Rogue River Valley

Early History of the Rogue River
The Rogue River in Southwestern Oregon flows in a meandering western direction form the Cascade Mountain Range to the Pacific Ocean. It is approximately 215 miles long. Rich in salmon and other fish, it provided a food source to the natives living along its shores for thousands of years. Europeans began to settle in the area in the late 1700s. Native Americans were moved from their settlements to reservations lands in 1855-56. By 1895 the United States Post Office Department had added mail boat service along the lower Rogue River and as of 2010 the Rogue River still had one of the two remaining mail boat routes in the United States.

The Rogue River Valley
Located along the middle portion of the Rogue River, the valley is an important timber producing and farming region of Oregon. The largest communities located in the Rogue valley are Medford, Ashland and Grants Pass. In its earliest history the valley was inhabited by Native Americans of the Rogue River, Shasta and Takelma tribes.