The Scott-Applegate Trail, the first route through Southern Oregon, crossed Myrtle Creek where it flows into the South Umpqua River. The gold rush of 1849 and the subsequent discovery of gold in Southern Oregon sent waves of miners down this trail in their quest for gold. Attracted by Myrtle Creeks rich and picturesque valleys, many returned to file their land claims here. Stores and mills were built to supply the gold miners, and the town rapidly grew to be an important stop along the route. Myrtle Creek incorporated as a city in 1893, and prosperity followed. A thriving prune industry,...