Articles from the Historical Society in Josephine County Oregon

Pioneer Days for Southern Oregon
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It was largely the white man's fault for trading the Indian guns and ammunition for gold and favors from their women. Within a years time after the invasion of the whites the majority of which involved the killing of settlers along the military road from Evans Creek to Mount Sexton and also a family close to Merlin.
Within a years time after the 1855 attacks the Indians had thrown away their bows and arrows and armed themselves with guns and pistols, and all knew how to use them. After a hard fought final battle was ended at Big Bend on the lower Rogue River, Peace was declared. The Rogue, Illinois River, and Applegate Indians were removed to the Siletz
Reservation on the northern Oregon coast during July of 1856

THE DECLINE

The days of gold continued in Southern Oregon throughout the '50's; by that time the surface diggings were pretty well skimmed over, the rocker and shovel had done their work, and the nervous mass of gold hunters was ready to move on to a new El Dorado.

The reports of rich strikes in the Frazer River country sounded the alarm and in a few weeks the once thickly-populated and seething camps of the Southern Oregon country, along the Illinois, Galice Creek and the Applegate, were deserted.

Furniture, camp fixtures, abandoned saloons and dancehalls, which had been scenes of high revelry night and day, were abandoned, left to the rats and the decay; and to the Chinese.

The Chinese, following up the "Melican man" here, just as they did in California, swarmed into the deserted camps and swept the bedrock clean of its remaining gold. The Chinese remained in spite of the many hardships encumbered upon them. Many went to San Francisco, others to Vancouver Washington, and others returned to their homeland carrying with them the gold and jade from Southern Oregon as well as the bones of their departed country men. Many of those that remained found employment working on the railroads as well as working on wagon roads during the late 70's and early 80's. The treatment of the Chinese early on was nothing to be proud of and remains blight on this country's history to this day.

See the pictures:

Early Placer Gold Mining In Josephine Co.
A very Popular Rocker

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