Wilderville Store and Post Office

Wilderville Store and Post Office, OR

The history of Josephine County gets more interesting as we go!

John Tracy is the owner of the Wilderville Store.  John is a member of E Clampus Vitus, whose mission is to study and preserve our Western heritage, especially the history of the "Mother Lode" and gold mining regions.

The Wilderville Post Office began as the Slate Creek Post Office on September 30, 1858, and on August 12, 1878 it was renamed, after its Postmaster, Joseph Wilder.

The Wilderville Store was started in 1920.  This store began as the Stringer Store, and was located just west of here.  It burned down three times before being established where it is now.

The old Post Office was later moved into the store.

The story behind this important landmark, the Wilderville Store and Post Office, is one of geographic location.

In the developing Josephine County of the late 1800's, the mountains to the north were impassable by wagon, and to bring supplies to this burgeoning area, the only logical way was by ship to Crescent City, California.  From there, the only practical route was by wagon to meet the California and Oregon Railroad, which came later.

Wilderville was central to the gold fields, and the growing timber industry later on.

The location was known as "Camp of the Woods," which was a central "jump off" area for the vast timber harvesting companies that stretched to the North, West, and South of here.

Timber bosses built cabins and a lodge for their supervisors and those who ran the crews.  For those who couldn't afford a room, tent sites were rented out at 25 cents per night to the loggers.  There was a small city of hundreds of people living around the camps.

Later on; "Camp of the Woods" became a tourist stop for those traveling the Redwood Highway between Grants Pass and the coast.

These cabins are part of the first of the "auto camps," the rest of the cottages and the lodge all burned down.

Just above here on Marble Mountain are caves with formations similar to those at Oregon Caves National Monument.

Old timers in the area feel the caves are linked together, and are one "vast" network.

Stop in when you're traveling, to see the Wilderville Store and Post Office.  It's just a short two minutes, and links back to the Redwood Highway.

Grab something to eat or drink, and walk over to Slate Creek.  It's worth it!

Wilderville Cemetery

Wilderville Cemetery, Wilderville, OR

The Wilderville Cemetery sits on a beautiful, shaded knoll just south of town.

This lady was the first person to move into this hillside resting place.  Martha McCollum died December 24, 1902.

A pleasant breeze was helping cool a 96 degree day, and as we walked among the quiet pathways, a rain shower came over just long enough to dust of the monuments.

Stringer was the name of the person who first built the Wilderville Store here, I wonder, is this he?  Could be, as there were no dates on this marker.  As you can see here, William Stringer fought in the Indian War as part of Company B in the Second Oregon Mounted Volunteers. 

There is a Hosea Brown in the Granite Hill Cemetery in Grants Pass who served in the War of 1812.  Could this be a relative, who also served our country?  We thank the family!

Our search went awry in trying to find Mary Jillson and her two children; Frankie and Hannah.  They share a stone with the driver of their stage coach, Alex Jones, since they all drowned fording the Applegate River in 1885, when the coach overturned.

Also interred in the Wilderville Cemetery is Luther and Elsie Akers, who were murdered after church on February 27, 1916, by Marshall Bouseman over a boundary dispute.  It was reported, he even killed their horses.

After the killing, Bouseman tried to poison himself, but was unsucessful, so they sent him to prison for most of his remaining life. 

Life for our pioneers in Southern Oregon was never easy.  The settlers were constantly in danger of the Native Americans retaliating for the mistreatment by the transient and hostile gold miners.

It was hard for people back East to realize, but while they were prospering with their well-lit streets, fancy carriages, and wearing fancy clothing; the Oregon wilderness settlers were living with camp fires and candlelight, walking untold miles through rough, mountainous terrain, and cleaning their home-made clothes in streams.

These brave pioneers persevered and settled what is now known as some of the most beautiful country in the world!

The Wilderville Cemetery was established in 1903, and is still currently in use, providing a peaceful resting place for those who have gone before us.