history.
quarries. These accounts brought population to that
part of the coast, and soon vessels began to ply be
tween 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, 13
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
entrepot of importance. 14 The influence of the Ump
qua interest was sufficient to obtain from congress at
the session of 1850-51 appropriations for mail ser
vice by sea and land, a light-house at the mouth of
the river, and a separate collection district. 15
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
13 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 Urapqua 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.
14 Allan, McKiiilay, 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 Recollection* of a Pioneer: 1 sold goods on credit to those who needed them most, not to those who \vere able to pay, lost 30,000, and quit the business.
la The steamers carrying the mails from Panama 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 repre sent the matter to congress, and Thurston did all he could to satisfy his con stituents, though he could not compel the steamship company to keep its contract or congress to annul it.