Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1901-10-31
THE SILVER CREEK REGION.
Territory of Va stness and Great
Promise Barely Touched
by the Prospector.

nv LAAhNA iNbNth NNNNfAN1 'AN
extreme western edge Of Josephine
county and reaches oyer into Curry.
OF all our mineral districts, it is likely
that Silver creek is one Of the least
known and its merits and extent least
appreciated by the general public. The
insccessibility OF the district is responsi-
BILE for this condition Of ignorance re-
garding it. 1t lies in the heart OF the
roughness OF the coast range, hemmed
in on all sides by rugged and lofty
mountains and far removed from roads,
so that all supplies and equipments
have to be transported many miles over
rough trails by pack train. There are
several routes by which the district is
reached from Grants Pass. One is by
way of Galice, from which point the
head OF "South Silver" or 'Big Silver
may be reached BY pack" of about 10
miles. Another route, by way Of the
"Big Bend" of Rogue river and Upper
Briggs creek, by trail % or 30 miles in
length from the river, leads to the
Silver creek basin on South Silver creek,
and its neighboring district. Still
another route, by way of Selma or
Swede Basin and lower Briggs creek and
Red Dog, Peaches Silver creek near the
Phillips mine and taps Clover Silver"
or the region below the falls.
The several branches Of Silver creek
head up against Galice and Howard
creeks OF the. Rogue river side and flow
south and west, uniting finally in one
large stream which joins the Illinois far
down toward the junction OF that stream
with Rogue river. Silver creek, below
the confluence OF It's principal branches,
sttains almost the dignity OF river and
flows through the most magnificent
canyons in a region oil cragsand chasms,
rugged cliffs and towering mountains.
"South Silver" one of the creeks
main branches, is the portion OF Silver
creek which has made it known as a
mining region and nearly all OF the
SILVER creek mines Of the present are
situated on South Silver. About 30
years ago the discovery OF gold on this
creek occasioned one Of those mining
stampedes typical of the time and for
time Silver creek was tremendously
lively camp, full of men and with
nuggets and dust in prolusion. Placer
mining on Silver was and still is OF a
sensational character as the gold occurs
largely in big nuggets up to the value OF
800 or even greater. 1t is nearly all
channel gold, smooth and very solid,
pure and heavy, always commanding
the highest price.
At the falls Of this creek a big rock
slide has filed up the creek TO great
depth, an obstruction that has caused
the formation Of the "Silver creek
basin" about two smiles long, in which
the bedrock has never yet been reached
The creek bed was worked out as far al
the basin and was very rich, When il
became impossible to drain the bedrock
the creek was abandoned The cabin'
which once lived the banks of thi'
stream have nearly all been burned by
hunters for the purpose OF securing nails
At the mouth Of "RsShide," one OF thu
tributaries OF South Silver there is al
old, charred pile OF logs which is pointer
out as the location OF the grocery" th'
commercial center, half store, hal
aoon, of Silver creek in her glory
The character of the whiskey sold i
said to have given the little creek it
name.
Silver creek history is similar to tina
of other southern Oregon creeks. |
had its rush, lis period Of inactivity, an,
it's awakening to new life, with pipe an,
giant IN the new order Of things
Several mines with. small hydrauli
plants are operated near the head OF tn
creek and at the falls big engineerin
project is now being carried out,
tunnel under the falls and tap the bi
basin OF Silver creek big Silver"
branch heading west and north OF Sout
Silver, has neveg been mined although
is known to carry gold. One $50 nugge
was found in a crevice near the mout
OF the creek. At the present time, tw
miners are opening placer on "Bi
Silver" near the "iorks" for "Big Silye
divides itself also in'o two sections
"South Fork" and . SJurgrass", bot
creeks Of magnitude. This region was
very paradise OF game before tn
T villHnousdseI skinner made his cam
there. e .I1 . 1866 ~,
Between the more important branches
"sopth Silver" and "Big Silver, come
Little Silver" smaller creek, five q
six miles long, from and through
region grand in its ruggedness. Tn
head OF lille Silver sis the locatiQn,oi
number of. "bear wallows" and is
known point for those who make tn
pursuit OF Bruin a specially.
The Kramer in which Silver cree
, takesit5 name is Of. peculiar inteses
Tie early placer miners found at time
in their RIFLES with the gold, pieces
bright, Write metal which, they sur
posed to be silver, hence the creek
: name. This metal has been found 10 /
instead Of silver, nothing else tha
native tin. The source Of the metal hs
never been found aud as far a, know
no effort has been made 10 find It,. Til
yisior'to this region IS constantly astoE
ished at the diversity OF mineral whic
the region bears. Gold isplentiiulin 10 II
creek and tie country il nll OF unpro
Lpeeted ledses. Native TIN Is found i
the placers. pvidences Of nickel an
ccbali Are iouni, copper indications Al