Rich Gulch Marker
This marker is located in Jacksonville. Entering Jacksonville from Medford, proceed west on East California Street through the main business district. Turn left onto S. Oregon Street and proceed approximately 3 blocks until Applegate Street splits off to the left. The marker is located on the right side of Applegate Street approximately 75 yards from the intersection with S. Oregon Street.
This marker commemorates the location of the first gold discovery in Jacksonville in December of 1851 by James Gluggage and John R. Poole. According to articles at the Southern Oregon Historical Society, Poole and Cluggage were the first to discover gold in Jacksonville, so the name Gluggage is a misspelling of Cluggage.
According to an article by George Cramer (1993 Historic and Cultural Resource Inventory) for Jacksonville, the original marker was placed on Oregon Street in 1932 by the Chamber of Commerce. It was destroyed by vandalism and was replaced by the Jacksonville Garden Club in 1967, presumably at the present site.