The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-08-20
FIRST GOLD FOUND IN OREGON
It Created the Customary Stampede
The Rush Wild
Cna

The history of the discovery of gold in
Oregon is nearly parallel to the story OF
the mad rush to California in ~. says
the Portland Telegraph. Both TEEN with
interest, and are wild narratives OF ex-
cited men. nerved with but one ambition
finding the precious yellow metal.
If, during the year 1S49. an eagle as he
scared amongst the clouds, cast glance
over the vast territory lying between the
Calapooia hills and the California line.
he would have beheld land as yet de-
void of human hahitation. Alone the
solitary trail that led into California
from the interior of Oregon would have
seen, perhaps, a lonely traveller making
his way either to or from Vancouver, in
quest of furs Bands of Indians, with
their wigwam camps. would also have
be- en- seen scattered here and there
a ong the banks of the Rogue, the Il!i-
nois and the Umpqua. Great herds of
deer and elk browsed and fed in the tall,
rich grass of the valleys and sloping
mountains. At night the gray wolf
prowled and the ever hungry coyote
walled loud and mournfully.
But the panorama suddenly changed.
One day in April, 1851, it became noised
about the many mining camps scattered
ettclAS Vic liCI tIC1u AdlllOI SlICd!iIS
tfat rich diggings had been discovered
i'll Oregon. Within "a hours 600 men
were on their way to Jackson county,
which at that time comprised all south
ern Oregon. These excited goldseekers
crossed the siskiyou mountains near
Ashland. Here the human stream broke
and the miners scattered into all parts
of the Rogue river valley. News had
rca ched the Willamette valley, too of the
gold strike in southern Oregon, and the
migrants there let go their newly ac-
Quired farms and rushed south, eager to
share in the riches of the Oregon
Bonanza.
The first creek of gold in Oregon was
made on Josephine creek. during the
month Ct May, 1851. he next discovery
was on Canyon creek, a TRIBUTARY 20 the
former stream. The first rush of miners
was TO these two creeks. A few weeks
later gold was discovered in ScOtt'S and
Alien gulches, at what is now known as
waldo. The discovery was made by a
rumber OF sailors, who abandoned their
ships. harbored at Crescent City, and
joined the crowd of seeks in the Rogue
river valley. The richest strikes were
made on Jackson creek. the streams in
that district producing an immense
amount OF gold.
The awful times of four years heeore
n t. e G Id n Stat. were repeated in
oregon in 1853. During the Wln.er OF
tnat year continuous snow fell over
oregon. For six weeks the ground lay
covered with four feet of the icy flakes
All travel was impeded. Packers from
the willamette valley, Scottsburg and
'Areka We're snowbound all along the
trail. The grub kits of the MANY
miners, trapped in the deep SHOWS down
IN the valley of the Rogue, got low.
Those were cold and hungry DAYS for
those pioneer seekers of gold. There was
plenty of nuggest and gold dust, but no
Hour bacon or salt. The last sack of
flour sold for SIS. Salt became as yalu-
able as gold, and was exchanged at the
stores for an equal weight of the yellow
metal.
BY and by the warm sun of spring.
time peeped through the clouds, and
gladly was hailed the day when the last
Nestlge of snow had melted and flowed
away to the sea. Many miners had died
CT 6 aviation, while scattered everywhere
over the valleys Of the Rogue and Illinois
were the carcasses of hundreds of cattle
horses and mules