Rogue River Ranch, Historic ranch in Curry County, Oregon, United States.
Rogue River Ranch is a pioneer farm complex at the mouth of Mule Creek on the north shore of the Rogue River in Curry County, Oregon. Its centerpiece is a two-story wood-frame main house built in 1903 from hand-cut Ponderosa pine and painted red in 1956. Four buildings are open to the public: the main house museum, the tabernacle, the blacksmith shop, and the tackhouse.
Tom Billings filed a homestead claim at the mouth of Mule Creek in 1887 and passed it to his brother George, who built the two-story main house in 1903 and ran the Billings Trading Company and a boarding house. The settlement, named Marial for Tom's daughter born in 1894, grew to about 100 residents. Stanley Anderson bought the 70-acre ranch for $5,000 in 1931, and his family sold it to the government in 1970.
The settlement at Mule Creek was named Marial after Tom and Anna Billings's daughter, born in 1894. George Billings hosted dances and church services in a barn known as the tabernacle. The Marial post office operated from 1903 until 1954.
This isolated property is difficult to reach, accessible only by hiking trail through the canyon, river boat, or a lengthy drive from the nearest town. Visitors should prepare for remote conditions with few facilities nearby.
The main house was built in 1903 from Ponderosa pine cut and hand-planed on site, with window glass hauled overland from Portland while the frames were made at the ranch. Stanley Anderson painted it red in 1956, a color it still wears. The house has no fireplace; a wood-burning stove in the living room heats it.
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