From the snowcapped crest of the Cascades to the crashing surf of the Pacific Ocean, the Land of Umpqua covers more than 5,000 square miles of southwestern Oregon. The area was home to Native Americans for more than 10,000 years before they were joined by fur trappers, gold prospectors, and pioneers; each group left their unique mark on the resource-rich landscape. Echoes of gunfire from the Rogue Indian War of 1856, steam engine whistles of the Oregon and California Railroad, and whirling sawmill blades can still be heard in Umpqua’s isolated valleys, which have hardly changed in the last 100 years. Much of the area’s rapid growth in the 19th century coincided with the expansion of photography. What resulted is an invaluable album of the forests, fields, farms, and towns that make up the Umpqua River Valley.

Land of Umpqua (Images of America)

Arts & Photography

Douglas County Museum

Photography & Video

Arcadia Publishing

Incorporated in 1919, Reedsport began as a railroad town built on stilts to avoid the low-lying marsh and slough that ran beneath the town. This area was filled in 1927, and Reedsport became the hub of activity on the Lower Umpqua River. The logging and fishing industries dominated the city’s landscape, with Southern Pacific Railroad and Umpqua Navigation shuttling goods to and from the area. Despite flood after flood that threatened the town, Reedsport was able to survive due to the resilience and toughness of its inhabitants.

Reedsport (Images of America)

Akre, Jim

Umpqua Discovery Center

Originally called Deer Creek, Roseburg was the creation of entrepreneur Aaron Rose. After becoming county seat for Douglas County in 1854, the city’s growth was assured. Roseburg became the bridge between the populated Willamette Valley and the mining districts of Southern Oregon. Situated in a panoramic valley created by the North and South Umpqua Rivers, Roseburg’s population increased dramatically over the next 155 years. In 1872, the Oregon and California Railroad arrived and the city became a major center of commerce in Oregon. Today Roseburg continues to present a serene and picturesque face to cars rushing by on I-5.

Roseburg (Images of America)

Goeres-Gardner, Diane L.

Originally called Deer Creek, Roseburg was the creation of entrepreneur Aaron Rose. After becoming county seat for Douglas County in 1854, the city's growth was assured. Roseburg became the bridge between the populated Willamette Valley and the mining districts of Southern Oregon. Situated in a panoramic valley created by the North and South Umpqua Rivers, Roseburg's population increased dramatically over the next 155 years. In 1872, the Oregon and California Railroad arrived and the city became a major center of commerce in Oregon. Today Roseburg continues to present a serene and picturesque face to cars rushing by on I-5.

Roseburg

History

Americas

Arcadia Publishing Library Editions

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