Page:Oregon, her history, her great men, her literature.djvu/135

Rh from the ship's side at Scottsburg into the northern edge of California. But public spirited promoters soon saw the necessity of a suitable wagon way. Through their influence, therefore, the Oregon territorial legislature, in 1852»3, was induced to memorialize congress, with the result that $120,000 was appropriated from the national treasury for a military wagon road from Scottsburg to Stewart Creek tn the Rogue River Valley. The route for die road was surveyed first by Lieutenant Withers, U. S. A., October, 1854; and after a further appropriation the survey was completed by Major Atwood, U. S. A., assisted by Jesse Applegate. The survey practically followed the old Southern Oregon Trail. The construction of the road was superintended by Colonel Joseph Hooker, detailed by the War Department for that purpose. The road was completed in 1858. The Southern Oregon Military Road answered* the purposes of the people of the Umpqua Valley until the completion of the railroad to Roseburg.—Binger Hermann.

First Steamboats Built in Willamette Valley. Steam propulsion having been established on the rivers of Oregon as early as 1836-1837, by the Hudson's Bay Company steamship "Beaver," Lot Whitcomb, a progressive settler, built the first steamboat in the Willamette Valley (1850). She was a side-wheeler, was named after the builder and owner, engined by Jacob Kam, and commanded by Captain J. C. Ainsworth. The Lot Whitcomb" was constructed almost entirely of Oregon wood, at a site where Milwaukie now stands. She was projected to run between the Milwaukie site and Astoria, touching all points along the route except Portland which already promised to be a strong competitor with Milwaukie as the chief townsite on the lower Willamette River. After a successful career of four years,