History of the Rogue River

Explore the stories, cultures, conflicts, and natural forces that shaped Oregon’s Rogue River into the legendary waterway it is today.

Early Peoples of the Rogue

Long before European contact, the Rogue Valley was home to Takelma, Shasta, and Athabaskan-speaking peoples who fished, hunted, and thrived along its waters...

The Salmon Era: Abundance & Change

For centuries, the Rogue River supported one of the West Coast’s most prolific salmon runs, shaping Indigenous communities, early settlers, and river ecology...

Gold, Conflict, & the Rogue River Wars

The discovery of gold in the 1850s brought miners deep into tribal lands, igniting conflicts that reshaped the region and led to forced removals and lasting cultural impacts...

History of the Rogers Rogue River Ranch

Hidden deep in the Wild & Scenic corridor, the Rogers Rogue River Ranch became one of the river’s most iconic homesteads...