150 Lesue M. Scott
futile. Nearly three years later, the Sacramento Valley, in California, was the scene of the discovery that began the golden career of that commonwealth.^* Next year, in 1849, a party of Oregonians found gold in Rogue River near Table Rock,^^ but mining did not begin in that valley imtil two years afterwards.** Klamath and Trinity rivers, in Northern Cali- fornia, began yielding in 184S5^In the Umpqua coimtry, the fortune-hunting expedition of Freman Winchester, Dr. Henry Payne and others, to the mouth of that river in August, 1850, in the vessel, Samuel Roberts, though not successful in finding gold, was a very important move of the gold period. This party joined hands with the Oregon pioneers, Levi Scott, Jesse Applegate, and Joseph Sloan, and founded the towns of Umpqua City, Winchester, Elkton, Scottsburg and Gardiner. This exploiting company opened a trail from Scottsburg, near the sea, to Winchester, in the interior valley, in 1851, from which resulted a large trade centering at Scottsburg, and a rapid growth there which promised to produce the metropolis of Oregon. Scottsburg controlled the trade of the Rogue and Umpqua regions for a decade.*^ A similar expedition, in 1851, founded Port Orford, under Captain William Tichenor, for trade with the interior gold fields. Exploration of the Coos Bay Company by miners, from Jacksonville, followed in 1853, resulting in large gold discoveries at the mouth of Coquille
14 Gold was discovered near Coloma, on the north fork of American River, by James W. Marshall. Oregon immigrant of 1844, and Charles Dennett, also an Oregon immigrant ot 1844 (The Oregonian, Tune i3i 1900). News of the discovery reached Portland in August, 1848, by the scnooner Honolulu, Captain Newell, after he had shrewdly bought all the tools and provisions that the limited pioneer market afforded. Thousands of people left Oregon for the California gold fields. William G. Buffum and wife went overland from Amity, Yamhill County, in July, 1848.
15 This party was en route to the California gold fields. A narrative of the party and of the Rogue River discovery, by Lee Laughlin, a member of the partv. appears in Tht Oregonian, January 21. 1900. Gold was discovered at Jacksonville in December, 1851. The town and the gold activities are described in 1855 by Thomas J. Dryer, in The Oregonian, June aj, 1855.
16 For details of pioneer gold mining in Southern Oregon, see The Oregonian. December 21, 1902, p. 25, by D. H. Stovall; August 24, 1902, p. 21, by Luther Hasbrouck; May 21, 1882. p. 2; Mav 21, i88s. P- 8; July 31, 1852; December 18. 1852; December 6, 1885, by Cyrus Olncy (Gold Beach and Crescent City); Febru- ary 19, 1853; March 19* April 16, May 7> i4i August 27, September 3, 1853; April 5, II, 1886; October 28, 1854 (Cow Creek); May 12, 21, 1855; February 4* 1863; December 20, 1856.
17 Scottsburg was founded in i8<;o by Levi Scott, immierant of 1844* The town of Crescent City, founded in 1853, and the opening of a wagon route be- tween Rogue River and that town in the same year, diverted trade from Scotts- burg. Scottsburg in 1855 is described by Thomas J. Dryer, in The Oregenian, June 23, 1855. For narrative of the Samuel Roberts expedition, see the Quarterly. vol. xvii, pp. 341-57- Yreka was founded in 1851.
