Landscape

The Klamath Mountains of southwestern Oregon are a result of some of the earliest conjunctions between exotic terranes and the North American plate. The mountain's geologic history has evolved several distinct ecological communities, including temperate rain forests, moist inland forests, oak forests and savannas, high elevation forests and alpine grasslands. The variety of animals include mountain lions, black bears, bobcats, lynx, raccoons, martens, fishers, beavers, grey fox, red fox, northern flying squirrel and deer. Bird species include golden eagles, bald eagles, pileated woodpecker, band-tailed pigeon, several hawks including goshawks, several large owl species including the spotted owl. The numerous mountains, streams and rivers form a major spawning ground for fish.

The Rogue River Valley was formed as a relatively isolated enclave west of the Cascade Range along the north side of the Klamath Mountains. The Rogue River defines the valley and flows from the east and the Cascade Range through deep canyons in the Coast Range and to the Pacific Ocean at Gold Beach. Historically, the valley was characterized by a mild climate with a long growing season that was especially good for fruits, nuts and herbs. The Rogue Valley and the Klamath Mountains contain extensive forests of Ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, madrone, manzanita, oak, incense cedar, white fir, Shasta red fir and a diverse mix of shrubs. Along the Rogue River, there are willows, red alder, white alder, black cottonwood and Oregon ash. Boating down the Rogue River, you are greeted with an abundance of flowers—fox gloves, rhododendrons, evening primrose and elegant lilies. Boat trip up the Rogue River provides amazing scenery with Bald eagles flying overhead and deer wandering along the top of the canyon walls. These forests were the center of the timber industry in southern Oregon throughout much of the twentieth century.

Community and the Arts

The population of the original 9,500 inhabitants of the Rogue Valley included speakers of Takelman, Shastan and Athapascan languages to the west and along the coast. Following a series of conflicts, fewer than 2,000 Indian survivors were counted on the reservation in 1857. They moved to either the Grande Ronde or Siletz reservations.