Historic Trails

The Applegate Trail - History

The Applegates were among the earliest settlers in Douglas County. The three brothers and their wives - Charles and Melinda, Jesse and Cynthia Ann, Lindsay and Elizabeth - crossed the Oregon Trail in 1843 on one of the first wagon trains. The tragic drowning of two Applegate children in the Columbia River and the threatening Cayuse Indians along the Oregon Trail motivated Jesse Applegate to act as captain of a team to locate an alternative southern road into Oregon.

In 1846, Jesse and Lindsay Applegate, famous Northwest explorer Levi Scott, and a dozen other settlers set out through the Umpqua region. Their exploration and the blazing of the Applegate Trail cleared the way for the first wagons through Douglas County. The Applegates moved their families to the Yoncalla Valley in 1848. Levi Scott also settled in the area. Eventually thousands of settlers came to Douglas County and southern Oregon over the Applegate Trail.

The Applegate Trail Experience

The Applegate Trail extends for one hundred miles through Douglas County, closely following the present course of Interstate 5. While traveling this historic route, you will find:

• Canyon Creek:
  Near Canyonville, this was the site of the most dangerous passage of the Applegate Trail.
• Dole Road:
  Wagon ruts of the Applegate Trail still are visible from Dole Road, which can be reached from the Myrtle Creek exit off Interstate 5.
• Douglas County Courthouse:
  In downtown Roseburg, the courthouse is a marked site of the Applegate Trail.
• The Charles Applegate House:
  Near Yoncalla, this is the home of the pioneer family and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The house still is maintained by Applegate descendants.

For more information, contact:

Roseburg Area Chamber of Commerce
410 S.E. Spruce, Roseburg, OR 97470, (541) 672-2648

Roseburg Visitors and Convention Bureau
410 S.E. Spruce, Roseburg, OR 97470
(541) 672-9731, (800) 444-9584, Fax: (541) 673-7868

Douglas County Museum of History and Natural History
P.O. Box 1550, Roseburg, OR 97470, (541) 440-4507

More places to visit:

The settling of Douglas County is just a small part of the rich history of this region. Other sites of interest include:

• Floed-Lane House:
  A Classical Revival house of the 1860s located in downtown Roseburg, the Lane House is a structure associated with the family of the first territorial governor of Oregon, Joseph Lane.
• Douglas County Museum of History and Natural History:
  Located in Roseburg, this museum interprets the history and natural beauty of Douglas County in permanent and changing exhibits. A gift shop, research library, and historic photographic services also are available.
• Pioneer Memorial Museum and Indian Cultural Center:
  South Douglas County history is portrayed in this museum in Canyonville.
• Historic Oakland:
  Easily reached from Interstate 5 and one of the few towns listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Oakland houses a museum and several other historic houses and businesses.
• North Umpqua River/Steamboat Springs:
  The wild and scenic North Umpqua, a world-renowned fishing area, offers the best of Oregon's natural landscape. Route 138 follows the river to Diamond and Crater lakes. Fishing with a new at Diamond Lake.
• Reedsport/Gardiner:
  One of the first settled areas in Douglas County, Gardiner, or "The White City," has many historic homes and is close to the beautiful Oregon Coast.