Illahe 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.

"The second section follows the route taken along the South Coast in 1828 by Jedediah Smith, one of the foremost explorers of the American West. It describes key historic sites from the California/Oregon border to Heceta Head. Drawing on journal entries, the author traces the Jedediah Smith Expedition's advance, and recounts its troubled relations with coastal Indians and its tragic ending. Along the expedition's route, the book profiles the region's many historic places."--BOOK JACKET.