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1998 Map of Merlin

Name: 1998 Topographic Map of Merlin
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2001
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2001

About this map

Merlin sits at the heart of this Southern Oregon landscape, where the valley floor meets the rising timber of the Sexton Mtn Pass area. This late-twentieth-century revision reveals a transitional community defined by both its natural resources and its developing infrastructure. The lower elevations are marked by the Josephine County Airport and the community of Pleasant Valley, while the higher ground to the north and west shows signs of industrial activity at the Copper Queen Mine and various quarries.

Water plays a central role in the geography, with the Rogue River cutting through the southwest corner, protected as the Rogue National Wild and Scenic River. Smaller drainages like Jumpoff Joe Creek and Louse Creek network the region, supporting agricultural interests and localized settlements such as Hugo. The inclusion of the Merlin Sanitarium and a small Cem near Bannister Creek provides specific points of interest for genealogists tracking local residency and institutional history in Josephine County.