Cave Junction, OR

As part of the Josephine County Historical Society's "Passport To History" program, we visited the Oregon Caves National Monument.

Before we could even begin the cave tour, we became sidetracked by another sighting of an apparition in the Chateau!

Since moving to Grants Pass in 2008, we had heard tales of ghostly apparitions in the Chateau, but casually dismissed them as "tourist attractions."

Then last month, I sold a home to a couple who had experienced it "first hand." The gentleman was in management at the Caves for nine years, and a few years ago before retiring, he and his wife spent a night in the Chateau after it had closed for the season. This is a perk available to select employees prior to closing for winter.

They stayed in room 309, which connects by an internal door with the

"infamous" room 310.

They were awakened in the dead of night by the sounds of someone walking in the hall, and other noises. Knowing they were the only guests that evening, my friends arose to see if someone else had decided to also spend the night; They found no one!

Checking room 310, as the door between was unlocked, everything was in place.

I accused my friend of "repeating a line rehearsed for tourists," but he swore it to be factual. Later on I asked his wife about that night, and she repeated it verbatim. They said they were not frightened, but that the noises repeated often that evening, and they didn't get much sleep! Being professional people, and knowing them quite well, they made me a believer!

Researching the ghost story further, it is rumored that in 1937 a young couple was spending their wedding night in the hotel, and the bride caught her husband with a hotel employee, and took her own life.

Her name was Elizabeth, and employees tell of strange occurrences in room 310. Sometimes all of the room's furniture will be rearranged, or on rare occasions, even placed out in the hall. Guests have reported unpacking, and on returning from dinner, finding their bags have been repacked.

During our visit, we talked to several employees, and they shared what they knew.

This is a snapshot of a photograph they keep in the Chateau's office. It is a photo of the kitchen taken by a professional photographer. He was the only one in the room! This was back in the days when the negatives had to be developed.

If you look closely at the left side of the photo, you will see the reflected image of a woman. They call her Elizabeth!

This is room 310. One rumor is that Elizabeth hung herself from the pipe that is attached to the ceiling.

This is a view out the window of room 310. Another rumor is that Elizabeth dove out this window on that fateful night.

The staff also showed us room 307, where just a week ago, a guest returned to her room to find a ghostly figure of a woman sitting on the bed! They both left!

There have also been sightings in rooms 207 and 208. The staff told us that they have been visited by professional "ghost busters" who set up equipment, and monitored the hotel for a time.

There is also a death said to have occurred within the Cave, but that's another story.

The beautiful Chateau is six stories tall, with some rooms on the road level (4th floor) and, the 300 numbered rooms on the top floor.

This is a "must see" lodge, and if you can take the time, book a room.

Men by themselves should avoid room 310 however; because Elizabeth seems to be more agitated by their presence.

Make sure to walk downstairs late in the evening, because on occasion, the baby grand piano in the lobby has been known to play by itself, and the employees feel it is Elizabeth's way of welcoming her guests!

Please visit the Josephine County Historical Society's website for more information on the Passport To History program.

Below are the links to my earlier Josephine County Historical Society's Passport To History blogs.

Introduction Caveman Schmidt House

Blind George's Newsstand Grants Pass Historic Homes Tour

Historic District Tour Grants Pass Pharmacy Rogue Theatre

Hugo Community Church Haines Apple Tree Ament Dam

Grants Pass Cemeteries Pottsville Sportsman Park

Griffin Park Lake Selmac Granite Hill Cemetery

Pleasant Valley Cemetery Josephine County Bridges

Grants Pass Fire Department Reinhart Volunteer Park Wolf Creek Inn

Applegate Trail Interpretive Center Golden Townsite

Grave Creek Covered Bridge Robertson Bridge

Wilderville Store and Post Office Wilderville Cemetery

Granite Tombstone Quarry Merlin Park - Veterans Walk of Honor

Gotcher Cemetery Provolt Store Missouri Flat Cemetery

Siskiyou Smokejumper Base Rough & Ready Botanical Wayside

Rough & Ready Lumber Co. Pacifica, A Garden In The Siskiyous

Riverside Park Daily Courier Daily Courier "Boss" Voorhies

Barnstormers Theatre

Josephine County Historical Society's "Passport To History" - Rough & Ready Lumber Co. - Cave Junction, Oregon

Rough & Ready Lumber Co. has been in its' current location since 1943.

What a tour we received! And what a company! We were welcomed by owner Jennifer Krauss Phillippi and her Sales Manager, Ed Cunningham.

We completely forgot that is was 100 degrees outside as we stepped into a prospering and fast paced, obviously well run company! Our guides enthralled us with the operations of the only remaining lumber mill in Josephine and Jackson counties.

The company specializes in high-grade lumber, and sells to high-end companies who manufacture windows and doors, such as Pella, Anderson Windows, Rogue Valley Door, and many others.

As we began our tour, it was like walking across a New York street. Everywhere we went we had to watch for forklifts, loaders, etc. constantly passing in all directions. I'm sure the drivers were more aware of us than we were of them, but we immediately realized the need for the orange safety vests.

We are looking at an $8 million dollar "biomass co-generation plant." This facility produces renewable power, while drying lumber using forest biomass and wood waste. The overhead pipes that you see coming into the buildings are bringing waste materials from the sawing operations, such as sawdust, bark, and other waste pieces to the furnaces. The other pipe coming from the other direction brings forest waste material brought in and dumped by other companies, which helps the other companies to dispose of their waste, and adds to the fuel for drying Rough & Ready Lumber Co.'s lumber and generating electricity. The electricity generated is sold to Pacific Power, which I'll cover more later.

In 2009 Rough & Ready Lumber Co. was "green" certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), it makes sure that products for customers come from well-managed forests, and that the timber is grown, harvested, and processed in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.

This is a view of the hopper where the material is piped in from the overheads shown in the previous photo. It is ground up suitable for burning.

The wood waste is now sent to the furnaces.

The furnace supplies the heat for the kilns and to generate electricity.

The operation is computer controlled, and the following photos show some of the equipment necessary for this process.

There are several levels in this building, and as we ascended, so did the heat!

This is the massive generator that creates a tremendous amount of electricity. As previously mentioned, the power is all sold to Pacific Power, and Rough & Ready Lumber Co. buys the power back for the lumber operation from Pacific Power.

The one problem with that arrangement that I can see is what's happening right now, where Pacific Power has been granted a rate hike, but Rough & Ready Lumber Co. is still locked into to their contracted rate, and they don't automatically receive more money for the power they are selling to Pacific Power. Plus that, because Pacific Power is charging more, Rough & Ready Lumber Co. is subject to increases just like the rest of us. I had no idea when I heard they generated their own power, that they weren't able to take what they needed and sell the rest. That would make a lot more sense, but when have we ever won against a power company?

From this juncture, if I can remember what our guides, Jennifer and Ed said, from here the heat goes to the kilns, and the exhaust from the entire operation goes up the pipe on the left.

Take a close look at the tip of the exhaust pipe -- this is the exhaust from a furnace going full-blast in the middle of the operation.

In order to explain this process, I had to refer to Wikipedia for a complete definition; An electrostatic precipitator (ESP), or electrostatic air cleaner is a particulate collection device that removes particles from a flowing gas (such as air) using the force of an induced electrostatic charge. Electrostatic precipitators are highly efficient filtration devices that minimally impede the flow of gases through the device, and can easily remove fine particulate matter such as dust and smoke from the air stream. In contrast to wet scrubbers which apply energy directly to the flowing fluid medium, an ESP applies energy only to the particulate matter being collected and therefore is very efficient in its consumption of energy (in the form of electricity).

In layman's terms, it acts like a magnet that takes the particulates out of the air.

This blue overhead pipe is bringing in sawdust and other forest waste that is brought it by other companies, and dumped into a pile. Now, the next photos will show you how they unload the 18-wheelers that bring it in!

No drivers are allowed to remain in the vehicles, as these structures have been known to collapse, although it is rare. Jennifer said she has always wanted to ride up in the truck, but has not had a chance to do it.

All done, the ride is over!

In the center of the photo, is where the electricity leaves the co-generation plant, and goes to Pacific Power.

More finished lumber headed from one of the 12 kilns.

More of the massive facility. It seems every surface in the valley has been paved. Everywhere you turn there is another road leading to more buildings.

These pieces of ponderosa pine stand at the end of the "green chain." The one on the left is probably worth about $250 wholesale. They are keeping water on them so they do not split, check or get "blue stain," which I'll show you later.

This is part of the "green chain," which I have always heard is the hardest job in the sawmill. This is where the "green" lumber is sorted as to its' size and purpose. All of the people pictured in every photo were working with very little conversation, intense concentration, and efficiency I could not believe.

In the distance you'll notice piles of raw logs, with sprinklers continually keeping them wet. Prior to the availability of sprinkling systems, that entire area up to the trees was a massive pond, where logs were kept until needed. I always thought that they watered them to prevent spontaneous combustion from starting fires, but our guides explained that the reason is actually to keep them from splitting, checking, and the dreaded "blue stain."

This is an example of "blue stain." Obviously this is not one of the products that will go into door and window manufacture, but it does make pretty wood.

Now we enter the saw building, where all of the different types of blades are sharpened, repaired, welded and stored. These blades you're looking at probably start at $200 each, and go up.

Talk about band saw blades! These are the largest saw blades you could ever imagine. The ones that have been sharpened, or are brand new, hang from the ceilings, ready for use. There were band saw blades all over the place in every stage of preparation and sharpening.

There were operators standing by and controlling the sharpening processes. Even though it is computer-controlled, an operator must monitor and control the settings continually. These people are the best in the business! Ed Cunningham, who has been with the company for 35 years, and has done everything in the operation has also worked in this room before being promoted to Sales Manager.

You can see how exacting a process this is, and you don't learn this job overnight!

Here is an example of glass insulators that evidently at one time had been attached to a living tree, rather than using a separate pole, which was quite common years ago. Eventually, the tree grew around the insulators, and can you imagine how devastating it was when the saw blade cut through them? Not only ruining the saw blade, but also a tremendous danger to the operator!

Everything has been found in trees, all types of spikes, nails; and the gentleman pictured in the saw room (sorry I can't recall his name, but the racket was so tremendous in the sharpening room, and we were wearing ear protection) recalled the time when they found a musket inside of a tree, which was probably set down by a hunter and forgotten about. How many years has it been since anyone fired a musket? It must have been from the 1700s anyway.

This is what happens to band saw blades, and I believe these remnants were sliced off the damaged blades, and probably a new piece was welded onto the damaged blade, and new teeth were cut into. These band saw blades probably cost a "minimum" of $1500, so you can see why people that can do these repairs are invaluable to a company such as Rough & Ready Lumber Co.

After being scanned from end to end, and on all sides by metal detectors, the logs are brought from the yard to the mill.

They are brought forward until the operator takes over and brings the logs in one at a time. Note the blue mark on the end of the log. This is how they mark them on the lot so they can tell when a log has made a complete rotation for the person doing the metal detection. You saw previously how dangerous it is to have any metal in a log at all.

Here the operator is stripping the bark from the log.

The log is next cut to the desired length,

and continues on to the next process, where the next man takes over.

Next, an outer layer is sliced off the log, so the operator can view the inside structure and determine what section of this piece will best fit the orders that he has in front of him. Note the operators' glassed in booth, in the very upper left corner of this photo. Mike is an expert in "reading" a log, so as to maximize its potential.

These are the screens in Mike's control tower, and the one with all the numbers on it are the orders he must fill. As a tree grows, the lower branches will gradually fall off, and the quality of the lumber will vary throughout the log, the better parts being where the branches have left little or no trace. We watched him slice off a section of a log, analyze it, and immediately determine how large a section he can cut out that will have no visible knots. It was fascinating to see how much experience it takes to be able to just look at a side of a log and know what your end product is going to look like.

Here Ed is consulting with the man who controls as many as four saw blades at a time. (What do you suppose he's saying about that goofy photographer in the 100 degree heat?)

Here he is trimming off the edges with laser guidance.

We have now arrived at the beginning of the "green chain" that we observed from the other end when we first came in.

The "green chain" continues down the line, with men at every stage, constantly pulling out the correct sized pieces for their station.

The silos are compartmentalized to house the various non-usable pieces, such as bark and wood chips. You can see the conveyors on the left that reach up to sort the materials into the bins. From there they will go to various places, such as wood chips will go to paper companies, bark and other scraps will continue to through the pipe on the upper right to the co-generation plant.

The finished product has been through the kiln and is ready to be packaged for market.

This is the sight we have been waiting for; the culmination of everyone's hard work. The truck leaves Rough & Ready Lumber Co. and enters the Redwood Highway (Highway 199), headed for its' new home.

Our sincerest thanks to Jennifer Krauss Phillippi and Ed Cunningham. Ed, I really must apologize for "sawing off" the top of your head in this photo, as even the camera was suffering from heat stroke.

But I want you folks to know that this was the most impressive operation that I have ever seen. Your employees were amazing! Everywhere we went, everyone was working hard at their jobs and they all seemed to know exactly what to do at every stage. There was no wasted effort, and everyone was working at top speed.

I've observed a lot of companies, and there's always somebody goofing off somewhere, but not in this company. You can be very proud of your employees, and they must really be proud of their employers, because it really shows!

Please visit the Josephine County Historical Society's website for more information on the Passport To History program.

Below are the links to my earlier Josephine County Historical Society's Passport To History blogs.

Introduction Caveman Schmidt House

Blind George's Newsstand Grants Pass Historic Homes Tour

Historic District Tour Grants Pass Pharmacy Rogue Theatre

Hugo Community Church Haines Apple Tree Ament Dam

Grants Pass Cemeteries Pottsville Sportsman Park

Griffin Park Lake Selmac Granite Hill Cemetery

Pleasant Valley Cemetery Josephine County Bridges

Grants Pass Fire Department Reinhart Volunteer Park Wolf Creek Inn

Applegate Trail Interpretive Center Golden Townsite

Grave Creek Covered Bridge Robertson Bridge

Wilderville Store and Post Office Wilderville Cemetery

Granite Tombstone Quarry Merlin Park - Veterans Walk of Honor

Gotcher Cemetery Provolt Store Missouri Flat Cemetery

Siskiyou Smokejumper Base Rough & Ready Botanical Wayside

Josephine County Historical Society's "Passport To History" - Rough & Ready Botanical Wayside - Cave Junction, Oregon

The Josephine County Historical Society's "Passport To History" program finds us at the Rough & Ready Botanical Wayside.

Nicknamed Gobi Desert by many old timers, the area, to me, looks similar to Oregon's high desert area outside of Bend.

Because of the efforts of many, such as the Illinois Valley Garden Club, in 1937 the Rough & Ready Forest State Park was established on a 90 acre site just five miles southwest of Cave Junction.

The reason for the unusual landscape, and flora and fauna, is that it sits on an "alluvial fan," which is a geological formation. Because of the peridotite rocks in the area, when it decomposes, it does not create a soil that will retain water. With these deep gravel plains, rain will quickly drain away, and be of no value to sustain plant life for the long haul.

Also, this area has one of the largest mantle rock exposures in the country. Mantle rocks as well, contain little or no nutrients to support plant growth. Combined with nickel and chrome soil content, it often creates a toxicity which is poisonous to many plants.

You can see in these photos the first hills above this plain are lush with forests and plants. A hundred and fifty foot tree on the hill may have a twin brother born on the plain that is only ten feet high; Even though the rainfall they receive is the same.

The alluvial fan was created by Rough & Ready Creek suddenly leaving the constraints of its' canyon, and fanning out into the plain. That's why there are so many of these peridotite stones referred to by the locals as "Gobi Stones."

The Illinois Valley airport was expanded for the Smokejumper Base, and instead of moving it toward the mountains, it reduced the Rough & Ready Forest State Park to 19 acres, and was renamed the Rough & Ready Botanical Wayside.

The Rough & Ready Botanical Wayside is best visited between April and early June when the many rare and unusual flowers are blooming.

This is a photo of a Darlingtonia Californica, also called California Pitcher, Cobra Lily or Cobra plant. It was thus named as it was first discovered on the slopes of Mount Shasta in Northern California by botanist William Brackenridge. It can be found at the Rough & Ready Botanical Wayside in the early Spring.

The Cobra Lily eats insects! It grows in bogs and mountain seeps where it can have cold, running water; generally found far into the wilderness areas. It is designated "uncommon" because of its' "rarity in the field." It is called "Cobra Lily" because of its' resemblance to a rearing cobra. It even has a forked leaf that resembles a serpents' tongue or fangs.

This is a photo of a Hall's Violet. It blooms at the Rough & Ready Botanical Wayside in April and May. It is considered a "rare and endangered" plant.

These are Purple Mouse Ears. It is also a "rare and endangered" plant that can be found at the Rough & Ready Botanical Wayside.

Another "rare and endangered" species found at the Rough & Ready Botanical Wayside is the Two-eyed Violet.

For a complete list of the flowers and bushes you can find blooming at the Rough & Ready Botanical Wayside, please visit CaveJunction.com.

Even it was 100 degrees and the middle of July, it was a very interesting find. Just another of the "wonders" of Josephine County.

Please visit the Josephine County Historical Society'swebsite for more information on the Passport To History program.

Below are the links to my earlier Josephine County Historical Society's Passport To History blogs.

Introduction Caveman Schmidt House

Blind George's Newsstand Grants Pass Historic Homes Tour

Historic District Tour Grants Pass Pharmacy Rogue Theatre

Hugo Community Church Haines Apple Tree Ament Dam

Grants Pass Cemeteries Pottsville Sportsman Park

Griffin Park Lake Selmac Granite Hill Cemetery

Pleasant Valley Cemetery Josephine County Bridges

Grants Pass Fire Department Reinhart Volunteer Park Wolf Creek Inn

Applegate Trail Interpretive Center Golden Townsite

Grave Creek Covered Bridge Robertson Bridge

Wilderville Store and Post Office Wilderville Cemetery

Granite Tombstone Quarry Merlin Park - Veterans Walk of Honor

Gotcher Cemetery Provolt Store Missouri Flat Cemetery

Siskiyou Smokejumper Base

Josephine County Historical Society's "Passport To History" - Siskiyou Smokejumper Base - Cave Junction, Oregon

Smokejumpers - The heroes of yesteryear.

Continuing on our Josephine County Historical Society's "Passport To History" program, we arrive at the Siskiyou Smokejumper Base.

I remember one of my high school classmates heading out west to become a smokejumper as soon as we graduated.

The Siskiyou Smokejumber Base was Oregon's first aerial firefighter base, and is the only original smokejumper base in the United States still remaining.

It has been proposed that the National Smokejumper Museum be located here, and after seeing the community support and restoration efforts underway, I heartily concur.

We were so fortunate to meet Roger Brandt, who is a wealth of information, and a real asset to the future museum.

Roger informed us about all of the volunteer groups that have been tirelessly working on this restoration project. He was a great help in our research. Thank you Roger.

The Siskiyou Smokejumper Base began in 1943 during World War II. Since most men were already called to service, the first smokejumpers to enlist were conscientious objectors who were mostly Mennonites. This way they served in a way to fit their beliefs.

This building was the first headquarters, and was located at the Redwood Ranger District in Cave Junction.

The smokejumpers lived in tents at the ranger station, because there was no electricity or water at this airstrip.

Work progressed on the base, and in 1948 the first of two barracks was built. This is the remaining barracks, and the bath house.

This photo shows the headquarters building being brought over from Cave Junction.

This building was the mess hall, where the smokejumpers ate "family style." The food was placed on the tables and passed around rather than going through a cafeteria-style line.

It is believed that the main reason this base was located in such a low populace area, was the danger from the Japanese "balloon bombs."

The Japanese had spent years prior to attacking Pearl Harbor in studying the jet stream, and they began sending bombs aloft that were landing throughout the Northwest. Very clever mechanisms controlled by altimeters would release sand bags if the balloon dropped too low, and kept them flying until they reached the Northwestern United States.

One party of five were killed near Ashland, Oregon when they found an unexploded bomb hanging in a tree.

Japans' purpose was to strike terror in the American people, but the U.S. government kept the bomb caused fires classified as "top secret," so very few people had any idea we were under attack.

The base finally closed in 1981, but the airport that has been here since 1939 still waits for her crews to return.

These concrete pads were made for the staging areas for the planes.

The fire boss made it clear that no one was to put their initials in the concrete. Period! He inspected the job when it had been finished, and left satisfied.

After he left, and before the concrete had hardened, the clever Capp Rowley went back out, and found the end of the parachute cord that he had embedded with this name in cursive, and when he pulled it out, his name was permanently etched in the pad.

So he wouldn't take all the heat, he "thoughtfully" included his buddy's name. Good thing he was good at his job, because there is no record of anyone jumping without a chute.

Tommy Smith was the only casualty of the Siskiyou Smokejumper Base. He had successfully fought a fire in the Illinois Valley, and being exhausted and weighed down with equipment, he drowned while crossing the Illinois River.

These are "Gobi Stones," so named because the Smokejumpers nicknamed this base "The Gobi," as they said it reminded them of the Gobi Desert.

These rocks were so abundant that when they were constructing this "Parachute loft," they placed tons of them inside the foundation. Notice how high the foundation rises above the ground - just to accommodate all the rocks!

This "Parachute loft" housed the making and repairs of the chutes. It contained 17 industrial sewing machines, one as big as a man.

The peaked end of the building was erected as high as they dared for aircraft clearance, and its floor is at ground level (no stones underneath). This allowed for hanging parachutes for examining them full length after recovery from jumps.

They had to be inspected for cuts, tears, and "loads of grasshoppers." Upstairs housed all of the fabric categorized by section of the chute, as many sections were of different fabric and grain. New parachutes were purchased in "kit" form and assembled on site.

Those who ran the operation lived on site, along with a few people who maintained the Siskiyou Smokejumper Base in "off-fire season." This is a photo of Betty Stoltenberg manning the phones and radio.

This building was used to house the equipment; saws, axes, ropes, etc.

One luxury afforded our Siskiyou Smokejumpers that was not heard of at other camps, was that each man was able to have a personal "diddy bag." This was up to five pounds of personal gear such as a toothbrush, candy, or whatever else they were able to keep under the weight limit. When called out for a fire, they dressed, grabbed tools, and hung their "diddy bags" on themselves, and ran to the plane.

This was originally a training area.

This building is the well house.

Roger explained that hoses were kept in two of these structures on either side of the well house for fire protection of the facility.

This was the USFS warehouse.

This was the managers' residence and garage.

Volunteers continue working hard on restoring the Siskiyou Smokejumper Base back to its' original condition, right down to the types of windows and paint colors.

Come on out to the Historic Siskiyou Smokejumper Base and put your name on the volunteer list, it'll be appreciated!

Please visit the Josephine County Historical Society's website for more information on the Passport To History program.

Below are the links to my earlier Josephine County Historical Society's Passport To History blogs.

Introduction Caveman Schmidt House

Blind George's Newsstand Grants Pass Historic Homes Tour

Historic District Tour Grants Pass Pharmacy Rogue Theatre

Hugo Community Church Haines Apple Tree Ament Dam

Grants Pass Cemeteries Pottsville Sportsman Park

Griffin Park Lake Selmac Granite Hill Cemetery

Pleasant Valley Cemetery Josephine County Bridges

Grants Pass Fire Department Reinhart Volunteer Park Wolf Creek Inn

Applegate Trail Interpretive Center Golden Townsite

Grave Creek Covered Bridge Robertson Bridge

Wilderville Store and Post Office Wilderville Cemetery

Granite Tombstone Quarry Merlin Park - Veterans Walk of Honor

Gotcher Cemetery Provolt Store Missouri Flat Cemetery

Cave Junction, Oregon

Cave Junction is a small town with a lot of friends. Over 17,000 people depend on Cave Junction for services. With a population of around 1,300 in Cave Junction itself, they serve a lot of people.

So why do so many people live outside the city limits of Cave Junction? The big reason is for the beautiful countryside.

Retirees come from all over the United States to live the life they dreamed about throughout their careers.

In and around Cave Junction, great prices on homes and property make owning large acreage so affordable, and even if you don't use the land for anything but privacy, it's fun to have it.

Cave Junction was incorporated in 1948, and the first census reported 282 people in 1950. Now, Cave Junction boasts 1,300 citizens.

Don't make the mistake of thinking "hicksville," because Cave Junction is not in the "sticks!"

Cave Junction is on Highway 199, "The Redwood Highway" and is halfway between San Francisco and Portland.

Nine miles to the north of Cave Junction is the incomparable Lake Selmac, and 55 miles to the southwest is the gorgeous Pacific Ocean. On the way, you will pass through the majestic Redwood Forests along the Smith River.

Cave Junction sits in amongst mountains where elevations range from 1200" to over 7000".

Enjoy white water rafting on the raging Illinois River, and hike, fish, or pan gold in the pristine Kalmiopsis Wilderness area.

Of course, Cave Junction is the gateway to the Oregon Caves National Monument, from which it derived its' name.

The Cave Junction area hosts lumber and wine industries, and is a major tourist destination.

This beautiful valley in the Siskiyou mountains is only 35 minutes away from the Three Rivers Community Hospital in Grants Pass, and Cave Junction is only one hour from the Medford International Airport.

There is a very diverse group of residents in the Cave Junction community, as residents are from so many areas and backgrounds. You may live between a computer industry guru, and a retired financier, or an airline pilot.

Homes and properties can be had from the $100,000's to over a few million, and nobody acts any different toward you based on what you spend.

Cave Junction symbolizes harmonious living among man and nature.

Ever since the 1830's people have been heading for Oregon, so hitch up your wagon and head for Cave Junction. Call me to be your wagonmaster for your home search.