Franklin Burnet Sprague (July 16, 1825 – February 7, 1895) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

military officer, businessman, and judge. He joined the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, serving on the

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

frontier. During his military service, Sprague explored much of

Southern Oregon Southern Oregon is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon south of Lane County and generally west of the Cascade Range, excluding the southern Oregon Coast. Counties include Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, and Josephine. It includes the Southern Oreg ...

. While building a road near

Fort Klamath Fort Klamath was a military outpost near the western end of the Oregon Trail, between Crater Lake National Park and Upper Klamath Lake in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. The Fort Klamath Site, about a mile southeast of the present community ...

, Sprague led a party into the

Cascade Mountains The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...

to investigate

Crater Lake Crater Lake (Klamath language, Klamath: ''Giiwas'') is a volcanic crater lake in south-central Oregon in the western United States. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and is famous for its deep blue color and water clarity. The ...

. His party was the first to descend the 800-foot

caldera A caldera ( ) is a large cauldron-like hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber in a volcano eruption. When large volumes of magma are erupted over a short time, structural support for the rock above the magma chamber is ...

wall to reach the lake's shore. A month later, Sprague published an article highlighting the lake's unique beauty. Today, the Sprague River in southern Oregon bears his name.

Early life

Sprague was born on July 16, 1825, in

Delaware, Ohio Delaware is a city in and the county seat of Delaware County, Ohio, United States. Delaware was founded in 1808 and was incorporated in 1816. It is located near the center of Ohio, is about north of Columbus, and is part of the Columbus, Ohio m ...

. His parents were Pardon and Mary (Meeker) Sprague. His father was stockman, hotel keeper, county sheriff, and state legislator. Sprague received a private education in a small school near his home. He later attended

Ohio Wesleyan University Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio. It was founded in 1842 by methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five – a consortium ...

in his home town."Franklin B. Sprague"
RootsWeb, Ancestry.com, ''www.rootsweb.ancestry.com'', January 11, 2009. In 1850, Sprague moved to Oregon. He settled in Jackson County, where he opened a shop that built fanning-mills for

winnowing Winnowing is a process by which chaff is separated from grain. It can also be used to remove pests from stored grain. Winnowing usually follows threshing in grain preparation. In its simplest form, it involves throwing the mixture into the ...

grain. Sprague was the first manufacturer in the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though ...

to produce modern

winnowing machine Winnowing is a process by which chaff is separated from grain. It can also be used to remove pests from stored grain. Winnowing usually follows threshing in grain preparation. In its simplest form, it involves throwing the mixture into the ...

s. Like the majority of Oregonians at the time, Sprague was a strong supporter of the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

."Death of an Indian War Captain"
''Medford Mail'', Medford, Oregon, 15 March 1895, p. 7.

Military service

In 1864, Sprague joined the

, and was commissioned as a

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in the

1st Oregon Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 1st Oregon Infantry Regiment was an American Civil War era military regiment recruited in Oregon for the Union Army. The regiment was formed in November 1864. At full strength, it was composed of ten companies of foot soldiers. The regimen ...

. He was given command of I Company, and posted to Southern Oregon. He participated in a number of skirmishes with the

Northern Paiute Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a r ...

and other Indian bands in southeastern Oregon. In addition to fighting Indians, Sprague learned to speak their languages and counted many Indians among his friends, including the

Modoc Modoc may refer to: Ethnic groups *Modoc people, a Native American/First Nations people ** Modoc language **Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma, a federally recognized tribe of Modoc *Modoc War, the last armed resistance of the Modoc people in 1873 *The "Mo ...

chief known as

Captain Jack Captain Jack may refer to: People * Calico Jack (1683–1720), a pirate in the 18th century * Captain Jack (Hawaiian) (died 1831), Naihekukui, commander of Kamehameha's fleet and father of Kalama * Captain Jack (fl. 1830s on), Kaurna man in c ...

. Captain Sprague was well respected as a leader, and often led detachments of

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

as well as

infantrymen Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

. In October 1865, Sprague was leading a patrol of eleven cavalry troopers from C Company of the

1st Oregon Cavalry The First Regiment Oregon volunteer Cavalry was a volunteer regiment in United States service Union army that was formed in response to the American Civil War. With men recruited in Oregon and some recruited in surrounding states, the regiment p ...

south of Warner Lake in present-day

Lake County, Oregon Lake County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,160. Its county seat is Lakeview. The county is named after the many lakes found within its boundaries, including Lake Abert, Summe ...

, when they were ambushed by approximately 125 Indians in two groups. Sprague and his troops were caught between a lake, high cliffs, and the two groups of Indians. After exchanging long-range gun fire with the Indians, Sprague determined that while the Indian in front of him had guns, those behind him had only bows and arrows. He quickly ordered his men to charge to the rear. His men broke through the Indian's

skirmish line Skirmishers are light infantry or light cavalry soldiers deployed as a vanguard, flank guard or rearguard to screen a tactical position or a larger body of friendly troops from enemy advances. They are usually deployed in a skirmish line, an ir ...

and made a successful escape with no casualties.Edwards, Glenn Thomas, ''Oregon Regiments in the Civil War Years: Duty on the Indian Frontier'', unpublished Master of Arts thesis, Department of History,

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

Eugene, Oregon Eugene ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast. As of the 2020 United States Census, Eu ...

, June 1960.

Crater Lake

Sprague and twenty men from Company I were assigned to build a road linking the Rogue River with the existing John Day road. This connected

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

and southwest Oregon with John Day's mining country. After the construction work was completed, Sprague published a list of the best camp sites along the road in the Jacksonville newspapers so that the wagon masters could find the best water and grass along the way.Greene, Linda
"Captain Franklin B. Sprague"
''Historic Research Study Crater Lake National Park, Oregon'', Cultural Resources Branch, Denver Service Center, National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior, Denver, Colorado, June 1984. On August 1, 1865, two hunters from Sprague's road construction crew rediscovered

, which had been first visited in 1853, but was never effectively recorded so that others could locate it. Based on directions from his hunters, Sprague and five other men visited the lake on August 12. They climbed down the 800-foot caldera cliff to become the first explorers to reach the lake shore. Sprague's account of the visit was reported to Jacksonville's leading newspaper, the ''Oregon Sentinel'' on August 25. Crater Lake NP

Sprague's report was published in the ''Oregon Sentinel'' on September 9, 1865. It included several significant observations. First, Sprague identified the

volcanic A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates a ...

origins of the lake. His report described

Wizard Island Wizard Island is a volcanic cinder cone which forms an island at the west end of Crater Lake in Crater Lake National Park, Oregon. The top of the island reaches above sea level, about above the average surface of the lake. The cone is cap ...

, and observed it was a remnant of volcanic activity. Second, his description of the lake's unique beauty was thoughtful and eloquent.Unrau, Harlan D. and Stephen R. Mark
"Discovery And Exploration Of Crater Lake: 1853-1885"
, ''Administrative History'', Crater Lake National Park, National Park Service, United States Department of Interior, 15 July 1986. Sprague also predicted that the lake would "be visited by thousands hereafter." Finally, he recommended that the lake not be named after its discoverer, saying: "I do not know who first saw this lake, nor do I think it should be named after the discoverer." Sprague suggested it be called "Lake Majestic." Today, it is known as Crater Lake. Since he was the first to identify the lake's volcanic origin, Sprague deserves some credit for the name.

Later life

On July 19, 1867, Captain Sprague and the men of Company I were mustered out of the Army. They were the last members of the 1st Oregon Volunteer Infantry Regiment to be released from active duty.''Official Army Register of the Volunteer Forces of the United States Army for the Years 1861, '62, '63, '64, '65 (Part VII), Missouri, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, California, Kansas, Oregon, Nevada.'', Adjutant General's Office, Secretary of War, Washington, D.C., March 2, 1865. In 1868, Sprague returned to

Delaware County, Ohio Delaware County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. It is a frequent placeholder on the List of highest-income counties in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 214,124. Its county seat i ...

. He settled in Sunbury, where he started a grain milling business. In 1875, Sprague ran as the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

's candidate for Delaware County Probate Judge, and was elected. He was easily re-elected in 1878, completing his term in 1882. Sprague died on February 7, 1895. He is buried in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Delaware, Ohio.

Legacy

Sprague played an important part in the early history of

Crater Lake National Park Crater Lake National Park is an American national park located in southern Oregon. Established in 1902, Crater Lake is the fifth-oldest national park in the United States and the only national park in Oregon. The park encompasses the caldera of ...

. His exploration party was the first to reach the lake's shore. He was the first to identify the lake's volcanic origin, and his article in the ''Oregon Sentinel'' generated public interest in Crater Lake's unique beauty. In addition, Sprague explored much of Southern Oregon. The Sprague River is named after him. The Sprague River Valley, the town of Sprague River, and Sprague River Park in

Fremont National Forest The Fremont-Winema National Forest of south central Oregon is a mountainous region with a rich geological, ecological, archaeological, and historical history. Founded in 1908, the Fremont National Forest was originally protected as the Goose Lake ...

near

Bly, Oregon Bly is an unincorporated small town in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. By highway, it is about east of Klamath Falls. , the population was 207. Geography Bly is in southeastern Klamath County, slightly west of Lake County, along Ore ...

, also derive their names from Franklin Sprague.McArthur, Lewis A., McArthur, Lewis L., ''

Oregon Geographic Names ''Oregon Geographic Names'' is a compilation of the origin and meaning of place names in the U.S. state of Oregon, published by the Oregon Historical Society. The book was originally published in 1928. It was compiled and edited by Lewis A. McArth ...

'' (Seventh Edition),

Oregon Historical Society Press The Oregon Historical Society (OHS) is an organization that encourages and promotes the study and understanding of the history of the Oregon Country, within the broader context of U.S. history. Incorporated in 1898, the Society collects, preser ...

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

, 2003, pp.904.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sprague, Franklin B. 1825 births 1895 deaths People from Delaware, Ohio Union Army officers People of Ohio in the American Civil War People of Oregon in the American Civil War American people of the Indian Wars Crater Lake (Oregon) People from Klamath County, Oregon People of the Modoc War People from Jackson County, Ohio People from Sunbury, Ohio