Resources for Local History
Overview
The area around Reedsport has a rich and colorful history. The confluence of the Umpqua, Smith, and Scholfield Rivers was first inhabited by the Lower Umpqua people, also called the Kuitsh. In his 1579 attempt to circumnavigate the earth, Sir Francis Drake saw the coastal sand dunes from his ship and mistook them for snowy hills.
Jedediah Smith and his exploring party arrived 1828, but while encamped at Bolon Island in the Umpqua River a violent confrontation with the local people ended their expedition.
A 1850 shipwreck at the mouth of the Umpqua River provided materials that established the town of Gardiner, which grew so quickly that it was predicted to become the largest city in the state.
In 1911, growth from Gardiner spilled across the river into an area platted for a new township by Warren P. Reed and the Reedsport Company. The city of Reedsport was officially incorporated in 1919.
Explore the resources below to learn more about Reedsport and the Lower Umpqua area.
The area around Reedsport has a rich and colorful history. The confluence of the Umpqua, Smith, and Scholfield Rivers was first inhabited by the Lower Umpqua people, also called the Kuitsh. In his 1579 attempt to circumnavigate the earth, Sir Francis Drake saw the coastal sand dunes from his ship and mistook them for snowy hills.
Jedediah Smith and his exploring party arrived 1828, but while encamped at Bolon Island in the Umpqua River a violent confrontation with the local people ended their expedition.
A 1850 shipwreck at the mouth of the Umpqua River provided materials that established the town of Gardiner, which grew so quickly that it was predicted to become the largest city in the state.
In 1911, growth from Gardiner spilled across the river into an area platted for a new township by Warren P. Reed and the Reedsport Company. The city of Reedsport was officially incorporated in 1919.
Explore the resources below to learn more about Reedsport and the Lower Umpqua area.
Reconnaissance Level Survey - 2009 Report (Oregon Main Street Program)
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Oregon Historic Site Form (2009 Building and Structure Assessments)
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External resources:
100 Years on the Lower Umpqua - Searchable archive of Lower Umpqua photographs and oral histories compiled from public contributions.
Umpqua Valley Museums - Online collections database for the Douglas County (Oregon) Museum.
Umpqua Discovery Center - Museum of natural and cultural history located in Reedsport. Historical photographs and information can be accessed by visiting the Center.
The Port Umpqua Courier - Gardiner/Reedsport newspaper published from late 1880s to 2006 (name shorted to The Courier after 1963). The newspaper is available on microfilm at the University of Oregon and the Oregon Historical Society Library. University of Oregon microfilm reels can be ordered through interlibrary loan.
Historic Oregon Newspapers - Digitized Oregon newspapers, mostly from 1923 and earlier, that can be searched with advanced options. Issues of Scottsburg's Umpqua Weekly Gazette are available dating back to 1854.
Oregon Heritage: State Historic Preservation Office - Information about listing historical buildings, preservation grants, technical and rehabilitation services, tax incentives, and other history-related resources offered by the State of Oregon.
Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians - Official site for the local tribe, with information on their history and culture.
Umpqua Valley Museums - Online collections database for the Douglas County (Oregon) Museum.
Umpqua Discovery Center - Museum of natural and cultural history located in Reedsport. Historical photographs and information can be accessed by visiting the Center.
The Port Umpqua Courier - Gardiner/Reedsport newspaper published from late 1880s to 2006 (name shorted to The Courier after 1963). The newspaper is available on microfilm at the University of Oregon and the Oregon Historical Society Library. University of Oregon microfilm reels can be ordered through interlibrary loan.
Historic Oregon Newspapers - Digitized Oregon newspapers, mostly from 1923 and earlier, that can be searched with advanced options. Issues of Scottsburg's Umpqua Weekly Gazette are available dating back to 1854.
Oregon Heritage: State Historic Preservation Office - Information about listing historical buildings, preservation grants, technical and rehabilitation services, tax incentives, and other history-related resources offered by the State of Oregon.
Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians - Official site for the local tribe, with information on their history and culture.
Books on local history:
Following the Pied Piper: The first fifty years of the Lower Umpqua School Children's Annual Tree Plant Day. Doris (Hedges) Miller. Courier Communications, 1996. ISBN-10: 0964676214
Land of the Umpqua: A history of Douglas County. Stephen Dow Beckham. Published by Douglas County Commissioners, 1986. ISBN-10: 0961657413
Lizards in the Well: Tales of the Umpqua. A Retired Senior Volunteer Program Project. Creative Images, 1989.
Reedsport (Images of the Area). Jim Akre. Arcadia Publishing, 2011. ISBN-10: 0738576042
Land of the Umpqua: A history of Douglas County. Stephen Dow Beckham. Published by Douglas County Commissioners, 1986. ISBN-10: 0961657413
Lizards in the Well: Tales of the Umpqua. A Retired Senior Volunteer Program Project. Creative Images, 1989.
Reedsport (Images of the Area). Jim Akre. Arcadia Publishing, 2011. ISBN-10: 0738576042