East Gardiner near Reedsport in Douglas County, Oregon — The American West (Northwest)
Smith, Jackson & Sublette Umpqua Memorial
Photographed by Bob Zybach
1. Smith, Jackson & Sublette Umpqua Memorial
Smith, Jackson & Sublette Beaver Trappers
-- In Memory of --
Thomas Daws · John Gaither · John Hanna · Abraham Laplant · Joseph Lapoint · Emmanuel Lazarus · Toussaint Marechal · Martin McCoy · Joseph Palmer · Peter Ranne · John Peter Ranne · John Robeseau · Harrison G. Rogers · Charles Swift · Thomas Virgin
-- Died July 14, 1828 --
Dedicated October 28, 2023
Erected 2023 by Oregon Websites & Watersheds Project, Jedediah Smith Society, Oregon-California Trails Association.
Topics. This historical marker and memorial is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Exploration • Indigenous Peoples and Communities. A significant historical date for this entry is July 14, 1828.
Location. 43° 43.006′ N, 124° 5.467′ W. Marker is near Reedsport, Oregon, in Douglas County. It is in East Gardiner. It is at the intersection of Lower Smith River Road (County Road 48 at milepost 1), and Stables Road (County Road 498), on the left when traveling north on Lower Smith River Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 444-302 Lower Smith River Road, Reedsport OR 97467, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker and memorial is in Southern Oregon and on the Oregon Coast. It is also on the American Pacific Coast, in the Pacific Northwest, and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, in the Cascade Range, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 7 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Jedediah Smith (approx. half a mile away); What is a Steam Donkey?
this page online
Another marker is no longer nearby. Jedediah Smith (was approx. half a mile away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
More about this marker. This stone was selected and donated by local businesses in response to a suggestion by members of the 2023 Jedediah Smith Society Rendezvous when they visited the location on April 3.
Regarding Smith, Jackson & Sublette Umpqua Memorial. The marker is a memorial to the 15 Smith, Jackson & Sublette beaver trappers who were killed here on July 14, 1828 -- historically noted as the "Umpqua Massacre" -- by local Indians, and whose remains were buried nearby on October 28, 1828 by an Hudson's Bay Company party led by Alexander R. McLeod and including Jedediah Smith and other survivors of the massacre.
Photographed by Bob Zybach
2. Smith, Jackson & Sublette Umpqua Memorial
Also see . . . ORWW 1828 Umpqua Memorial Project (Oregon Websites and Watersheds Project). Excerpt:
On July 14, 1828, 15 beaver trappers working for the Smith, Jackson & Sublette fur trading business and under the leadership of Jedediah Smith, were killed near the mouth of the Smith River, where it enters the Umpqua River. All of their horses, mules, guns, knives, trading goods, beaverskins, clothing, and supplies were stolen. Smith and three other men survived the attack and made it safely to Fort Vancouver, where John McLoughlin sent a Hudson's Bay Company brigade under the direction of Alexander McLeod to retrieve the stolen property. The brigade, including Smith and his men, reached the mouth of "Defeat River" on October 28, where they found:(Submitted on November 29, 2023.)
... the Skeletons of eleven of those Miserabl Sufferers lying bleaching in the Sun, after paying the last Service to their remains we continued forward and made the Coast ...
Additional keywords. Joint Occupancy, Oregon Country, Fort Vancouver, Hudson's Bay Company, mountain
Photographed by Bob Zybach, June 14, 2023
3. Stone Selected for Monument at Quarry
This is David Gould, Coos Bay Timber Operators (CBTO), with the quarry stone he selected to memorialize the men killed and buried at the mouth of Smith River in 1828. The stone was donated by Main Rock and later transported to the memorial site by CBTO and lifted into place by Mast Brothers Towing.
Photographed by Bob Zybach, June 21, 2023
4. Stone for Monument Lifted into Place
The stone is being lifted into place by Josh Mast, of Mast Brothers towing company while David Gould supervises.
Photographed by Bob Zybach, October 17, 2023
5. Bronze Plaque Ready for the Memorial
This is Larry Hager of Bronzecraft Memorials, Wamic, Oregon, with the hand-crafted bronze plaque to be installed on the memorial stone.
Photographed by Bob Zybach, October 18, 2023
6. Preparing the Stone for the Plaque
Stu Richardson of Richardson Masonry preparing the memorial stone to house the bronze plaque while David Gould observes.
Photographed by Bob Zybach, October 18, 2023
7. Stone and Plaque Before Installation
Bronze plaque and engraved stone, ready for installation.
Photographed by Stu Richardson, October 18, 2023
8. Smith, Jackson & Sublette Umpqua Memorial
Bob Zybach and David Gould pose next to finished monument, in time for the scheduled October 28 dedication. Next project is to construct nearby informational kiosk with detailed history of the location.
Photographed by Amy Ritenour, October 28, 2023
9. Smith, Jackson & Sublette Umpqua Memorial
David E. Jackson family members, the Zybachs, visit the memorial stone a few hours before its official dedication at sunset on October 28, 2023. (L-R) Grandpa Bob, Tyler, Kendal, and Aaron. Dogs (L-R) Pepper, Bella, and Roger. Kendal's first impulse was to climb the rock, and Tyler soon followed, but needed assistance.
Later, the actual dedication was calm and formal by contrast; clear skies, a reading of the men's names followed by a contemplative silence while the sun set into the sea and the full moon began to rise over the hills within minutes of each other.
Later, the actual dedication was calm and formal by contrast; clear skies, a reading of the men's names followed by a contemplative silence while the sun set into the sea and the full moon began to rise over the hills within minutes of each other.
Photographed by Bob Zybach, March 8, 2025
10. Smith, Jackson & Sublette Umpqua Memorial
Ken Zigler at Umpqua Memorial stone, partly sponsored by Phoenix Reforestation, Inc.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 16, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 27, 2023, by Bob Zybach of Creswell, Oregon. This page has been viewed 1,593 times since then and 105 times this year. Last updated on December 2, 2023, by Bob Zybach of Creswell, Oregon. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 27, 2023, by Bob Zybach of Creswell, Oregon. 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on November 28, 2023, by Bob Zybach of Creswell, Oregon. 7, 8, 9. submitted on November 30, 2023, by Bob Zybach of Creswell, Oregon. 10. submitted on March 8, 2025, by Bob Zybach of Creswell, Oregon. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
