Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Rogue River Canyon Photograph Collection, 1908-1916
Overview of the Collection
- Title
- Rogue River Canyon Photograph Collection
- Dates
- 1908-1916 (inclusive)19081916
- Quantity
- 27 slides, (1 box)
- Collection Number
- OLPb055ROG
- Summary
- These 27 lantern slides were taken by an unidentified family on a tour of the lower Rogue River (Oregon). The tour appears to have started on the stretch of the river near Galice and continued downriver to Marial. The slides include images of bridges, the Almeda mine, and a number of small farms.
- Repository
-
Lewis & Clark College, Special Collections and Archives
Aubrey R. Watzek Library
615 S. Palatine Hill Rd.
Portland, OR
97219
Telephone: 5037687758
Fax: 5037687282
archives@lclark.edu - Access Restrictions
-
This collection has no restrictions and is open for research.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The region of the Rogue River documented by these slides is a rugged canyon approximately thirty miles downriver from Grants Pass. Gold was discovered in the tributaries of the Rogue in the 1850s. In the wake of this discoery, the native peoples were removed to allow for white settlement. By the twentieth century, most of the surface gold had been extracted and larger industrial hard rock mining operations were established in a handful of locations. One of these operations, the Almeda Mine, is documented in these slides. Almeda was located in Josephine County, Oregon, near Galice, Oregon, in a steep canyon reach of the Rogue River. The gold and copper mine operated primarily between 1908 and 1916, but it has been a site of activity as recent as the 1980s. The mine site is also a toxic hazard that emits acidic water with heavy metal concentrations that exceed Oregon and national drinking water quality standards. At the time these photos were taken, the Almeda mine was in operation, and the population in the area was at its peak. Many of the mines in the region were abandoned in the early 20th century because of cost concerns and dwindling resources, and as a result the region's population declined. A handful of subsistence farmers remained, but the area increasingly became a recreational center for fishing. The famous author and fisherman Zane Grey owned along a roadless stretch of the river. In 1968 Congress designated an 84 mile stretch of the river, encompassing the tour sites documented in these slides, as a Wild and Scenic River (Public Law 90-542; 16 U.S.C. 1271 et seq.). The Wild and Scenic River Act preserved rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free-flowing condition for the enjoyment of present and future generations. As a result of this act, much of the Rogue River canyon is completely unpopulated, and is used for recreational hiking, rafting, and fishing. The Rogue River trail, which follows the course of the river and was the main transportation route for miners is documented in these slides.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection includes 27 glass lantern slides, many hand-tinted.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Permission to publish, exhibit, broadcast, or quote from materials in the Watzek Library Archives & Special Collections requires written permission of the Head of Archives & Special Collections.
Preferred Citation
The Rogue River Canyon Lantern Slide Collection (#OLPb055ROG), Lewis & Clark College Aubrey Watzek Library Archives & Special Collections, Portland, Oregon.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Arranged in the original numbered order of the slides.
Location of Collection
Special CollectionsAcquisition Information
Acquired from a photograph dealer in Wisconsin, December 2011.
Processing Note
Processed in 2012.
Related Materials
Other photos of mining and logging from this region can be found in: The Crescent City, California Logging and Mining Photography Collection ca. 1910, http://nwda-db.orbiscascade.org/findaid/ark:/80444/xv66842
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Item | ||
1.1 | Rogue River trip title slide
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.2 | A man next to his car on a road above the Rogue River
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A2" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.3 | Farmhouse with fenced enclosure
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A3" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.4 | A map of Rogue River watershed
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A4" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.5 | A woman walking on a path next to the Rogue River
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A5" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.6 | A car and three men next to a wood shed and house
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A6" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.7 | Rustic cabin with a man and woman in front
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A7" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.8 | A view of the hillside next to the Rogue River
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A8" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.9 | A hiker standing on a rocky hillside overlooking the Rogue River
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A9" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.10 | View of Almeda Mine
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A10" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.11 | View of Almeda Mine
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A11" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.12 | View of the Rogue River through the trees and a bridge
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A12" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.13 | Three men and a woman on the porch of a house
10 x 8 cm.
Label on slide frame unreadable.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.14 | White farmhouse surrounded with several fenced enclosures
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A15" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.15 | Sanderson Bridge
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A16" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.16 | Several small houses in a row, with a man on a front porch
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A17" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.17 | View of the Rogue River
10 x 8 cm.
Label on slide frame unreadable.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.18 | Five people and two dogs next to a house
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A19" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.19 | A farmer and an ox drawn hay cart
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A20" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.20 | View of the Rogue River and surrounding hills
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A21" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.21 | View of the Rogue River with a dwelling on the shore
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A22" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.22 | View of the Rogue River and surrounding hills
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A23" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.23 | A woman and two children on horseback next to the Rogue River
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A24" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.24 | View of a forested area
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A25" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.25 | View of the Rogue River
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A26" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.26 | View of a grassy hillside next to the Rogue River
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A27" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
1.27 | View of the Rogue River
10 x 8 cm.
Labeled as "A28" on slide frame.
|
c.1908-c.1916 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Almeda Mine (Or.)
- Gold mines and mining -- Oregon -- Rogue River Valley (Klamath County-Curry County)
- Mines and mineral resources -- Oregon -- Josephine County
- Rogue River National Recreation Trail (Or.)
Geographical Names
- Galice (Or.)
- Grants Pass (Or.)