A CULTURAL RESOURCE OVERVIEW Of
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PREHISTORY and HISTORY of the ROGUE RIVER NATIONALFOREST: A CULTURALRESOURCE OVERVIEW Forest Service USDA Pacific Northwest Region Rogue River National Forest PREHISTORY and HISTORY of the ROGUE RIVER NATIONAL FOREST A CULTURAL RESOURCE OVERVIEW by: Jeffrey M. LaLande Cultural Resource Specialist Rogue River National Forest Medford, Oregon June 1980 CR Job RR-280 PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This volume is an attempt to compile a narrative review of what is known about the human past of a portion of southwestern Oregon and northwestern California -- an area now eiithraced within the boundaries of the Rogue River National Forest -- and to provide some direction relative to the continuing management of the physical evidence of that past -- the Forest's cultural resources. The Overview resulted from several years of archival research and field work. Much of it was accomplished as part ofa wide variety of site- specific cultural resource inventory projects undertaken by the U. S. Forest Service. This document is intended to be of both wide-enough scope and adequate detail so thatit will havea long life asa useful cultural resource management tool. A number of persons have helped to bring the Overview to completion. Among them are Donald H. Smith, Forest Supervisor, who has encouraged the Rogue's endeavors in cultural resource management; Bob R. Lichlyter (Recreation Staff Officer) and Lawrence D. Wheeler (Land Management Planning StaffOfficer), both of whomallocated to theprojectthe necessary financial as well as moral support. Dorothy Newell(Resources Section) typed the rough draft and the final, photo-ready copy for publication.Gary Handschug (Forest Illustrator) assisted with the graphics; he and Marilynn Pantel (Forester) helped to prepare the document for printing. Drafts of the manuscript were reviewed by Dr. David Brauner (Department of Anthropology -- OregonStateUniversity), TedCobo (Cultural Resource Coordinator -- Rogue River National Forest), and Dr. Leslie E.Wildesen (1egiona1 Archaeologist -- USFS Pacific Northwest Region), each of whom made a number of helpful suggestions. The author would like to express his appreciation to these people, as well as a number of others -- both within andoutside the Forest Servvice -- who offered their interest and encouragement during the project. 1 I TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I INTRODUCTION 1 Purpose 1 Scope and Format 3 NORTH SISKIYOU CULTURAL RESOURCE UNIT 9 Physical Setting 9 Prehistoric Period 11 Historic Period 21 III.ASHLAND CULTURAL RESOURCE UNIT 51 Physical Setting 51 Prehistoric Period 52 Historic Period 64 McLOUGHLIN CULTURAL RESOURCE UNIT 109 Physical Setting 109 Prehistoric Period 110 Historic Period 125 UPPER ROGUE CULTURAL RESOURCE UNIT 161 Physical Setting 161 Prehistoric Period 162 Historic Period 172 SUMMARY AND SYNTHESIS 203 Summary Statement 203 Cultural Patterns of Forest Use 205 Cultural Resources: Summary of Current Site Inventory 206 VII.THE CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM ON THE ROGUE RIVER NATIONAL FOREST: ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND FUTURE NEEDS 213 Progress Report: The Current Situation 213 Future Management Needs 218 Conclusion 220 REFERENCES 225 Comment on Sources 225 References Cited 226 Personal Sources 249 v APPENDIX I: LIST OF POTENTIAL NATIONAL REGISTER SITES FOR THE ROGUE RIVER NATIONAL FOREST 25 3 APPENDIX II: )GUE RIVER TIME-LINR -- A C2RONOLOGY OF THE NTTIONAL FOREST AND ENVIRONS 261: APPENDIX III: FROM ABBOTT BIYPTE TO ZIMMERMAN BURN - A GPX)GRAPHIC NAME GLOSSARY OF THE ROGUE RIVER NATIONAL FOREST -. 71 MAPS LOCATION ps 2 MAJOR ECOLOGICAL ZONES 4 NORTH SISKIYOU CiJL'X'URALRESOURCE UNIT. ASHLAND CULTURAL RESOURCE UNIT ... .. .. 53 McLOUGHLIN CULTURAL RESOURCE UNIT Li UPPgR ROGUE CULTURAL RESOURCE UNIT 163 TABLES CULTURAl4 RESOURCE SITES by ThEMATIC CATEGORY AND CULTURAL RESOURCE UNIT 20 OUTLINE OF CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FUNCTIONS 216 SUMMARY OF SPPS FOR CONSIDERATION OF PROJECT EFFECTS UPON NkTIONAL REGISTER PROPERTIES 217 vi PHOTOGRAPHS MILL WORKERS POSED AT THE NEIL CREEK SAWMILL CIRCA 1900. (SOUTHERN OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY) COVER GROUP I 6 I-i Southern Pacific R.R. survey r'rew, Ca. 1885. 1-2 Mt. McLoughlin from Ranche-ia Prairie, Ca. 1880. GROUP II 43 11-1. View of Siskiyou Crest from Craggy Mtn. 11-2. Indian dancers, Kiamath River area. 11-3 & 4. Chinese men in Jacksonville, Ca. 1875. 11-5. Miners at Blue Ledge Mine, Ca. 1910. 11-6. Eileen Hotel, Ca. 1908. 11-7. Hutton, Ca. 1908. 11-8. Oregon Caves, Ca. 1915. 11-9. Cattle range, sign-posting by USFS. 11-10. Windy Peak Lookout. 11-11. Prospector in the Upper Applegate drainage, 1930s. 11-12. Denxnan Cabin. 11-13. Whisky Peak Lookout. 11-14. Carberry Creek bridge, 1940s. 99 Aerial view of Applegate Valley. Chief John, Ca. 1860. Squaw Creek hydraulic mining operation, Ca. 1880. Steamboat stamp mill, "bull wheel." Mining trommel, Elliott Creek, Ca. 1965. Blair Granite Quarry, Ca. 1920. "Swinging bridge," Ca. 1910. Cattle round-up, ca. 1930. Oxen hauling logs to Yale Creek, Ca. 1912. Neil Creek sawmill, Ca. 1916. Garretsonts Cinnabar Springs, Ca. 1910. Family group of "Excursionists," Ca. 1915. Swnxnit of Mt. Ashland, Ca. 1925. Ashland Creek powerhouse. Star Banger Station, Ca. 1916. McKee Campground "community kitchen" shelter, 1936. Dutchman Peak Lookout, 1943. Mt. Ashland Ski Lodge, 1963. Applegate River during 1964 flood. GROUP IV 151 IV- 1 Mt. McLoughlin from Big Elk Meadow. IV-2 "Squaw Mary" and daughters, Ca. 1865. IV-3 Deer hunters camped in High Cascades, Ca. 1890. IV-4 Sullivan homestead cabin, 1910. 'v-S Homestead family on the Dead Indian Plateau, 1910. IV-6 Fish Lake impoundment, 1927. IV-7 Butte Falls, ca. 1908. vii GROUP IV (continued) Butte Falls Lumber Company's woods crew at donkey engine, Ca. 1910. "High wheels" on Brownlee-Olds logging show, Ca. 1922. Owen-Oregon caterpillar logging on Fourbit Creek Sale, Ca. 1926. Owen-Oregon'sMcGiffert" loading logs onto railroad Car, Ca. 1926. Big Elk Guard Station, 1927. U.S. Army troops on Cat Hill Burn, 1910. South Lake SCS snow survey cabin, Ca. 1930. - Camp South Fcrk of the CCC, ca. 1936. EmegenCy Relief Administration roCk work at Dead Indian Soda Springs, 1936. Xmas tree Cutting at Twin Ponds, 1937. Caterpillar logging with steel "logging arch's, 1953. Devils Peak Lookout, Ca. 1968. GROUP V 192 V-i. Rogue River Canyon. Indian woman with burden basket, ca. 1860. "Union Creek Trail" (old Crater Lake Road), ca. 1910. Berry pickers at Huckleberry Mtn., Ca. 1890. Boothby family at Prospect store, ca. 1895. Prospect area barn-raising, Ca. 1900. Auto on old Diamond Lake Road, Ca. 1926. Brown's Cabin Ranger Station, 1911. COPCO powerhouse on Upper Rogue, Ca. 1914. V-b. Cattle drive to Rogue-Umpqua divide, Ca. 1930s. V-li. Fly fishing on the Upper Rogue, 1925. Tourist autos at Prospect, ca. 1930. Union creek Resort gas station, Ca. 1930. canning berries at Huckleberry Mtn., Ca. 1935. V-iS. Farewell Bend Campground, Ca. 1938. Ribes Eradication project work, 1936. Truck hauling sugar pine logs to Medford, Ca. 1940. Svindth railroad tie mill, 1944. Windfall tree from Columbus Day storm, 1962. GROUP VI 221 VI-i. Bert McKee at Beaver Creek homestead, 1910. viii I. INTRODUCTION PURPOSE A Cultural Resource Overview is defined as a "broad-based inventory of a large geographic area, based on previously known or recorded information" (Wildesen 1977:2). This particular document provides a narrative review of the prehistory and historyof lands contained withinthe Rogue River National Forest. It is drawn from the available ethnographic, archaeological and historical source literature, as well as from interviews with local residents who were familiar with specific aspects of the area's history. This Overview is intended to serve asa master sourcebook for future reference -- to provide an organized, documented context in which to place the variousculturalresourceslocated onor adjacenttoForest Service-administered land. The U. S. Forest Service,as a Federal land-managing agency, has the responsibility to inventory,evaluate and manage the significant cultural resources under its jurisdiction "in a spirit of stewardship and trusteeship"forfuturegenerations (ExecutiveOrder11593). The term "cultural resources",as used here, refers to physically discrete sites, structures and objects made or used by human beings in the past -- in effect,the "on-the-ground" remnants and reminders of historical(in the broad sense) patterns and events. They actually are more than mere "places and things" however -- some cultural resources are repositories of important scientific information; many are sources of public education and enjoyment; and all ofthem providetangible links to the lifeways of previous generations. In brief,the Cultural Resource Overview is intended to serve asa large-scale research document prepared for the Rogue River National Forest's Lend Management Plan; as an aid in the on-going inventory and evaluation of the Forest's cultural resources; and as a basis for planning future cultural resource management needs. The Cultural Resource Overview was written with several potential audi- ences in mind. It is expected to be useful to persons with diverse expec- tations and needs. Among those at which the document is aimed are the responsible Forest Service officials (i.e., the Forest Supervisor and the District Rangers) and their staffs. The Overview provides specific cultural resource information relative to their geographic areas of concern; in most cases, a review of Chapters VI and VII will meet their needs. The Overview also gives broad background data on past resource development and land-use patterns for use by theRogue River NationalForest's Land Management Planning team in complying with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act,theNationalForest Management Act and other le9islation. 1 Location Maps r..Ob& Ce.k Lake Cl' G*ANT8 P$ CINTRA*. POINT (ó) PDFORD Q 'I, AI441.AND AbhIhd R.S. App.9te RS I,. Cofornc' (1 Legend Red Butt Condtey Rbu.. R,ve' Nto Prehistory & History of the ogue Rve N.ionI Rogue River National Forest 0 5 10 I I iN MUS The Overview is intended as a site- and area-specific research tool for the Forest's cultural resource specialists and technicians.