Illahee: The Story of Settlement in the Rogue River Canyon

by Kay Atwood

Illahee presents the history of white settlement in the most isolated part of southern Oregon's rugged Rogue River Canyon, starting in the 1850s, based on the words of the people who lived there.Author Kay Atwood creates a personal picture of what life was like in the remote canyon, drawing on first-person accounts from diaries, journals, and interviews she conducted with people who lived there in the early 20th and late 19th centuries -- people who were often descendants of the first white settlers and Native Americans from the region. Their stories recount hardships, dangerous river travel, deadly floods, extreme winters, constant isolation, and the self-sufficiency required to survive in this wild, beautiful place.In addition to artfully presenting the words of homesteaders, miners, and their descendants, Atwood has also gathered a treasure trove of approximately 160 photographs, supplemented by her own drawings and hand-drawn maps.For anyone who has enjoyed the Rogue River canyon and wondered about the history of this national Wild and Scenic Rivers corridor, as well as for historians and other readers interested in pioneer history, oral history, and the settlement of southern Oregon, Illahe offers a captivating portrait of a truly unique time and place.

262 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Nils · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the rating would be lower for someone who didn't grow up in the area. For me, it was an interesting insight into the history of where I grew up. However, it's rather disjointed and tells little in the way of continuous narrative. It's hard to follow a linear history as the book is divided up by the section of the Rogue River. However, as a history, and largely an oral history, it was good reading.