01/11/2026
Rogue River Trail, 1908
Work is progressing constantly on the government trail down the Rogue River, and as soon as the bridge plans are returned from Washington, where they were sent for approval, work will commence, and soon a seven-foot bridge with a 150-foot span will be placed across the river. The completion of this trail, which will be about July 1, will open Curry County to the world by land. The people of that county have promised assistance in the work, and the county is expected to take an appropriation toward the expense. The five miles of this trail completed will be the very best trail in the west, and about half of the distance was blasted from the solid rock at an expense of over $1000 per mile. In places, the workmen had to be let down from above by ropes in order to drill for the blasts, and much more of the work was very dangerous. This route was reported on adversely by several Engineers and others said it could not be done, but through the persistence of Supervisor Anderson, the work has been accomplished, and soon we will have a connecting link between Josephine and Curry Counties, which will be open winter and summer, and is on a water grade.
Much more work is planned for this section, one improvement being the construction of a telephone line 35 miles to the mouth of Wh***ey Creek. Twenty-five miles of the line is to be a metallic circuit and all constructed in a thorough manner. Cedar poles are to be used, and they will be treated with preservative No. 9. The wire is to be strung from Galice west. Work will commence on the telephone line about May 1.
Mr. Anderson will have on hand between $17,000 and $18,000, which will be available about May 1, outside of salary rolls, and he hopes to carry on the work during the remainder of the season without interruption. (Rogue River Courier, 1908)
Photographer, Benjamin A. Gifford
The photograph is a Silver Gelatin Print of miners on the RR trail.
