Rand National Historic Site: Graves Creek Bridge (former) – Galice OR

Description

The Rand National Historic Site is located on the west side of the Rogue River in southwestern Oregon, 25 miles northwest of Grants Pass and 3 miles downstream from Galice. Rand’s history covers the Gold Rush, establishment of the Siskiyou National Forest and the 2oth century logging era, plus the postwar recreation era that followed designation of the Rogue as a National Wild and Scenic River.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) played a central role in that history, with some of the CCC’s work still very much visible.  The CCC built and occupied Camp Rand from 1933 to 1941.

After building their camp, the enrollees renovated the original structures of the Rand Ranger Station and added a number of auxiliary buildings. Beyond the camp, the CCC ‘boys’ did road work, fire fighting and other tasks for the Forest Service.  

The most spectacular of these projects was construction of a 344-foot long cable suspension bridge over the Rogue River at Graves Creek, about 4 miles downstream (north) of Rand.  That bridge, built in 1935-1936, was replaced the current highway bridge on Lower Graves Creek Road in 1965.

Rand was purchased by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) c 1970 and was designated a National Historic Site in 1999.