1944 Map of Tiller

About this map

Tiller sits at the junction of the South Umpqua River and Dampier Creek, serving as a central point in this timber and ranching landscape during the mid-1940s. The map reveals an economy built on natural resource extraction and isolated homesteads, with several active or historic operations such as the Banfield Mine, Red Cloud Mine, and the Old Johnson Mill. Education in these drainage basins was localized at small institutions like Drew Sch and Tison Sch, while the Tiller Ranger Station and Summit Guard Sta emphasize the importance of federal forest management across the Umpqua National Forest and Rogue River National Forest. Family names are deeply etched into the topography, with properties like Nichols Ranch, Hall Ranch, and the Warren Tison Ranch scattered throughout the valleys. This survey documents the transition from early pioneer settlement to a more structured industrial and conservation-based mountain economy.