by Sandra Petersen

Created on: March 05, 2009   Last Updated: April 18, 2011

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

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