Editing Cave Junction, Oregon (section)

== History ==
For thousands of years, the [[Takelma]] Indians inhabited the [[Illinois River (Oregon)|Illinois Valley]].<ref name="Timeline" /> Their culture was destroyed when [[Gold rush|gold was discovered]] in the early 1850s, causing the subsequent [[Rogue River Wars]]. After an [[Treaty with the Rogue River, 1853|1853 treaty]], most of the Takelmas lived on the [[Table Rock Reservation]]. In 1856, after the wars ended, they were forcibly removed to the [[Grand Ronde Community|Grand Ronde Reservation]] and the [[Siletz Reservation]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/rogue-siskiyou/projects/watershed/e-fork-illinois/efivsocial.pdf |title=East Fork of the Illinois River Watershed Analysis Social Module |access-date=2007-09-29 |publisher=U.S. Forest Service}}</ref>

The first [[gold]] in Oregon history was found in the Illinois Valley, as well as the largest gold nugget ({{convert|17|lb|disp=or|abbr=on}}).<ref name=creek>{{cite news |url=http://www.illinois-valley-news.com/archive/2006/2006-0201/RB-JosephineCrk.htm |title=Josephine Creek a gold nugget of county history |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106205119/http://illinois-valley-news.com/archive/2006/2006-0201/RB-JosephineCrk.htm |archive-date=2009-01-06 |last=Brandt |first=Roger |date=2006-02-01 |newspaper=Illinois Valley News}}</ref> In 1904, more than 50 years after prospectors had started combing the valley for gold, an 18-year-old named Ray Briggs discovered what newspapers at the time called "the most wonderful gold discovery ever reported in Oregon history." While hunting along Sucker Creek, he discovered gold lying on the ground. He staked a claim and called it the "Wounded Buck Mine," which produced {{convert|1777|oz|kg}} of gold. The "mine" was a small vein of gold {{convert|12|to|14|in|cm}} wide, {{convert|12|ft|m}} long and {{convert|7|ft|m}} deep.<ref name=creek/>

As gold mining in the Illinois Valley became exhausted in the 1860s and 1870s, the residents diversified into ranching, fishing, logging, tourism, and agriculture.<ref name="SI"/> In 1874, Elijah Davidson found a cave while on a hunting trip, and is now credited with discovering the [[Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve|Oregon Caves]]. In 1884, Walter C. Burch heard about the cave from Davidson, and staked a [[Adverse possession|squatter's claim]] at the mouth of the caves. He and his brothers-in-law charged one dollar for a guided tour. According to their advertisement in the ''Grants Pass Courier (now the [[Grants Pass Daily Courier]])'', this included camping, plentiful pasture land and "medicinal" cave waters. They attempted to acquire title to the land, but as the land was unsurveyed, they abandoned the idea a few years later.<ref name="Timeline"/>

President [[William Howard Taft]] established the {{convert|480|acre|ha|adj=on}} Oregon Caves National Monument on July&nbsp;12, 1909, to be administered by the [[United States Forest Service|U.S. Forest Service]]. In 1923, the Forest Service subcontracted the building of a hotel and guide services to a group of [[Grants Pass, Oregon|Grants Pass]] businessmen. By 1926, the monument had a chalet and seven two-bedroom cabins.<ref name="Timeline">{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/orca/historyculture/timeline.htm |title=Oregon Caves National Monument Timeline |access-date=2007-10-02 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref> Traffic into the caves led to a community developing at the junction of the Redwood Highway and the branch highway to the caves (now known as Oregon Route 46).<ref name=OGN>{{Cite OGN|7th|page=181}}</ref> Cave Junction, originally known as Cave City, was established in 1926 on land donated by Elwood Hussey.<ref name="Timeline"/><ref name="Bob">{{cite news |title=Bob's Corner |last=Rodriguez |first=Bob |date=2007-02-14 |newspaper=Illinois Valley News}}</ref> In 1935, a post office was applied for and was named "Caves City", however postal authorities disapproved of the name, partly because "City" implied the place was [[Municipal corporation|incorporated]].<ref name=OGN/>  Among the other names suggested was "Cave Junction", which was adopted by the [[United States Board on Geographic Names]] in 1936 with the post office being renamed the same year.<ref name=OGN/> The locality was incorporated as Cave Junction in 1948, and is the only incorporated area in the Illinois Valley.<ref name="CoC">{{cite web |url=http://www.cavejunctionoregon.com/new_page_5.htm |title=Short notes on the History of the Illinois River Valley Page 2 |access-date=2007-10-02 |publisher=Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927230039/http://www.cavejunctionoregon.com/new_page_5.htm |archive-date=2007-09-27 }}</ref>

In 1950 Cave Junction had a population of 283, which decreased to 248 in 1960 and increased to 415 in 1970. Its growth was fast in the 1960s, increasing at an average of 6.8&nbsp;percent annually. The city population's primary growth period occurred in the 1970s, with an average annual increase of 9.9&nbsp;percent. Growth slowed in the 1980s when the population increase averaged only 1.7&nbsp;percent annually.  The rate fell further between 1990 and 1998, averaging 1.6&nbsp;percent, which was less than the state and county averages.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/dspace/bitstream/1794/4197/1/Cave_Junction_Transplan.pdf |title=City of Cave Junction Transportation System Plan Adopted July 2001 |access-date=2007-11-11 |date=July 2001 |publisher=University of Oregon Scholars' Bank |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807132229/https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/4197/Cave_Junction_Transplan.pdf;jsessionid=E6CFFFF947F5D6B4B015C641E69BB5D6?sequence=1 |archive-date=2011-08-07}}</ref>

=== Forest fires ===
A number of [[wildfire]]s have threatened Cave Junction over the years. The Longwood Fire in 1987, part of the {{convert|150000|acre|ha|adj=on}} Silver Fire complex, was ignited by [[lightning]] strikes following a three-year drought.  Numerous residents of Cave Junction evacuated.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070830/NEWS/708300367/-1/rss01 |title=Fire from the sky changed everything |access-date=2007-09-29 |last=Fattig |first=Paul |date=2007-08-30 |work=[[Mail Tribune]] |location=Medford, Oregon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610161206/http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20070830%2FNEWS%2F708300367%2F-1%2Frss01 |archive-date=2011-06-10 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2002, the Florence and Sour Biscuit fires converged, creating the [[Biscuit Fire]].  This fire threatened Cave Junction, [[Kerby, Oregon|Kerby]], [[Selma, Oregon|Selma]] and a number of Northern California communities.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.planetark.com/avantgo/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=17257 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040901085546/http://www.planetark.com/avantgo/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=17257 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=September 1, 2004 |title=Biggest blaze in US merges with smaller Oregon fire |access-date=2007-09-29 |publisher=Planet Ark}}</ref>  Ultimately, the Biscuit Fire lasted 120 days, burned {{convert|499965|acre|ha}} in southern Oregon and northern California, and destroyed four homes and nine outbuildings in the Cave Junction area.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jan2004/2004-01-12-01.asp |title=Salvage Logging on Big Oregon Burn Termed Radical |access-date=2007-09-29 |date=2004-01-12 |publisher=Environment News Service}}</ref>  In 2003, a wildfire destroyed a home in Cave Junction.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://archive.mailtribune.com/archive/2003/0713/local/stories/04local.htm |title=Fire danger: In a word, it's 'bad' |access-date=2007-09-29 |last=Fattig |first=Paul |date=2003-07-13 |work=Mail Tribune |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710063801/http://archive.mailtribune.com/archive/2003/0713/local/stories/04local.htm |archive-date=2012-07-10 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  In 2004, a downed power line caused a fire that briefly threatened over 100 homes and forced 200 people to evacuate. One person died, apparently of stress related to the fire.<ref>{{cite news |title=Wildfire sweeps near Cave Junction, threatens homes |last=Parker |first=Jim |date=2004-08-04 |publisher=KGW}}</ref>

Labor Day of 2020 sparked hundreds of fires across the entire North American west coast, including the Slater fire, which swiftly moved north from Happy Camp overnight to the Illinois Valley. Wildland firefighters, experienced community members, and the inversion layer created by the intensity of smoke stopped the fire from moving much further. The nearby Devil fire and the Slater fire continued to burn through November 2020 but did not grow much at all or take with it any structures in the IV community.