The Southern Oregon Region, extending from the Calapooya Mountains southward to the state line between the Cascades and the Coast Range, is of rough topography, with heavily timbered mountainsides, dissected plateaus, and interior valleys of fine fruit, nut, and vegetable land. Portions of the Rogue River Valley are famous for pears and of the Umpqua River Valley for prunes, the former being raised largely with irrigation, the latter without. Game is plentiful in its many wilderness areas, and fish abound in its streams. It is one of the richest mineral regions in the state and has abundant potential water power. Canning and preserving of fruits and vegetables, lumbering, and mining are the chief industrial activities. Roseburg, Grants Pass, Medford, and Ashland are the principal towns. A number of fine highways penetrate the region, but there will long remain many remote and primitive areas. Although the climate is varied, there are no extremes. 
Federal Writers Project, Oregon: End of the Trail, 1940, pages 10-11

Last revised August 8, 2016