Cottage Grove in Lane County, Oregon — The American West (Northwest)
The Applegate Trail - Southern Route to Oregon
Cottage Grove
The first emigrants to trek the new "Southern Road" left with the trailblazers from Fort Hall in early August 1846. With Levi Scott acting as guide, while Jesse Applegate traveled ahead to mark the route, the hardy emigrants blazed a wagon trail through nearly 500 miles of wilderness arriving in the upper Willamette Valley in November. Emigrant travel continued along the Applegate Trail in later years and contributed greatly to the settlement of southern Oregon and the Willamette Valley.
Emigrant Trail
The Applegate Trail split into two routes in the northern Umpqua Valley. The eastern route, established in 1846 by Jesse Applegate, Levi Scott, Moses "Black" Harris and twelve others from Polk County, passed through Cottage Grove, Creswell, Eugene, and Junction City - its is approximated today by River Road and HIghway 99. The western route, an ancient Kalapuya Indian trace and a Hudson's Bay Company "trappers' trail' until the 1840s, was the most widely used alternate route. Known as the "California Trail," it became a wagon road in the late 1840s. Today Territorial Road closely follows this historic trail.
Erected by Applegate Trail Coalition.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Applegate Trail series list. A significant historical month for this entry is August 1846.
Location. 43° 47.855′ N, 123° 3.887′ W. Marker is in Cottage Grove, Oregon, in Lane County. Marker is on North River Road near West Main Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 19 North River Road, Cottage Grove OR 97424, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 14 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Changing Trail to Oregon (here, next to this marker); A Trail by Any Other Name (here, next to this marker); River Road (here, next to this marker); Crossing the Calapooya Mountains (here, next to this marker); The Centennial Bridge (within shouting distance of this marker); Cottage Grove Historical Museum (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Elijah Bristow (approx. 13.4 miles away); Bristow Monument (approx. 13.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cottage Grove.
More about this marker. This marker is located in Veterans Park.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 18, 2018. It was originally submitted on January 18, 2018, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 281 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 18, 2018, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.