The Pioneer Stimulus of Gold 163
seekers in 1858.* Steamboat Creek, of the North Umpqua, was a flitting Eldorado of this period. Coquille River, at its mouth, offered rich diggings — 1853. Sailors' Diggpings, at the present town of Waldo, at the headwaters of Illinois River, tributary of Rogue River, was the scen6 of profitable placers, beginning in 1852. Settlement of Southern Oregon began in 1847-48, contemporaneously with the gold movement of Cali- fornia. Molalla^ and Santiam drew goldseekers in 1860.®^ Bohemia was discovered in 1863.^ These localities afforded poor pay, because the gold was chiefly of tow grade quartz, and they did not continue long in favor, although successive attempts were made to revive them.^
Western Washington was even poorer in gold than Western Oregon. Queen Charlotte Islands afforded discoveries in 1850, and several expeditions of gold hunters went there in the following two years.^l In Eastern Washington, the Yakima®* Valley was favorably prospected in 1854. That district and Wenatchee®** were encouraged by Puget Sound merchants.
79 Cow Creek was prospected in 18^4 with poor returns (The Oregonian, October 28, 1854. letter si^ed "F. D."). Coffee Creek, of South Umpqua, yielded returns in 1858 (t6u/., December x8, 1858).
80 Silver and gold ouartz of Molalla River was discovered in i860, forty- five miles from Oregon City. See Thw Oregonian, September 15, i860; August 16, 1865, p. 2.
81 The Santiam deposits, sixty miles east of Salem, contained gold and silver quartz. Assays ran as nigh as $2500 a ton. Many claims were taken there in i860. Loose gold was discovered in 1864. The town of Quartzville was laid off in 1864. A stamp mill was erected m that year. The route to these mines is described in The Oregonian, July 9, 1864. For details of this district, ibid.. Tune 9i 16, 30; September i, 8, i860; October 14, 23, 1863; June 30* Novenwer 12, 1864; October 29, 1869, p. 3; May 10, 1887; July 3, 1897; October 2, 1889.
8a The Bohemia quartz was discovered in 1863 by "Bohemia" Johnson (The Oregonian, January ao, 1900, p. 5). A road was opened to the mines in 1871. See History of Douglas County, oy A. G. Walling, p. 39a. A quartz mill was operated in 1871-77 oy A. T. Knott. See also The Oregonian, March a6, 1872, p. 3; July 2, 1899, p. 16; March 17, 1900, p. 5: April 26, 1900, p. 5; July 30, 1900; January i, 1901; June 28, 1896, p. 18; July 3, 1897*
83 For narrative of the mines of Clackamas, Marion and Linn counties, see The Oregonian, June 22, 1889. The quartz, of gold and silver, was too low grade for successful operation.
84 The British sent the ship Una to Queen Charlotte Islands from Fort Simpson in 185 1, and the brig Recovery to Gold Harbor, in 1852. The American vessels Georfianna explored for gold in 1851. Eight American Damariscove vessels sailed to Mitchell Harbor in 1852. These expeditions had little or no success.
85 Yakima Vallev attracted prospectors in 1854 {The Oregonian, April 22^ 18C4), and gained large publicitv in 1858 {ibid., July 23, 1858; August Sf 1861). For description in 1873, ibid., December 3, i873t Pw 3-
86 The Wenatchee diggings were active in 1858 {The Oregonian, July 23. 1858). They attracted many fortune hunters in 1861.
