Cottage Grove in Lane County, Oregon — The American West (Northwest)
Cottage Grove—Getting Established
Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, April 11, 2026
1. Cottage Grove-Getting Established Marker
A New & Exciting Development
The Oregon and California Railroad obtained a right-of-way through Cottage Grove in 1871. After the first train arrived in 1872, the little town was shaping itself to this new and exciting development. Later, the blocks around the station at Main Street boomed with hardware stores, saloons, groceries, lodging houses, and gambling halls. The remote and rugged Bohemia Mining District was producing some 40,000 ounces of gold, making it one of the richest gold regions in the western Cascades.
Cottage Grove — Slabtown
Cottage Grove was incorporated on February 11, 1887. By 1893, there were two feuding town centers, Cottage Grove “Slabtown” to the west, and East Cottage Grove (later named Lemati) to the east—spanning the river. The station had been built on the east side, giving that side status
this page online
For several years, the post office was at the center of a game of tug-of-war. At one point, citizens of Lemati dragged the post office 600 feet east in a midnight raid. In 1899, the towns reunited as Cottage Grove. Today the original heart of Cottage Grove is a residential neighborhood.
As the town established itself, the miners of Bohemia District were beginning to be important making a major source of industry for Cottage Grove. Then, as mining disappeared, the timber industry was growing.
A Railroad Station
A new sign was seen at the depot of the Southern Pacific in this city. Thursday morning, having painted in bright, new letters, Lemati to Portland, 144 m, to San Francisco, 268 m. We are told that the section boss will put it up soon.
-Excerpt from the Cottage Grove Echo Leader Newspaper, 1895
1899 - Cottage Grove united. Feud over location of post office ended.
1902 - J.H. Chambers moved to Oregon from Nebraska, and bought a lumberyard in Medford.
1903
Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, April 11, 2026
2. Cottage Grove—Getting Established Marker
1909 - Thirty-one sawmills recorded within twenty miles of Cottage Grove.
1912 - J.H. Chambers purchased the No. 1 Locomotive “The Dinkey.”
1917 - Chambers gained control of Oregon Pacific and Eastern Railway from Bohemia Mines, to use for lumber transport.
1924 - Chambers sold his interests to the Anderson-Middleton Company, and expanded his timber empire.
[Photo captions]
Prized Hereford bull on the slab boardwalk in front of the Bohemia Saloon.
Chambers covered bridge with water tower, May 1954.
The Bohemia mining boom swelled Cottage Grove’s population to 3,000. Cottage Grove in 1906 shown here.
The name “Slabtown” comes from the big slabs of lumber that were laid in the muddy streets to keep pedestrians from sinking.
The name “Cottage Grove” was coined by settler Greenberry Pearce, who established the first post office and named it for picturesque cottages in an oak grove.
A train arrives in Cottage Grove in 1911. On this day William Howard Taft was campaigning for the presidency.
When the Bohemia Mines boomed in 1902, a short rail line ran daily from Cottage Grove to the town of Disston.
Erected by City
Photographed by Douglass Halvorsen, April 11, 2026
3. Cottage Grove—Getting Established Marker
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1858.
Location. 43° 47.366′ N, 123° 4.166′ W. Marker is in Cottage Grove, Oregon, in Lane County. It can be reached from South River Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1231 S River Road, Cottage Grove OR 97424, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. 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 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A Man, a Mill, & a Bridge to Timber (here, next to this marker); Timber Town (here, next to this marker); Millwork Memories (here, next to this marker); Last Covered Railroad Bridge in Oregon (here, next to this marker); Chambers Covered Railroad Bridge (within shouting distance of this marker); Welcome to Slabtown (approx. 0.3 miles away); Cottage Grove Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.6 miles away); The Centennial Bridge (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cottage Grove.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 27, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 27, 2026, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. This page has been viewed 15 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 27, 2026, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
