quarries. These accounts brought population to that part of the coast, and soon vessels began to ply between San Francisco and Scottsburg. Gardiner, named after the captain of the Bostonian, which was wrecked in trying to enter the river in 1850, sprang up in 1851. In that year also a trail was constructed for pack-animals across the mountains to Winchester,[1] which became the county seat of Douglas county, with a United States land office. From Winchester the route was extended to the mines in the Umpqua and Rogue River valleys. Long trains of mules laden with goods for the mining region filed daily along the precipitous path which was dignified with the name of road, their tinkling bells striking cheerily the ear of the lonely traveller plodding his weary way to the gold-fields. Scottsburg, which was the point of departure for the pack-trains, became a commercial entrepôt of importance.[2] The influence of the Umpqua interest was sufficient to obtain from congress at the session of 1850–51 appropriations for mail service by sea and land, a light-house at the mouth of the river, and a separate collection district.[3]
As the mines were opened permanent settlements were made upon the farming lands of southern Oregon, and various small towns were started from 1851 to
- ↑ Winchester was laid out by Addison C. Flint, who was in Chile in 1845, to assist in the preliminary survey of the railroad subsequently built by the infamous Harry Meigs. In 1849 Flint came to California, and the following year to Oregon to make surveys for the Umpqua Company. He also laid out the town of Roseburg in 1854 for Aaron Rose, where he took up his residence in 1857. Or. Sketches, MS., 2–4.
- ↑ Allan, McKinlay, and McTavish of the Hudson's Bay Company opened a trading-house at Scottsburg; and Jesse Applegate also turned merchant. Applegate's manner of doing business is described by himself in Burnett's Recollections of a Pioneer: 'I sold goods on credit to those who needed them most, not to those who were able to pay, lost $30,000, and quit the business.'
- ↑ The steamers carrying the mails from Panamá to the Columbia River were under contract to stop at the Umpqua, and one entry was made, but the steamer was so nearly wrecked that no further attempt followed. The merchants and others at Scottsburg and the lower towns, as well as at Winchester, had to wait for their letters and papers to go to Portland and be sent up the valley by the bi-monthly mail fa Yoncalla, a delay which was severely felt and impatiently resented. The legislature did not fail to represent the matter to congress, and Thurston did all he could to satisfy his constituents, though he could not compel the steamship company to keep its contract or congress to annul it.
