History of Cave Junction

About the time of the gold rush in California, it is said that two sailors jumped ship in Crescent City and discovered gold near Waldo.   A small gold rush followed, which populated the Illinois Valley and led to the establishment of a County Seat at Kerby, just north of what is now known as Cave Junction.  However, the construction of the railroad, which bypassed the Illinois Valley, led to the establishment of Grants Pass as the major urban center and the County Seat.

Elijah Davidson discovered the Oregon Caves while hunting in 1874.  During the 1890's, private developers opened the caves as a tourist attraction.  In 1909, President Taft, at the urging of Joaquin Miller and other influential men, proclaimed the caves as a National Monument.  The State Highway leading to the Oregon Caves intersects the Redwood Highway at Cave Junction.   Cave Junction was proclaimed as the "Gateway to the Oregon Caves".

The City of Cave Junction adopted their first Charter in 1946 and became incorporated in 1948.  The 1950 U.S. Census counted 283 residents.  In approximately 100 years, this site has been transformed from unexplored wilderness to the second largest of two cities in Josephine County.  The population has increased six fold since incorporation and Cave Junction has become a governmental and commercial service center for the Illinois Valley.