National Register of Historic Places

Upper Ditch

Cave Junction, Josephine County, Oregon
Listed
October 3, 2001
Type
Structure
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
01001149

About this property

The Logan/Esterly Upper Ditch is an abandoned, artificial watercourse in the Illinois River Valley of northern California and southern Oregon, United States. Built in 1854 to supply water from the river's East Fork in California to several hydraulic mines in Oregon, it quickly returned a large profit to its investors. The ditch supplied mines worked by its own owners, as well as providing water for sale to other nearby diggings and incidentally powering at least one sawmill. Mines it served include the Waldo, Fry Gulch, and Cameron mines. It continued in operation until 1942, when the last hydraulic mining operations in the upper Illinois Valley ceased. Several wooden structures associated with the ditch, such as trestles and flumes, disappeared by the end of the 20th century, but the earthen components remained mostly intact. The ditch was a total of 7.6 miles (12.2 km) long; 4.1 miles (6.6 km) of the ditch's remnants were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

Location

Cave Junction, Josephine County, Oregon
42.02891, -123.63865

Categories

INDUSTRY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Upper Ditch

This page lists Upper Ditch. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Upper Ditch report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Cameron Mine
Industrial
0.8 mi
Osgood Ditch
Industrial
1 mi
Allen Gulch Mill
Industrial
1.4 mi
Allen Gulch Townsite
Listed
1.5 mi
High Gravel Mine
Industrial
1.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Upper Ditch listed on the National Register?

Upper Ditch was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 3, 2001.

What type of historic resource is Upper Ditch?

Upper Ditch is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Upper Ditch?

The period of significance for Upper Ditch is recorded as the early_republic era, specifically around 1854.

Can I research the history near Upper Ditch?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Upper Ditch will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Josephine County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Josephine County.

Explore JosephineCounty ›

More historic places in Oregon

Browse all historic places in Oregon.

View Oregonhistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Oregon history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Oregonhistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Upper Ditch will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report