Oakland in Douglas County, Oregon — The American West (Northwest)
Applegate Trail - Oakland
Southern Route to Oregon
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, March 31, 2018
1. Applegate Trail - Oakland Marker
Inscription.
Applegate Trail - Oakland. Southern Route to Oregon. In 1846, Jesse Applegate and fourteen others from near Dallas, Oregon, established a trail south from the Willamette Valley and east to Fort Hall. This route offered emigrants an alternative to the perilous “last leg” of the Oregon Trail down the treacherous Columbia River.
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.
A Town is Born
Applegate Trail emigrants found the descent of Canyon Creek the most difficult in their travels. Weakened by sickness and hunger, and beset by the loss of livestock, some spent the winter of 1846-47 in this valley. Rev. Joseph A. Cornwall, unwilling to abandon his library, erected the first cabin, about a mile to the north, where he and his family waited for better weather and health before moving on. In 1851 Dr. Dorsey S. Baker established the region's first grist mill and town , Oakland , across Calapooya Creek from the Cornwalls' cabin. Construction of the Oregon and California Railroad in 1872 caused the relocation and founding of a new town by Alonzo F. Brown.
In 1846, Jesse Applegate and fourteen others from near Dallas, Oregon, established a trail south from the Willamette Valley and east to Fort Hall. This route offered emigrants an alternative to the perilous “last leg” of the Oregon Trail down the treacherous Columbia River.
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.
A Town is Born
Applegate Trail emigrants found the descent of Canyon Creek the most difficult in their travels. Weakened by sickness and hunger, and beset by the loss of livestock, some spent the winter of 1846-47 in this valley. Rev. Joseph A. Cornwall, unwilling to abandon his library, erected the first cabin, about a mile to the north, where he and his family waited for better weather and health before moving on. In 1851 Dr. Dorsey S. Baker established the region's first grist mill and town — Oakland — across Calapooya
Click or scan to see this page online
Creek from the Cornwalls' cabin. Construction of the Oregon & California Railroad in 1872 caused the relocation and founding of a new town by Alonzo F. Brown.
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° 25.283′ N, 123° 17.948′ W. Marker is in Oakland, Oregon, in Douglas County. Marker is at the intersection of NE 1st Street and SE Maple Street, on the left when traveling north on NE 1st Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Oakland OR 97462, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, March 31, 2018
2. Applegate Trail - Oakland Marker - Wide View
The marker is visible on the right side of the building, beneath the awning.
name of a new wagon road to the Willamette Valley which was a southern alternative to the Oregon Trail along the Columbia. It was located in 1846 by an exploring party in which two Applegate brothers played a leading role." (Submitted on April 27, 2018.)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 27, 2018. It was originally submitted on April 27, 2018, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 275 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on April 27, 2018, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
