Jackson County


Applegate Creek Placer Mine. The Applegate Creek, now known as Applegate River, is tributary to the Rogue River. Applegate River and its valley was the site of widespread Chinese placer starting in the 1860s. Reference: LaLande 1981: 251.

Applegate Creek Placer Mine. The Applegate Creek, now known as Applegate River, is tributary to the Rogue River. Applegate River and its valley was the site of widespread Chinese placer starting in the 1860s. Reference: LaLande 1981: 251.

Ashland Chinatown. Ashland Chinatown was located on A Street across from the railroad facilities. The Chinese serviced the trains and performed railroad maintenance. Wah Chung was a prominent figure within the community. The Chinatown also contained stores and a laundry. Ashland Chinatown ceased to exist by 1941. Reference: Atwood 1976: 12, 22; LaLande 1981: 33.

Browntown Chinese Concentration. Browntown, located in the Gold Hill Mining District of Jackson County, was the center of mining activity. Many Chinese settled in Browntown while reworking nearby abandoned mining claims. Reference: Jackson 2010.

Buncom Mining Area. Chinese placer miners in the 1870s worked the played-out claims around Buncom located at the mouth of Sterling Creek where it flows into the Little Applegate River. Reference: Fowler and Roberts 1995: 29, 31.

Cameron Ranch Chinese Camp. Cameron Ranch Chinese Camp was located at the confluence of the Applegate River and Little Applegate River. It was a placer mining operation in the 1870s, prior to ownership of the land by the Cameron family. Reference: Fowler and Roberts 1995: 40.

China Ditch. Approximately five miles in length, China Ditch flows parallel to Little Applegate River in an area of wide-spread placer and hydraulic mining. China Ditch is on the south side of the river moving water northwesterly from Yale Creek past Buncom. The ditch was dug by Chinese laborers that brought water to one of Gin Lin’s mines. The ditch is also known as Gin Lin Ditch. Reference: Fowler and Roberts 1995: 33; U.S.G.S. Quadrangle 7.5’ series, Ruch, Oregon, 1996.

China Ditch Road. China Ditch Road parallels China Ditch. Reference: MapQuest; U.S.G.S. 30x60’ series, Medford, Oregon.

China Gap. China Gap lies within a ridge separating Pleasant Creek to the north and Sykes Creek to the south. Its elevation of 1842 feet above sea level provided easy passage across the divide. Reference: U.S.G.S. Quadrangle 7.5’ series, Wimer, Oregon, 1996.

China Gulch1. China Gulch is between Star Gulch and Palmer Creek, about one half mile west of the Applegate River. Placer mining first occurred there in the 1860s with hydraulic mining beginning in the 1870s. Chinese artifacts indicate a Chinese presence. Reference: LaLande 1981: 30, 40; U.S.G.S. Quadrangle 7.5’ series, Ruch, Oregon, 1996.

China Gulch2. The creek in China Gulch flows southwest into Carberry Creek, a tributary of Applegate River. Artifacts suggest that Chinese miners worked the area in the 1870s and 1880s. Reference: LaLande 1981: 204-209; U.S.G.S. Quadrangle 7.5’ series, Carberry, Oregon, 1996.

China Gulch3. China Gulch has a north-south orientation with its mouth facing the Applegate River about 1 ½ miles west of the community of Ruch. Reference: U.S.G.S. Quadrangle 7.5’ series, Ruch, Oregon, 1996.

China Gulch4. China Gulch4 has an northeast-southwest orientation with its mouth facing Kane Creek. The gulch is about two miles southeast of Gold Hill. Reference: U.S.G.S. Quadrangle 7.5’ series, Goldhill, Oregon, 1983.

China Gulch5. The stream flowing through China Gulch5 moves in a northwest direction where it enters Ferris Gulch, about 2.5 miles southwest of the community of Applegate. Reference: U.S.G.S. Quadrangle 7.5’ series, Tallowbox Mountain, Oregon, 1996.

China Gulch6. China Gulch6 is on the north bank of Grave Creek. Chinese placer miners operated throughout the area in the late 1800s. There is an unimproved campground at the gulch. Reference: “Grave Creek to Foster Bar Trail Log.”; U.S.G.S. Quadrangle 7.5’ series, Mount Reuben, Oregon, 1998.

China Gulch Road. China Gulch Road is parallels China Gulch3 west of the community of Ruch. Its name is derived from the nearby gulch. Reference: “China Gulch Road.”; U.S.G.S. Quadrangle 7.5’ series, Ruch, Oregon, 1996.

China Shacks. China Shacks was an alternate name for Jacksonville Chinatown. (See Jacksonville Chinatown, Jackson County). Reference: LaLande 1981: 23.

Chinese Quarter. Chinese Quarter was an alternate name for Jacksonville Chinatown. (See Jacksonville Chinatown, Jackson County). Reference: LaLande 1985: 30; Whitewilson.

Evans Creek Chinese Mines. Evans Creek Chinese Mines were a series of placer claims along a 13 mile long portion of Evans Creek. Various groups of Chinese worked the area for almost 30 years, starting in the late 1800s. Reference: Atwood, Katherine and Frank A. Lang 1995: 29; U.S.G.S. Quadrangle 7.5’ series, McConville Creek, Oregon, 1983.

Flumet Gulch Mine. Flumet Gulch was a location of one of many gold mines owned and worked by Gin Lin and his laborers. The mine is within the Palmer Creek Diggings Mining District. Reference: U.S. Forest Service, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.

Gin Lin’s Camp. Gin Lin’s Camp was located on the south side of China Gulch1 by 1881. There was a residential structure, storage sheds and outbuildings. He purchased his first claim on the Lower Little Applegate River in 1864. Gin Lin moved from China Gulch1 to the Rogue River near Galice Creek in 1885. He returned to China in 1894 where he died in 1897. The camp is within the Palmer Creek Diggings Mining District. Reference: LaLande 1981: 182-187; U.S.G.S. Quadrangle 7.5’ series, Ruch, Oregon, 1996.

Gin Lin Ditch. Gin Lin Ditch ran parallel to Little Applegate Creek for about five miles, bringing water to the Little Applegate Mine. The ditch was dug by Chinese laborers and is within the Palmer Creek Diggings Mining District. The ditch is also known as China Ditch. Reference: LaLande 1985: 30, 42.

Gin Lin Mining Trail. The Gin Lin Mining Trail begins at Flumet Flat Forest Service campground on the Applegate River. It is a loop pathway approximately three quarters of a mile in length featuring remnants of one of Gin Lin’s hydraulic mines of the 1880s. The trail is within the Palmer Creek Diggings Mining District. Reference: Allen 2003; LaLand 1981: 191; Unlike Most Chinese Immigrants of His Time, Gin Lin Found Respect and a Mountain of Gold.”; U.S.G.S. Quadrangle 7.5’ series, Carberry Creek, Oregon, 1996.

Ginko Creek. Ginko Creek, approximately 10 miles in length, begins near Red Blanket Mountain and flows into Mill Creek north of the town of Prospect. The name is reportedly derived from a ginko tree though to have been planted by Chinese miners near their camp. The seed and leaf are important components of Chinese medicine. Reference: McArthur and McArthur 2003: 403.

Grand Applegate Ditch. The six mile long, north flowing Grand Applegate Ditch diverted water from Carberry Creek to the Grand Applegate hydraulic mine. Chinese laborers constructed the canal during the winter of 1878-1879. The claim itself was purchased by a Chinese mining company in 1886. Reference: LaLande 1981: 200-202.

Jackass Creek Chinese Mines. Jackass Creek was the location of Chinese placer mines in the late 1870s. Reference: Atwood 1976: 14.

Jacksonville Chinatown. Jacksonville Chinatown was located near the intersection of California Street and Oregon Street in the town of Jacksonville. The location is within today’s Jacksonville National Historic District, itself a National Historic Landmark. Archaeological evidence places Chinatown’s origins at about 1852, prompting the suggestion that it was the first Chinatown in the state. By 1880, it occupied both sides of Main Street. Fires and out-migration of residents prompted all the Chinatown’s buildings to be gone by 1930. Reference: National Historic Landmarks Program; LaLande 1981: 23, 28, 220, 295; Whitewilson.

Kanaka Gulch Ditch. Kanaka Gulch Ditch was constructed by Chinese laborers in 1878-1879. It was five miles in length. Reference: Mead 2006: 281.

Palmer Creek Diggings. Palmer Creek Diggings was the site of one of Gin Lin’s hydraulic mining effort. Reference: Allen 2003; U.S.G.S. Quadrangle 7.5’ series, Carberry Creek, Oregon, 1996.

Palmer Creek Ditch. Palmer Creek Ditch was five miles long and moved water from Flumet Creek past China Gulch, flowing through the Gin Lin Trail site. The ditch was dug by Chinese laborers with its water being used for hydraulic mining. Reference: U.S. Forest Service, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.

Pleasant Creek Chinese Camp. Pleaseant Creek Chinese Camp consisted of five dwelling that housed the Chinese placer miners in 1880. Reference: Atwood, Katherine and Frank A. Lang 1995: 39; U.S.G.S. Quadrangle 7.5’ series, Wimer, Oregon, 1996.

Sterling Mine Ditch. Sterling Mine Ditch brought water from the Little Applegate River to the mine on Tunnel Ridge. Chinese laborers constructed the three foot deep, 26 mile-long canal in 1877. It is presently part of the Sterling Mine Ditch Trail System, open to hikers and equestrians. Reference: “Sterling Mine Ditch Trail System”; LaLande 1981: 30; U.S.G.S. Quadrangle 7.5’ series, Sterling Creek Creek, Oregon, 1996.

The Chinese Wall. The Chinese Wall is located at the Palmer Creek Diggings. The wall is 300 feet in length and 12-15 feet in height and 6-9 feet wide at its top. The stacking of cobbles and boulders associated with hydraulic mining was accomplished by Chinese miners who removed the material left by the hydraulic mining and stacked it out of the way to retrieve small amounts of gold. Gin Lin was the owner/operator of the mine. Reference: LaLande 1981: 195-199; U.S.G.S. Quadrangle 7.5’ series, Ruch, Oregon, 1996.

Tree of Heaven. The +100 year-old Tree of Heaven within Lithia Park is in the town of Ashland. The tree is thought to have been planted by Abel Helman’s (1824-1910) Chinese cook. It was a common practice for Chinese in the 1800s to plant a Tree of Heaven wherever they went for its berries, bark, and roots have medicinal properties. The park was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1982. Reference: “Lithia Park.”

References Allen, Cain. 2003. “Gin Lin Trail.” Oregon History Project. http://ohs.org/ Accessed October 29, 2010.

Atwood, Kay. 1976. Minorities of Jackson County, Oregon. Gandee printing Center, Inc.

Atwood, Katherine and Frank A. Lang. 1995. As Long as the World Goes On: Environmental History of the Evans Creek Watershed. U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Medford District. http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/medford/plans/evans/files/atwood.pdf/ Accessed March 7, 2011.

“China Gulch Road.” MapQuest. http://www.mapquest.com/ Accessed December 15, 2010.

Fowler, Connie and J.B. Roberts. 1995. Buncom: Crossroads Station. Jacksonville, Oregon. Buncom Historical Society.

“Grave Creek to Foster Bar Trail Log.” U.S. Department of the Interior. Bureau of Land Management. http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/rogue/trail-log.php/ Accessed December 14, 2010.

Jackson, Kerby. “Browntown and Hogtown.” Oregon Gold. http://www.oregongold.net/?s=chinese. Accessed October 10, 2010.

LaLande, Jeffery Max. 1985. “Sojourners in Search of Gold: Hydraulic Mining Techniques of the Chinese on the Oregon Frontier.” Industrial Archeology. Vol. 11, No. 1: 29-52.

_______. 1981. “Sojourners in the Oregon Siskiyous, Adaptation and Acculturation of the Chinese Miners in Applegate Valley, circa 1855-1900.” Masters thesis. Oregon State University.

“Lithia Park.” Ashland Oregon: From Stage Coach to Center Stage. http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/lit.htm/ Accessed November 25, 2010.

“China Ditch Road.” MapQuest. http://www.mapquest.com/ Accessed December 15, 2010.

Mead, George. 2006. A History of Union County with An appendix the Chinese in Oregon. LaGrande, Oregon: E-Cat Worlds.

McArthur, Lewis A. and Lewis L. McArthur. 2003. Oregon Geographic Names. Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press.

National Historic Landmarks Program. http://www.nps.gov/nhl/designations/lists.or01.pdf/ Accessed December 3, 2010.

“Sterling Mine Ditch Trail System.” Asland Resource Area, Medford District, Recovery Act Program, Bureau of Land management. http://www.blm.gov/or/recreation/files/brochures/sterling_mine_stimulus_sign-final.pdf/ Accessed December 13, 2010.

“Unlike Most Chinese Immigrants of His Time, Gin Lin Found Respect and a Mountain of Gold.” http://www.articlesbase.com/history-articles/unlike-most-chinese-immigrants-of-his-time-gin-lin-found-respect-and-a-mountain-of-gold-836716.html/ Accessed March 6, 2011.

U.S. Forest Service. Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Recreational Activities-Trails, Gin Lin Trail 917. http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/rogu-siskiyou/recreation/trails/gin-lin-mining.shtml/ Accessed October 29, 2010.

U.S.G.S. Quadrangle 7.5’ series, Carberry, Oregon, 1996.

_______. Quadrangle 7.5’ series, Goldhill, Oregon, 1983.

_______. Quadrangle 7.5’ series, McConville Creek, Oregon, 1983.

_______. Quadrangle 7.5’ series, Mount Reuben, Oregon, 1998.

_______. Quadrangle 7.5’ series, Ruch, Oregon, 1996.

_______. Quadrangle 7.5’ series, Sterling Creek Creek, Oregon, 1996.

_______. Quadrangle 7.5’ series, Tallowbox Mountain, Oregon, 1996.

_______. Quadrangle 7.5’ series, Wimer, Oregon, 1996.

_______. 30x60’ series, Medford, Oregon.

Whitewilson, Jeanena. “Chinatown.” Jacksonville Review. http://jacksonvillereview.com/chinatown-by-jeanena-whitewilson/ Accessed June 13, 2013.

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