Portland, Ore. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), is pleased to announce the historic Zane Grey Cabin at Winkle Bar has been officially designated for preservation under the National Register of Historic Places.
The historic cabin is one of the most unique sites along the world-famous Rogue Wild and Scenic River. This spot, and the entire Rogue River, was popularized by the western novelist and angler Zane Grey, who fell in love with and wrote about the pristine wilderness and abundant fishing opportunities on the river.
In 1925, Grey launched an expedition down the Rogue River from Grants Pass to Gold Beach with nine other adventurers in seven wooden boats. Of the places Grey encountered on the trip, Winkle Bar proved to be the most influential. In 1926 he purchased the mining claim there and had this now-famous cabin built. In Tales of Freshwater Fishing, Grey described his new acquisition:
“The rushing river at this point makes a deep bend round a long oval bar, with rocky banks and high level terraces above, and both wooded and open land. Here it flows through a lonely valley set down amid the lofty green mountain slopes. A government forest trail winds out some twenty miles to the nearest settlement. Far indeed it is across the dark Oregon peaks to railroad or automobile road!”
It was here, and along other portions of the Rogue River, that Grey was inspired to write such books as Rogue River Feud, Shooting the Rogue, and Tales of Freshwater Fishing. Grey’s prose drew visitors by the thousands, and helped make the Rogue River a premiere destination for world class steelhead fishing, recreation, and wildlife viewing.
In 2008, the BLM purchased the property to help preserve its unique historic values.
Today, visitors to the site at Winkle Bar will notice that the shake roof, windows, and log walls of the cabin have been repaired. This was done with careful attention to the historical details and construction techniques of the period of significance – 1926.
Photos of the Zane Grey Cabin can be found on the BLM Flickr site at https://flic.kr/s/aHsk5PdfC3.