Oregon's First Gold Discovery, 1851

Stories from the heart of the Siskiyou Mountains, Cave Junction, Oregon

Illinois Valley is considered to be the place where the first gold was discovered in Oregon but the story of how this happened does not come without its entanglements. This was a time when gold miners were first making their way into the uncharted wilderness of Oregon and California and word of gold discoveries traveled only as fast as a person on foot or horseback could carry it to the nearest settlement. For this reason, the documentation of gold discoveries in Oregon were made on the best recollection of those involved.

From the best information available it appears that the discovery of gold in Illinois Valley may have been triggered by gold strikes made in 1850 near Yreka, California, located about 70 miles south of Illinois Valley, Oregon. Within two months of these gold discoveries, more than 2,000 prospectors had migrated into the area. Some of these were came out of Oregon to the north while others came from California to the south.

Later that year, gold was discovered in Illinois Valley and, from the available information, it appears that the discovery was made almost simultaneously by two groups that came into Illinois Valley from opposite directions.

Sucker Creek was the location gold discoveries that may have been the first in Oregon history. Near Oregon Caves National Monument, Oregon Caves Highway 46, southwest Oregon Siskiyou Mountains The group that came up from the south were likely prospectors from California who may have wanted to avoid the calamity of the boom camps in Yreka and headed toward Oregon to find gold deposits of their own. They likely came up Indian Creek from Happy Camp following the general route of the Jefferson State Byway and arrived in Oregon by way of a large creek drainage where they found gold. These prospectors were from Illinois, also known as the Sucker State, and for that reason, the creek was later named Sucker Creek (photo right). This creek flowed through a large valley below the mountains and these prospectors may have also been the inspiration for naming these low lands the Illinois Valley.

The second group that discovered gold in this valley were Oregonians who had been traveling south on the Applegate Pioneer Trail from Willamette Valley, Oregon heading for the Yreka gold fields. In the vicinity of present-day Grants Pass, this group reportedly met Native Americans who, somehow, let them know about gold in Illinois Valley.

The Illinois River leaves Illinois Valley by a canyon near Eight Dollar Mountain (right). This photo was taken from Highway 199 near Cave Junction, southwest Oregon Siskiyou Mountains.

The Wild and Scenic Illinois River near Cave Junction, Oregon passes Josephine Creek where one of the first gold discoveries in Oregon history was made. Josephine was the miners daughter and Josephine County was named after her. Southwest Oregon Siskiyou Mountains. These travelers turned southward from the Applegate Trail and made their way into Illinois Valley following the general route of Highway 199. When they arrived they headed down the canyon seen in the picture above and found gold in a creek located behind the ridge on the left. The picture on the right looks up river toward Josephine Creek, the canyon coming in from the right in the upper left corner of the picture.

The miner later named the creek after his daughter, Josephine. When this area became a county in 1857, Josephine was adopted as the new county's name making it the only county in Oregon to be named after a woman.

The third discovery that was reported around this same time was in the area of Jacksonville, Oregon, a town that began its existence as a boom camp by prospectors who rushed to that area when gold was discovered there in 1851.

No one will know for sure which of these three discoveries was the absolute first of in Oregon history but it is possible to conclude that 1851 was a year of significant change in southwest Oregon.

Josephine Creek can be visited by following the TJ Howell Botanical Drive, located on Highway 199 about five miles north of Cave Junction.

Sucker Creek is pointed out at several points on the Oregon Caves History Loop Tour from Cave Junction to Oregon Caves National Monument.

Story by Roger Brandt

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