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Roseburg, Oregon, claims itself the entry point to Crater Lake National Park. It lies about one hour's driving distance from the rugged Oregon coastline and is the county seat of Douglas County. The first settler to the area was Aaron Rose in 1850 but the site did not become a town until 1872.

Roseburg lies east of Interstate Highway 5. Exit 124 will lead you across the South Umpqua River and bring you into the historic section of Roseburg. Quite a historic event happened in 1959 when a building fire touched off the explosives in a parked truck and leveled eight square city blocks of the town. Get a brochure retelling the event at the Visitors Center at 410 S.E. Spruce Street on the left as you cross the river to enter Roseburg. You can also pick up a walking tour map of the town's historical buildings and residences or other materials of the surrounding area. The tour includes the 1860's

Floed-Lane House at 544 S.E. Douglas Avenue. It was built in Classical Revival style and was home to the family of Oregon's first territorial governor. Also on the tour are the dozen or more murals on the sides of downtown buildings depicting scenes from Roseburg's past and attractions in the area.

By recrossing the river and traveling west on Harvard Avenue, you can visit the Umpqua Valley Arts Center and one of Roseburg's city parks. The Arts Center building was built in 1917 and was once home to the Veterans Administration.

South on Interstate 5 at 123 Museum Drive is the Douglas County Museum of History and Natural History. Its exhibits include reminders of the Native American culture of the area and artifacts relating to the early settlers as well as over 25,000 photographs. Almost three thousand plant specimens are in the Museum Herbarium. Visit the Museum website for special events, programs, hours, and admission fees.

State Highway 138 passes through Roseburg before heading east and into the Cascade Mountains. That portion of the highway up to Diamond Lake was made a National Scenic Byway called the Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway.

The Applegate Trail, named after the pioneer family who was first to travel it, was blazed in 1846 and became a National Historic Trail in 1992 by act of Congress. The trail was a southerly route to the Willamette Valley, an alternative offshoot from the Oregon Trail. Interstate 5 and Highway 66 extend along the Applegate Trail. The Douglas County courthouse in the old section of Roseburg has a marker pertaining to the trail. An American elm which has presided over the courthouse grounds for over one hundred years provides shade to visitors.

While in the area, you may wish to visit one of the historic covered bridges. The closest of these to Roseburg is the Rochester Covered Bridge, fifteen miles north near Sutherlin. Its eighty foot span crosses the Calapooya River as it has since it was built in 1933. The Cavitt Creek Bridge spans the Little River 24 miles east of Roseburg. It is seventy feet long and was built in 1943. Both of these bridges were planned by Floyd C. Frear, responsible for building half of the existing covered bridges in Douglas County.

When visiting Roseburg and the surrounding area, you can stay at one of the historic bed and breakfasts. The C. H. Bailey House Bed and Breakfast is a 1909 farmhouse constructed by Dr. Clarence H. Bailey, a retired dentist from Michigan, in the Deer Creek Valley area at 121 Melton Road. Hokanson's Guest House Bed and Breakfast is listed on the National Historical Register. Of Gothic Revival design, it was constructed in 1882. Located on 848 SE Jackson Street, the site was the land originally owned by Aaron Rose.

More about the Roseburg, Oregon, area can be found on the City of Roseburg Visitors and Convention Bureau website.

Learn more about this author, Sandra Petersen.
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