Midland, Oregon / The Big Bang - Midland, OR - Oregon Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

The first plaque talks about the community of Midland, OR and its history. The second plaque talks about the volcanic activity at Crater Lake. Both sign are in a shelter telling about the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway.

The first plaque about Midland reads:

"When the railroad arrived in 1905, the town became a boom lawn. Cattle and sheep tame from Eastern Oregon and Northern California some as far away as Paisley and Lakeview. Oregon, and Alturas, California ~ta be loaded onto rail tars. Because it took many days and nights to load the livestock through the single loading chute. The cattle had to be held and fed an nearby ranches while waiting their turn to be loaded. The Harry Witherow canals and scales were built adjacent to the Southern Pacific corrals to help handle the livestock. Many a rodeo was held in these large corrals , The Midland tourist rest center is where Witherow corrals used to be.

The community, built on the north shore of Lower Klamath Lake about 1908. It is eight mils south of Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Midland was a prosperous until about 1927 or 28. The railroads were built north and east and farm products and livestock that had been shipped from Midland were loaded at other shipping points. Midland died.

The making and marketing of bootleg whiskey been the common in the area. There was a good market for selling whiskey to the hundred of loggers working in the woods and mills around Klamath Falls. The last use of the Midland Hotel was as a Speakeasy or drinking parlor. The federal agents raided the hotel and broke everything inside — tables. chairs, windows, etc. The hotel was sold and torn down."

The second sign about Crater Lake reads:

"Crater Lake is truly breathtaking and a national treasure. Its awesome beauty draws approximately half a million people to Crater Lake National Park every year. The lake holds the world record for natural water clarity, is The deepest lake in the United States and the seventh deepest take in the world!. This "Gem of the Cascades" is a most incredible color of blue.

Mt. McLaughlin and Mt. Shasta are two other volcanoes you will see from this stretch of the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway. They are part of the Cascade Range and in Pacific Ring of Fire. In the Cascade Range nature has dramatically linked volcanic fire and glacial ice.

Today, the calm beauty of Crater Lake belies the violent earth forces that formed the lake. Crater Lake lies inside the top of an ancient volcano known as Mount Mazama, For half a million years this mighty volcano produced massive eruptions interrupting long periods of quiet. Ash, Cinders and pumice exploded upward, building the mountain to a height of about 12,000 feet.

About 7,700 years ago the climactic eruptions of Mount Mazama occurred. Ash from these eruptions lies scattered over eight states and three Canadian provinces; some 5,000 square miles were covered with 6 inches of Mazama's ash. The eruptions were 100 times greater than those of Mount St. Helens in 1980. The Mazama magma chamber was emptied and the volcano collapsed, leaving a huge bowl-shaped caldera. The high mountain was gone.

The collapse of Mount Mazama marked the beginning of the formation of Crater Lake. Snow and rain fell into the 3,000-foot deep hole, filling the collapsed structure. Eventually, the lake reached a relatively constant level. Precipitation entering the lake was offset by evaporation and seepage.

Today, the lake level only varies about three feet each year. Crater Lake, at 1,943 feet (593 meters) deep, is the seventh deepest wake In me world and the deepest in me United States.

During summer, visitors may navigate me 33-mile Rim Drive around the rake, enjoy boat tours on the rake surface, stay in the historic Crater Lake Lodge, camp at Mazama Village, or hike some of the park's various trails."

Historic Topic: Modern Age 1900 to date Group Responsible for placement: Other Federal Agency Marker Type: Roadside Region: Southern Oregon County: Klamath State of Oregon Historical Marker "Beaver Board": Not listed Web link to additional information: Not listed

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