory given your rnr.u hnalthy n(iMArnncc, .(hiic -jttti om- figures. We lAakt Hufo io fttn'iKI tip nii(hp nil nt-nllu-r .conditions;. - Windshield re pairing.. . 1 ... . , . C. E. 'COtMXS ' J. F. COOIv :W S. Kin-rnl(lo Ave... I'lionn 270-V ARTHUR WEST PAINTING PAPERING TINTING Phone All-. 231 Fast Ninth St. unknown."-But their memory should ha iranf prppn hv thosa who wbta in be kept green by those who were so greatly aided and benefitted by their labors and unselfish sacrifices. May their brnve souls rest In peace. choice ta N..C; the Are : ft-. Phone 279-J For Printing That Excels .. . Phone 70 1- , Medford Printing Co. wnere .... Experience" : ":; Caunte Tour wearin appurel and ftouia bold goods cleaned in the most up-to-date fashioh, with new. and up-to-date machinery. , ;, Apparel Cleaners Dyers and Hatters .. Phona 223 . r( ut DAVIS Transfer and Storage t MOVED t .,v ' . to larger quarters at 29 South Grape street. V move everything and have storage for household and other gooda ' Phone 641 Medford
