Residing within John F. Fleming Memorial Park, a wayside, are four placards noting the history of Rogue River as well as the nearby Depot Street Bridge. One placard reads:
CROSSING THE ROGUE
This site has been an important Rogue River crossing since 1851, when Davis "Coyote" Evans began a ferry service. Evans' business, though short-lived, was one of the only three ferries to cross the Rogue River (over 200 miles long) - establishing this site as a settlement location.
Four bridges have spanned the river at this location in the last 100 years. With the changes in traffic volume and weight, each bridge was outgrown and replaced with a larger, stronger bridge. In 1910, with the dawn of the automobile and State Highway 99 along the south bank, this bridge crossing became the town's crucial link to the rest of the state. Today, while Interstate 5 has shifted the primary travel corridor to the north bank of the river, this river crossing continues to be the lifeline to smaller communities along the south side. Without it, neighboring communities would go without mail, food, supplies, and emergency services.