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Cave Junction is a city in
Josephine County, Oregon Josephine County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 88,090. The county seat is Grants Pass. The county is named after Virginia Josephine Rollins (1834–1912), a settler who was t ...
, United States. The city got its name by virtue of its location at the junction of Redwood Highway ( U.S. Route 199) and Caves Highway ( Oregon Route 46). As of the 2020 census, the city population was 2,071. Following World War II, timber became the main source of income for residents. As timber income has since declined, the city is attempting to compensate with tourism and branding itself as a haven for retirees.


History

For thousands of years, the
Takelma The Takelma (also Dagelma) are a Native American people who originally lived in the Rogue Valley of interior southwestern Oregon. Most of their villages were sited along the Rogue River. The name ''Takelma'' means "(Those) Along the River". H ...
Indians inhabited the Illinois Valley. Their culture was destroyed when gold was discovered in the early 1850s, causing the subsequent
Rogue River Wars The Rogue River Wars were an armed conflict in 1855–1856 between the U.S. Army, local militias and volunteers, and the Native American tribes commonly grouped under the designation of Rogue River Indians, in the Rogue Valley area of wha ...
. After an 1853 treaty, most of the Takelmas lived on the Table Rock Reservation. In 1856, after the wars ended, they were forcibly removed to the Grand Ronde Reservation and the
Siletz Reservation The Siletz Reservation is a 5.852 sq mi (15.157 km2) Indian reservation in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States, owned by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz. The reservation is made up of numerous non-contiguous parcels of land in east-centr ...
. The first
gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
in Oregon history was found in the Illinois Valley, as well as the largest gold nugget (). In 1904, more than 50 years after prospectors had started combing the valley for gold, an 18-year-old named Ray Briggs discovered what newspapers at the time called "the most wonderful gold discovery ever reported in Oregon history." While hunting along Sucker Creek, he discovered gold lying on the ground. He staked a claim and called it the "Wounded Buck Mine," which produced of gold. The "mine" was a small vein of gold wide, long and deep. As gold mining in the Illinois Valley became exhausted in the 1860s and 1870s, the residents diversified into ranching, fishing, logging, tourism, and agriculture. In 1874, Elijah Davidson found a cave while on a hunting trip, and is now credited with discovering the Oregon Caves. In 1884, Walter C. Burch heard about the cave from Davidson, and staked a squatter's claim at the mouth of the caves. He and his brothers-in-law charged one dollar for a guided tour. According to their advertisement in the ''Grants Pass Courier (now the Grants Pass Daily Courier)'', this included camping, plentiful pasture land and "medicinal" cave waters. They attempted to acquire title to the land, but as the land was unsurveyed, they abandoned the idea a few years later. President
William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) served as the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and the tenth chief justice of the United States from 1921 to 1930. He is the only person to have held both offices. ...
established the Oregon Caves National Monument on July 12, 1909, to be administered by the
U.S. Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands covering of land. The major divisions of the agency are the Chief's ...
. In 1923, the Forest Service subcontracted the building of a hotel and guide services to a group of
Grants Pass Grants Pass is a city in and the county seat of Josephine County, Oregon, United States. The city is located on Interstate 5 in Oregon, Interstate 5, northwest of Medford, Oregon, Medford, along the Rogue River (Oregon), Rogue River. The populatio ...
businessmen. By 1926, the monument had a chalet and seven two-bedroom cabins. Traffic into the caves led to a community developing at the junction of the Redwood Highway and the branch highway to the caves (now known as Oregon Route 46). Cave Junction, originally known as Cave City, was established in 1926 on land donated by Elwood Hussey. In 1935, a post office was applied for and was named "Caves City", however postal authorities disapproved of the name, partly because "City" implied the place was incorporated. Among the other names suggested was "Cave Junction", which was adopted by the
United States Board on Geographic Names The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is a Federal government of the United States, federal body operating under the United States Secretary of the Interior. The purpose of the board is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geogr ...
in 1936 with the post office being renamed the same year. The locality was incorporated as Cave Junction in 1948, and is the only incorporated area in the Illinois Valley. In 1950 Cave Junction had a population of 283, which decreased to 248 in 1960 and increased to 415 in 1970. Its growth was fast in the 1960s, increasing at an average of 6.8 percent annually. The city population's primary growth period occurred in the 1970s, with an average annual increase of 9.9 percent. Growth slowed in the 1980s when the population increase averaged only 1.7 percent annually. The rate fell further between 1990 and 1998, averaging 1.6 percent, which was less than the state and county averages.


Forest fires

A number of
wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a ...
s have threatened Cave Junction over the years. The Longwood Fire in 1987, part of the Silver Fire complex, was ignited by
lightning Lightning is a natural phenomenon consisting of electrostatic discharges occurring through the atmosphere between two electrically charged regions. One or both regions are within the atmosphere, with the second region sometimes occurring on ...
strikes following a three-year drought. Numerous residents of Cave Junction evacuated. In 2002, the Florence and Sour Biscuit fires converged, creating the Biscuit Fire. This fire threatened Cave Junction, Kerby, Selma and a number of Northern California communities. Ultimately, the Biscuit Fire lasted 120 days, burned in southern Oregon and northern California, and destroyed four homes and nine outbuildings in the Cave Junction area. In 2003, a wildfire destroyed a home in Cave Junction. In 2004, a downed power line caused a fire that briefly threatened over 100 homes and forced 200 people to evacuate. One person died, apparently of stress related to the fire. Labor Day of 2020 sparked hundreds of fires across the entire North American west coast, including the Slater fire, which swiftly moved north from Happy Camp overnight to the Illinois Valley. Wildland firefighters, experienced community members, and the inversion layer created by the intensity of smoke stopped the fire from moving much further. The nearby Devil fire and the Slater fire continued to burn through November 2020 but did not grow much at all or take with it any structures in the IV community.


Geography

Cave Junction is located on U.S. Route 199 at its junction with Oregon Route 46. It is about southwest of
Grants Pass, Oregon Grants Pass is a city in and the county seat of Josephine County, Oregon, United States. The city is located on Interstate 5 in Oregon, Interstate 5, northwest of Medford, Oregon, Medford, along the Rogue River (Oregon), Rogue River. The populatio ...
, and northeast of
Crescent City, California Crescent City ( Tolowa: ''Taa-’at-dvn''; Yurok: ''Kohpey''; Wiyot: ''Daluwagh'') is the only incorporated city in Del Norte County, California, of which it is also the county seat. The city is on the North Coast of California and had a tota ...
. The city lies in the Illinois Valley, on the northwest slope of the Siskiyou Range, at an elevation of about above MSL. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.


Climate

Cave Junction has a
Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Csb'') with summers featuring cool mornings and hot afternoons, and chilly, rainy winters. Cave Junction has an average low of in January and an average high of in July. The record hottest temperature is on August 14, 2008; however, the hottest morning on record is a mere on July 21, 1994 and July 3, 2013. The coldest temperature is on December 10, 1972, and the only other mornings below were on the adjacent mornings of December 8 and 10 that year. Only sixteen afternoons have ever failed to top freezing; the coldest afternoon being on the same day as the record cold minimum. The coldest month since 1962 has been December 2013 which averaged and had a mean maximum of only . On average, there are 196 sunny days, and 108 days with precipitation. The city receives an average of of rain each year. The wettest "rain year" was from July 1973 to June 1974 with , and the driest was from July 1976 to June 1977 with .NOWData
National Weather Service Forecast Office: Medford, Oregon
/ref> The wettest month was December 1996 with , and the wettest day was December 22, 1964, with . Snowfall averages ; the most snowfall in one month was in January 1982, and the most in one season was from July 1981 to June 1982. The most snowfall in one day was on January 3 and again on January 18 of 1982.


Demographics


2010 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 1,883 people, 815 households, and 469 families residing in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 916 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.3%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.4%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 2.0% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 1.9% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 8.3% of the population. There were 815 households, of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.9% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.5% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age in the city was 43 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.1% were from 25 to 44; 27.4% were from 45 to 64; and 21% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.0% male and 54.0% female.


2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,363 people, 603 households, and 356 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 730 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.3% White, 0.3% African American, 2.1% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 1.2% other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.6% of the population. There were 603 households, out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.8% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.87. In the city, the age population was spread out, with 26.8% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 21.9% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $17,161, and the median income for a family was $22,500. Males had a median income of $20,893 versus $16,333 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $10,556. About 23.6% of families and 28.7% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 35.8% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.


Government and politics

Residents range from very liberal, to strongly
right-wing Right-wing politics is the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position based on natural law, economics, authority, property ...
, to
survivalists Survivalism is a social movement of individuals or groups (called survivalists, doomsday preppers or preppers) who proactively prepare for emergencies, such as natural disasters, and other disasters causing disruption to social order (that is, ...
. As of 2002, the city has 13 employees, with an average wage of $35,799, the largest categories of employees are
sewerage Sewerage (or sewage system) is the infrastructure that conveys sewage or surface runoff ( stormwater, meltwater, rainwater) using sewers. It encompasses components such as receiving drains, manholes, pumping stations, storm overflows, and scr ...
and water supply, with four employees each. In total, Cave Junction's monthly employee outlay is $35,799, or $465,384 a year. As of 2007, Josephine County Sheriff volunteers staff a sub station in Cave Junction, and the Sheriff's Office has plans to begin a pilot program in the City Hall building, staffed by volunteers, that will include three temporary holding cells and the ability to take incident reports.


Economy

Starting in the early 1850s, gold mining was the main source of income in the Illinois Valley. As gold mining dwindled in the 1860s and 1870s, the economy diversified into ranching, fishing, logging, tourism and agriculture. In the years after
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, timber became an increasingly large part of the county's finances. There were 30 lumber mills operating in the valley after the war, but by the late 1980s the number had dwindled to just one. Because of President Roosevelt's creation of the Siskiyou National Forest, and the reversion of Oregon and California Railroad lands to federal government control, by 1937 the
U.S. Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands covering of land. The major divisions of the agency are the Chief's ...
and the
Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands, U.S. federal lands. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the BLM oversees more than of land, or one ...
were in charge of 70% of the land in Josephine County, and a large part of the Illinois Valley. Because this decreased the county's potential tax base, the government shared money earned from timber sales with the county, and payments in lieu of taxes from the federal government became a large part of its tax base. In 1989, Josephine County received $16,756,000 in various federal payments; by 1999, the payments had fallen to $9.6 million. Because of these budget cutbacks, Southern Oregon has used tourism as a means of attracting small businesses and retirees. The movement of California retirees in particular has helped the economy grow. Although jobs have been created as a result, they are usually low-paying. Today the principal industries are tourism, timber and agriculture. Since about 1960, the community has evolved into a center for
wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...
, retirement, tourism, and small businesses. In November 2007, Rough & Ready completed a $6 million
biomass Biomass is a term used in several contexts: in the context of ecology it means living organisms, and in the context of bioenergy it means matter from recently living (but now dead) organisms. In the latter context, there are variations in how ...
plant to replace their existing wood-fired boiler, as market forces have increased demand for dry timber. It finally closed in November, 2016. The Illinois Valley Community Development Organization (IVCDO), formed in 1994, has attracted notice for its work directed at improving the Illinois Valley economy. In 2006, Cave Junction was awarded the Great Strides Award by the Northwest Area Foundation for the IVCDO's efforts to reduce long-term poverty. In 2004, the IVCDO began a partnership with the National Park Service that resulted in the assumption of 40 seasonal and year-around jobs managing the Oregon Caves Chateau. The project uses local produce, food products and wine at the Chateau, and the proceeds are directed back into the local community. However, the Oregon Caves Chateau has been closed since 2018.


Culture

Cave Junction has a number of points of interest, including a museum, a zoo, and a resort consisting of treehouses. It also has a number of historic sites, many related to gold mining, as well as an Oregon state park and a national monument and preserve, all located in the greater Cave Junction area. Cave Junction has one newspaper and one radio station.


Tourism

Cave Junction's main point of interest is the Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve, which is a area of hiking trails and caverns. Located at the end of a "stomach churning" drive along State Route 46, there are limestone caves discovered in 1874 by a hunter and his dog. At the caves, there is a 23-room chateau that was built in 1932. Each year Cave Junction features an ArtWalk on the second Friday of each month, except during the winter, with the city's businesses exhibiting various types of art such as pottery, iron art, music and fire dancing. The ArtWalk adds significantly to the Illinois Valley's positive image and increases tourism and adds to the local economy. According to surveys conducted in 2006 by the Arts Council of Southern Oregon, the city sees a 30–50 percent increase in sales and visitors during the event. Attendance is approximately 150–200 people, with roughly 15 percent coming from outside the community. Local artists, including students of Lorna Byrne Middle School in 2007, participate while local businesses, including thrift stores and art galleries, serve as hosts. Located about southeast of Cave Junction, in Takilma, Oregon, is the home of the Out'n'About Treehouse Treesort, a multi-treehouse resort run by Michael Garnier using Garnier limbs. Garnier developed the Garnier limb, which is a one-and-a-half-inch-thick bolt surrounded by a cuff, both made of Grade 5 steel, and is able to support . As of 2007, the treesort has nine treehouses, three with bathrooms. Garnier had to fight local government ordinances for almost ten years before gaining the right to house guests in his nine treehouses. Great Cats World Park is located a few miles south of Cave Junction. As of 2007, it has 32 cats, of 17 different species, including
cougar The cougar (''Puma concolor'') (, ''Help:Pronunciation respelling key, KOO-gər''), also called puma, mountain lion, catamount and panther is a large small cat native to the Americas. It inhabits North America, North, Central America, Cent ...
s,
leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant cat species in the genus ''Panthera''. It has a pale yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped in rosettes. Its body is slender and muscular reaching a length of with a ...
s,
jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large felidae, cat species and the only extant taxon, living member of the genus ''Panthera'' that is native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the biggest cat spe ...
s,
lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...
s,
Siberian tiger The Siberian tiger or Amur tiger is a population of the tiger subspecies ''Panthera tigris tigris'' native to Northeast China, the Russian Far East, and possibly North Korea. It once ranged throughout the Korea, Korean Peninsula, but currently ...
cubs, a
fishing cat The fishing cat (''Prionailurus viverrinus'') is a medium-sized wild cat of South and Southeast Asia. It has a deep yellowish-grey fur with black lines and spots. Adults have a head-to-body length of , with a long tail. Males are larger than f ...
, and an
ocelot The ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis'') is a medium-sized spotted Felidae, wild cat that reaches at the shoulders and weighs between on average. It is native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America, Central and South America, ...
. Other attractions include the It's a Burl handcrafted wood gallery and the Kerbyville Museum, both in Kerby. Cave Junction's Wild River Brewery serves one of the smallest communities of any Oregon
brewery A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of b ...
. Founded in 1975 as the Pizza Deli, a
microbrewery Craft beer is beer manufactured by craft breweries, which typically produce smaller amounts of beer than larger "macro" breweries and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as emphasising enthusiasm, ne ...
was added in 1989. In 1994, the name Wild River was adopted and a Wild River restaurant and pub was opened in Grants Pass.


Wine

The Illinois Valley is the coolest and wettest of the three valleys in the
Rogue Valley The Rogue Valley is a valley region in southwestern Oregon in the United States. Located along the middle Rogue River and its tributaries in Josephine and Jackson counties, the valley forms the cultural and economic heart of Southern Oregon n ...
American Viticultural Area An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States, providing an official appellation for the mutual benefit of winery, wineries and consumers. Winemakers frequently want their consumers to know abo ...
. In the late 1960s and early 1970s a new group of Oregonians started experimenting with growing grapes and making wine. Initially this group was not very successful, but 40 years later, Oregon is considered a prestigious growing area. Southern Oregon is higher, and its climate is often warmer, than better known wine producing valleys such as
Napa Valley Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Napa County, California. The area was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on February 27, 1981, after a 1978 petition submitted by the Napa Valley Vin ...
to the south and
Willamette Valley The Willamette Valley ( ) is a valley in Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The Willamette River flows the entire length of the valley and is surrounded by mountains on three sides: the Cascade Range to the east, the ...
and
Columbia Valley The Columbia Valley is the name used for a region in the Rocky Mountain Trench near the headwaters of the Columbia River between the town of Golden and Canal Flats. The main hub of the valley is the town of Invermere. Other towns include Rad ...
to the north. The Illinois Valley has dry warm summers and cold nights, which make it well suited for
pinot noir Pinot noir (), also known as Pinot nero, is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name also refers to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French language, French words fo ...
, in contrast to the hotter and drier Rogue and Umpqua valleys. Several vineyards and wineries are located near Cave Junction, including Bridgeview Vineyards, Foris Vineyards Winery, and Bear Creek Winery which are all discussed in
Fodor's Fodor's is a producer of English-language travel guides and online tourism information. It was founded by Hungarian Eugene Fodor, who created his first travel guide, ''1936...on the Continent'', with the intention of improving upon the directo ...
2004 book "Oregon Wine Country." Cave Junction is the home of Bridgeview Vineyards, one of the largest
wineries A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the cultivation and production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feat ...
in Oregon. Bridgeview is noted for its chardonnay, pinot gris and pinot noir. At the 2000 American Wine Awards, Bridgeview's 1998 Bridgeview Oregon Blue Moon was selected as the best pinot noir under $15. Its estate in the Illinois Valley is planted in the European style of dense row and vine spacing. Bridgeview also has an vineyard in the Applegate Valley. Foris Vineyards Winery is also located in the Cave Junction area. Established in 1986, as of 2007, they produced 48,000 cases of wine, making it the 14th largest bonded winery in Oregon.


Historic sites

Cave Junction has a number of historic sites related to its early gold mining days, including various mines, ditches, and Logan Cut. The historic Osgood Ditch in Takilma provided water for early mining operations in the Illinois Valley. Although mining in the Illinois Valley started in the rivers, gold was soon discovered in gravel beds high up the slopes above the rivers. It had been deposited by ancient rivers that then eroded deep into the earth. To extract this gold, prospectors created ditches to bring the water to these areas. The water was then moved through piping to the desired location. The pressure the water built up as it dropped was used for
hydraulic mining Hydraulic mining is a form of mining that uses high-pressure jets of water to dislodge rock material or move sediment.Paul W. Thrush, ''A Dictionary of Mining, Mineral, and Related Terms'', US Bureau of Mines, 1968, p.560. In the placer mining of ...
. Water cannons fired water over , and the debris was run through a sluice box. Gold was located within pockets in the gravel, and because the miners could not predict where the pockets were, almost every gravel deposit in the Illinois Valley was mined. The Illinois Valley's largest gold rush town, Waldo, Oregon, was located on a gravel deposit and was eventually destroyed when its gravel bed was run through a sluice box, along with most of the town. Today nothing of Waldo remains. The Osgood Ditch provided water for mining operations near Waldo. One building of note in the area is the Oregon Caves Chateau, which is a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
. One of the well known mining communities AltHouse established the AltHouse Church in 1893 about a 1/4 mile down on Dick George Road. This church is one of the oldest building in the valley still standing and still in use. Between 1895–99 the church was moved down to its present site on Holland Loop Road where it has served the community till this day. It is currently known as Bridgeview Community Church since the 1920s). A newer building was built in 1986 where services are now being held every Sunday. The original church is currently under restoration and will continue to be as the builders back then said; "A place for us or children and grandchildren to worship".


Sports and recreation

Cave Junction has a golf course and a state park. The Illinois Valley Golf Course has 9 holes, and as of 2007 there are plans for an expansion to 18 holes. The Illinois River Forks State Park is located at the confluence of the east and west forks of the
Illinois River The Illinois River () is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River at approximately in length. Located in the U.S. state of Illinois, the river has a drainage basin of . The Illinois River begins with the confluence of the Des Plaines ...
. The park includes restrooms, picnic tables, and a variety of rare plants. In 2014 a new disc golf course was built at the Illinois River Forks State Park. There is also a skate park at Jubilee Park in Cave Junction, which was built largely by volunteers and money raised through fundraisers and community involvement.


Media

Cave Junction has one newspaper and two radio stations. The local paper, the '' Illinois Valley News'', is a paper of record for all of Josephine County. Established in 1937 when Cave Junction was known as Cave City, and as of 2018 has a circulation of 2,280. The Valley's longest running business is published every Wednesday. The city's only licensed radio station is KXCJ-LP (FM 105.7), a community powered station which went on-air in December 2016. The Cave Junction area had a pirate radio station, Hope Mountain Radio. It broadcast out of Takilma until repeated interference from government agents caused them to shut down. The station then began broadcasting legally on the internet at TakilmaFM.com, although this caused their costs to go up and necessitated fundraising activities. As of January 2007, Hope Mountain Radio broadcasts 24 hours a day with an all volunteer staff.


Education

Cave Junction has four schools: Illinois Valley High School, Kalmiopsis Community Arts High School, Lorna Byrne Middle School, and Evergreen Elementary School. These schools are part of the Three Rivers School District, which also encompasses schools from Grants Pass and
Applegate, Oregon Applegate is an unincorporated community in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. It is west of Medford on Oregon Route 238 and the Applegate River. The community was probably named for Lindsay Applegate, who, along with his brothers Jess ...
. Two individuals linked to Illinois Valley High School (IVHS) have been inducted into regional halls of fame. In 2004, Sam Hutchins became a member of the Wild Salmon Hall of Fame for creating the
non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
Oregon Stewardship Program. Begun in 1992 to teach Illinois Valley High School students about wild
steelhead Steelhead, or occasionally steelhead trout, is the Fish migration#Classification, anadromous form of the coastal rainbow trout or Columbia River redband trout (''O. m. gairdneri'', also called redband steelhead). Steelhead are native to cold-wa ...
in the Illinois River, by 2004 the program had been expanded to 25 schools and 1,500 students. In 2007, IVHS wrestling coach Ursal "Jay" Miller was inducted into the Oregon Chapter of The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum.


Transportation

The Illinois Valley Airport, also known as the Siskiyou Smokejumper Base, was built by the U.S. Forest Service. It operated from 1943 to 1981 as a smokejumper base, during which time the smokejumpers parachuted on 1445 fires for 5390 fire jumps. As of 2007, the airport had a
fixed-base operator A fixed-base operator (FBO) is an organization granted the right by an airport to operate at the airport and provide aeronautical services such as fueling, hangaring, tie-down, and parking, aircraft rental, aircraft maintenance, flight instruction ...
, aircraft rentals and instruction, hangar rentals, and a restaurant.


Notable people

Cave Junction has a number of notable residents and past residents. Actor
John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...
was a visitor to a ranch in
Selma, Oregon Selma is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Josephine County, Oregon, Josephine County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census it had a population of 695. As of ...
, about north of town. He grew fond of the area after filming '' Rooster Cogburn'' along the Rogue River. This ranch has since become the Deer Creek Center which houses the Siskiyou Field Institute.
Kristy Lee Cook Kristy Lee Cook (born January 18, 1984) is an American country music singer and television personality. She was the seventh place finalist on the seventh season of ''American Idol''. In 2005, Cook released her first album called ''Devoted''. In ...
, who was a contestant on
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
7, was also raised in Selma, where she used to live before joining the competition. Arthur B. Robinson is the head of the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine, which is about from Cave Junction. He also represents the city in Oregon’s 2nd State Senate District.


References


External links


Entry for Cave Junction
in the ''
Oregon Blue Book The ''Oregon Blue Book'' is the official directory and fact book for the U.S. state of Oregon prepared by the Oregon Secretary of State and published by the Office of the Secretary's Archives Division. The ''Blue Book'' comes in both print and o ...
''
Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce — Cave Junction

Kalmiopsis Community Arts High School
{{authority control Cities in Oregon Cities in Josephine County, Oregon 1926 establishments in Oregon