Rogue Valley
Encyclopedia
The Rogue Valley is a farming and timber-producing region in southwestern Oregon
in the United States
. Located along the middle Rogue River
and its tributaries in Josephine
and Jackson
counties, the valley forms the cultural and economic heart of Southern Oregon
near the California
border. The largest communities in the Rogue Valley include Medford
, Ashland
, and Grants Pass
. The most populated part of the Rogue Valley is not along the Rogue proper, but along the smaller Bear Creek tributary.
The valley forms a relatively isolated enclave west of the Cascade Range
along the north side of the Siskiyou Mountains
. It is separated from the nearby coast by a high section of the Coast Range
. The valley is characterized by a mild climate that allows a long growing season, especially for many varieties of fruits and nuts. A regional manufacturing industry is centered in Medford
, the most highly populated area of the valley. In recent years the valley has emerged as a wine
-growing region and it is the location of the Rogue Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area
). The mild climate and relative isolation had made the valley a popular retirement destination. The community of Ashland is famous for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival
. Interstate 5
follows the valley through Ashland and Medford.
settlers arrived, the river valley was inhabited by the Shasta
, Takelma
, and Rogue River
tribes of Native Americans
. The early fur trade
rs named this river the "River of the Rogues". A flood of white settlers began to arrive in the valley after the Donation Land Act, which allocated 320 acres (2.6 km²) of land to each married couple. Between 1836 and 1856, the valley was the scene of a series of bloody conflicts between white settlers and the Rogue River tribe. In 1851 gold
was discovered in the nearby mountains. The mining activity was centered on the now-restored town of Jacksonville
west of Medford. At the peak of the gold rush some $70 million was extracted from the Rogue.
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located along the middle Rogue River
Rogue River (Oregon)
The Rogue River in southwestern Oregon in the United States flows about in a generally westward direction from the Cascade Range to the Pacific Ocean. Known for its salmon runs, whitewater rafting, and rugged scenery, it was one of the original eight rivers named in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act...
and its tributaries in Josephine
Josephine County, Oregon
Josephine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. According to Oregon Geographic Names, the county is probably named after a stream in the area called Josephine Creek, which in turn is probably named after Virginia Josephine Rollins Ort. In 2010, its population was 82,713...
and Jackson
Jackson County, Oregon
-National protected areas:* Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument* Crater Lake National Park * Klamath National Forest * Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest * Umpqua National Forest -Demographics:...
counties, the valley forms the cultural and economic heart of Southern Oregon
Southern Oregon
Southern Oregon is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon south of Lane County and generally west of the Cascade Range, excluding the southern Oregon Coast. Counties include Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, and Josephine. It includes the Southern Oregon American Viticultural Area, which consists of the...
near the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
border. The largest communities in the Rogue Valley include Medford
Medford, Oregon
Medford is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 US Census, the city had a total population of 74,907 and a metropolitan area population of 207,010, making the Medford MSA the 4th largest metro area in Oregon...
, Ashland
Ashland, Oregon
Ashland is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, near Interstate 5 and the California border, and located in the south end of the Rogue Valley. It was named after Ashland County, Ohio, point of origin of Abel Helman and other founders, and secondarily for Ashland, Kentucky, where other...
, and Grants Pass
Grants Pass, Oregon
-Rogue River:The Rogue River runs through Grants Pass.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,003 people, 9,376 households, and 5,925 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 9,885 housing units at an average density of 1,303.3 per square mile . By 2008,...
. The most populated part of the Rogue Valley is not along the Rogue proper, but along the smaller Bear Creek tributary.
The valley forms a relatively isolated enclave west of the Cascade Range
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
along the north side of the Siskiyou Mountains
Siskiyou Mountains
The Siskiyou Mountains are a coastal mountain range in the northern Klamath Mountains in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon in the United States. They extend in an arc for approximately from east of Crescent City, California northeast along the north side of the Klamath River into...
. It is separated from the nearby coast by a high section of the Coast Range
Southern Oregon Coast Range
The Southern Oregon Coast Range is the southernmost section of the Oregon Coast Range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, located in the southwest portion of the state of Oregon, United States roughly between the Umpqua River and the middle fork of the Coquille River, beyond which are the Klamath...
. The valley is characterized by a mild climate that allows a long growing season, especially for many varieties of fruits and nuts. A regional manufacturing industry is centered in Medford
Medford, Oregon
Medford is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 US Census, the city had a total population of 74,907 and a metropolitan area population of 207,010, making the Medford MSA the 4th largest metro area in Oregon...
, the most highly populated area of the valley. In recent years the valley has emerged as a wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
-growing region and it is the location of the Rogue Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area
American Viticultural Area
An American Viticultural Area is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau , United States Department of the Treasury....
). The mild climate and relative isolation had made the valley a popular retirement destination. The community of Ashland is famous for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Oregon Shakespeare Festival
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is a regional repertory theatre in Ashland, Oregon, United States. The festival annually produces eleven plays on three stages during a season that lasts from February to October...
. Interstate 5
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
follows the valley through Ashland and Medford.
History
In the early 19th century, before the first European AmericanEuropean American
A European American is a citizen or resident of the United States who has origins in any of the original peoples of Europe...
settlers arrived, the river valley was inhabited by the Shasta
Shasta
Shasta can be a reference to a Native American tribe, and also various locations in Northern California. The term is applied to numerous natural features in the same general vicinity, and many other items associated with the area...
, Takelma
Takelma
The Takelma were a Native American people that lived in the Rogue Valley of interior southwest Oregon, with most of their villages sited along the Rogue River. The name Takelma means Along the River.-History:...
, and Rogue River
Rogue River (tribe)
Rogue River is the name of a Native American group originally located in southern Oregon in the United States. Rogue River was not a single tribe, but a conglomeration of many affiliated and related tribal groups. The total estimated population of these tribes in 1850 was about 9,500...
tribes of Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. The early fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
rs named this river the "River of the Rogues". A flood of white settlers began to arrive in the valley after the Donation Land Act, which allocated 320 acres (2.6 km²) of land to each married couple. Between 1836 and 1856, the valley was the scene of a series of bloody conflicts between white settlers and the Rogue River tribe. In 1851 gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
was discovered in the nearby mountains. The mining activity was centered on the now-restored town of Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Oregon
Jacksonville is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, a few miles west of Medford. It was named for Jackson Creek, which runs through the community and was the site of one of the first placer gold claims in the area. It includes Jacksonville Historic District which was designated a U.S....
west of Medford. At the peak of the gold rush some $70 million was extracted from the Rogue.