A Guide to Oregon South Coast History: Traveling the Jedediah Smith Trail
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New Edition
By Nathan Douthit
1999. 7 x 10 inches. 224 pages. Over 80 photographs. Maps. Biblio. Index.
ISBN 0-87071-462-7. Paperback, $22.95.
Table of Contents
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One of the state's most spectacular scenic regions, Oregon's southern coast is also rich in history. Fur trade explorer Jedediah Smith, Coos Indian Annie Miner Peterson, lumber baron Louis Simpson, and writer Zane Grey are just a few of the fascinating individuals who helped shape South Coast history.
This indispensable guide and reference work opens with an overview of South Coast history, from prehistory to the present. This first section features in-depth looks at the region's native peoples, early exploration, white settlement, Indian-white warfare, the forest industry, transportation, and town development.
The second section follows the route taken along the South Coast in 1828 by Jedediah Smith, one of the foremost explorers of the American West. It describes key historic sites from the California/Oregon border to Heceta Head. Drawing on journal entries, the author traces the Jedediah Smith Expedition's advance, and recounts its troubled relations with coastal Indians and its tragic ending. Along the expedition's route, the book profiles the region's many historic places: its archaeological sites, historic buildings, towns, museums, state parks, historic roads, natural areas, shipwrecks, and lighthouses.
About the Author
Nathan Douthit is professor emeritus of history and political science at Southwestern Oregon Community College in Coos Bay, where he taught from 1969 to 1997. He is author of
The Coos Bay Region, 1890-1944: Life on a Coastal Frontier and articles on Indian-White relations in southern Oregon. For recreation on the South Coast, he likes to bike from Coquille to Arago, hike the coast trail from Sunset Bay to Shore Acres, and drive historic back roads.
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