Marial, Oregon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marial, Oregon
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Rogue River Ranch National Historic Site at Marial
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 Marial, Oregon
Location in Oregon
Marial, Oregon
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Curry |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
Marial is a small, quiet community in Curry County, Oregon, United States. It's not a city with a mayor or a town council. Instead, it's an "unincorporated community," meaning it's a group of homes and buildings that aren't officially part of a city. Marial is located right along the beautiful Rogue River. This area was once home to the Takelma Native American people. Later, it became a place where pioneers settled. Today, some old buildings from a pioneer farm, called the Rogue River Ranch, are preserved here. They are even listed on the National Register of Historic Places because they are so important to history.
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Discovering Marial's Location
Marial is found in the Klamath Mountains, which are part of the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest. This forest is a huge area of natural beauty. The community sits about 48 miles (77 km) from where the Rogue River flows into the Pacific Ocean.
Exploring the Wild Rogue Wilderness
Near Marial, you can find the Lower Rogue River Trail. This is a special path called a National Recreation Trail. It follows the river between two places called Grave Creek and Illahe. This trail goes through the Wild Rogue Wilderness. A "wilderness" area is a protected place where nature is left mostly untouched.
The 36-mile (58 km) part of the river between Grave Creek and Illahe is very famous. It's known as a "Wild and Scenic" river. This means it's protected for its natural beauty and is one of the best places in the United States for whitewater rafting. Marial is about 23 miles (37 km) downstream from Grave Creek by water. It is also about 13 miles (21 km) upstream from Illahe by water.
A Look Back: Marial's History
Marial was one of three post offices set up along the lower Rogue River canyon. This happened in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Early Settlers and Mail Routes
After some conflicts in the 1850s, many of the native people who lived along the river had to move. Then, new settlers began to arrive. Some of these pioneers were former gold miners. They often married Karuk Indian women from the Klamath River area. These settlers started gardens and orchards. They also raised animals like horses and cows.
For a long time, these settlers were quite cut off from the outside world. They got supplies only sometimes, brought by mules over the mountains. In 1883, a man named Elijah H. Price suggested a mail route by boat up the Rogue River. In 1895, the Post Office Department tried out this boat route. They opened a post office at Price's log cabin. Price named it Illahe, which means "land" or "earth" in the Chinook Jargon language.
The Marial Post Office
In 1897, another post office was opened near the meeting point of the Rogue and Illinois rivers. This became the community of Agness. Then, in 1903, a third post office was opened further upriver from Illahe. This one was named Marial. It was named after the first postmaster's daughter, Marial Billings.
To avoid dangerous parts of the river, mail carriers used mules or horses. They delivered mail between Illahe and Marial. After 1908, they also used mules between Agness and the communities upriver. Marial is about 13 miles (21 km) from Illahe and 21 miles (34 km) from Agness by water.
The Marial post office closed in 1954. It was special because it was the very last post office in the United States that still received its mail only by mule pack trains. In 1978, the U.S. Congress officially created the Wild Rogue Wilderness to protect this unique area.
