Gold Hill is a product of the frontier days, when bold men sought golden riches despite ongoing hardships. The 1860 discovery of the famous Gold Hill Pocket, overlooking the present townsite, brought about its name with a gold rush that continued for decades and spilled into the nearby creeks and valleys, including mines with names like the Millionaire, Lucky Bart, and Roaring Gimlet. In 1884, the railroad bypassed neighboring settlements, which made Gold Hill a center depot and created ghost towns along the way. While the cry of Gold! Gold! Gold! filled the air, women and families drove in roots that tamed the town. When the areäs mining and lumbering industries phased out, Gold Hill was then rediscovered in the late 20th century by folks searching for a small-town life, exquisite surroundings, and proximity to the legendary Rogue River. Wine tasting and vineyards replaced areas where stagecoaches once stopped and orchards grew.

Author Dennis Powers has had 10 books published, including several critically acclaimed, historical maritime works. A professor emeritus of Southern Oregon University in Ashland, he became fascinated with Gold Hill s lore. For this book, Dennis Powers selected rare, historic photographs from the Gold Hill Historical Society s extensive files.