Roxy Ann Peak

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coordinates: 42°21′18″N 122°47′13″W / 42.3548497, -122.7869815

Roxy Ann Peak

Roxy Ann Peak overlooks Medford from the east.
Elevation 3,573 feet (1,089 m)[1]
Location Jackson County, Oregon, USA
Range Cascade Range[2]
Prominence 668 feet (204 m)
Coordinates 42°21′18″N 122°47′13″W / 42.3548497, -122.7869815[3]
Topo map USGS Medford East 42122-C7

Roxy Ann Peak is a dormant volcano located at the eastern edge of Medford, Oregon. Rising over 2,000 feet over the valley floor, the mountain is a very recognizable figure throughout the Rogue Valley.[4]

Contents

[edit] History

The mountain that is now called Roxy Ann Peak was known to the Takelma Indians for thousands of years as Al-wiya. The most probable usage for the peak was as a lookout, since from there even Mount Shasta, almost 100 miles (160 km) to the south, can be seen clearly.[5] The mountain was also a good place for hunting black-tailed deer and small birds, animals which are still abundant in the area today.[6][7]

Some residents of the Rogue Valley claim that Roxy Ann Peak was once known as Skinner Butte (sometimes Skinner's Butte).[6][8] The name is likely attributed to an Ohio attorney named Alonzo A. Skinner (1814-1877), who worked as an Indian agent in the 1850s.[9] After his appointment, Skinner unsuccessfully ran for the United States Congress against Joseph Lane, Oregon's first territorial governor. He died as a judge in Santa Cruz, California in April, 1877.[10]

The actual name of the mountain came from some of the earliest settlers of Jackson County, Oregon. By 1853, almost the entire peak had been claimed by two couples, Stephan and Mary A Taylor, and John and Roxy Ann Bowen. They owned the land for nearly 70 years, and in time the mountain came to be known as Roxy Ann Peak.[9]

[edit] Prescott Park

Walking in Prescott Park
Walking in Prescott Park

In 1929, the Lions Club purchased a sizable portion of the land, and in the following year donated 200 acres (0.8 km²) to Medford. A year after that, the city bought another 1,500 acres (6.1 km²) under the Federal Lands for Parks Act.

Now, at 2.72 square miles (7.04 km²), Prescott Park is Medford's largest park and covers much of the summit of Roxy Ann.[11] It was named in 1937 in honor of Constable George J. Prescott, a police officer killed in the line of duty on March 16th, 1933.[12]

During the latter part of the 1990s, the park (and Roxy Ann Peak itself) experienced a surge in vandalism, littering, and even wildfires due to off-road vehicles. Medford Police officers devoted much of their time to patrolling the mountain, which created even more of a strain due to the park's location and accessibility. It was in 2000 that the city installed the upper gate in an effort to limit vehicle traffic after certain hours.[13][14]

[edit] Geology

The volcano[15] which is now Roxy Ann Peak is approximately 30 million years old.[16] As with all of the Cascades, it was formed when the Juan de Fuca Plate subducted under the North American Plate, creating magma which erupted throughout the center of northern California to southern British Columbia.[15] However, there is some controversy as to if it has ever erupted, with recent evidence suggesting that it may not be volcanic at all.[17] Regardless, residents of Medford have taken pride in their mountain, first by declaring the town's independence day on it's peak in 1884,[6] and later by protecting the area as a city park.

The bedrock around the area is mostly granite and basalt.[18] Over time earthquakes and landslides have eroded away most of the top and much of the base area, leaving the familiar cone shape seen today.[16] The unique appearance and the difference in elevation create a landmark distinguishable from as far away as Ashland, Oregon and the Siskiyou Pass on Interstate 5.[8]

Much of the soil found on the slopes of Roxy Ann is comprised of dense, sticky clay, a problem that has plagued construction workers since the 1970s.[19] A controversial bill passed in 2003, House Bill 3375, required that new construction on slopes of 20% or greater with unstable soil undergo increased regulation and an extended approval process. The bill had the potential to limit new development in over a third of Jackson County, with almost all of Roxy Ann peak included. The potential cost of new foundations doubled to almost $30,000, with the cost of retrofitting an existing structure approaching $100,000.[19]

[edit] Geography

Housing developments climbing the side of the peak
Housing developments climbing the side of the peak
Looking west at Medford from Roxy Ann Peak
Looking west at Medford from Roxy Ann Peak

Black oak and madrone trees are the most common vegetation in the oak savanna on the lower slopes.[5][20] Towards the summit there are more conifers, such as douglas fir, ponderosa pine, and incense cedar.[21]

Accessing Roxy Ann Peak is done via Roxy Ann Road, which climbs about halfway up the mountain. There are two park gates, a lower one near the residential area on the lower slopes, just off Hillcrest Rd, and an upper one part-way to the summit. From there, it is a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) walking trail up to the top of the mountain, splitting into a loop just inside Prescott Park.[5]

Residential and commerial development of the area is on the rise.[19][22] Just south of Roxy Ann Peak are housing developments, and a portion of the southwest corner of Prescott Park is slated for development.[23] In 2006, Jackson County commissioners announced a plan to unprotect almost 2.19 square miles (5.67 km²) of the southeast slopes of the mountain for development of a resort, a move which the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife opposes.[22]

The foothills of Roxy Ann Peak are also home to the Roxy Ann Winery, a Rogue Valley AVA winery which was founded in 2002 and located on the southwest slopes.[24] On the opposite side of the mountain is the first bioreactor landfill in Southern Oregon, the Dry Creek Landfill, which began a program in 2006 to generate power from collected methane.[25]

[edit] References

  1. ^ NGS Data Sheet for ROXY ANN. U.S. National Geodetic Survey. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  2. ^ Browning, M. Ralph (1975). The Distribution and Occurrence of the Birds of Jackson County, Oregon. North American Fauna, Number 70. Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  3. ^ USGS GNIS: Roxy Ann Peak. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  4. ^ A Little History. Rroxy Ann Lanes]. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  5. ^ a b c Roxy Ann Peak. Summitpost.org. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  6. ^ a b c Miller, Bill. "A View of Roxy Ann Peak", Mail Tribune, 2007-09-23. Retrieved on 2008-04-02. 
  7. ^ Fattig, Paul. "Bits of lost Takelma language preserved", Mail Tribune, 1998-08-16. Retrieved on 2008-04-02. 
  8. ^ a b "Roxy Ann is named for pioneer woman", Since You Asked, Mail Tribune, 2006-01-23. Retrieved on 2008-04-02. 
  9. ^ a b "Now then, Jennings, here it is", Since You Asked, Mail Tribune, 2002-09-28. Retrieved on 2008-04-02. 
  10. ^ Bancroft, Hubert Howe (1888). The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft. A. L. Bancroft & company, pp. 309-310. 
  11. ^ Activities. Mail Tribune (2006-08-18). Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  12. ^ Briskley, Jill. "Rededication ceremony honors Medford's first traffic officer who was shot and killed", Mail Tribune, 2003-03-16. Retrieved on 2008-04-02. 
  13. ^ Smith, Jessica (2000-07-22). Police, neighbors work together to curtail damage to Prescott Park. Mail Tribune. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  14. ^ Prescott Park (brochure). City of Medford. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  15. ^ a b = 9063 Ashland Trails Master Plan: Appendix C: Geology (2006-02-07). Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  16. ^ a b Faw, John E. (August 2004). Medford Hazard Mitigation. University of Oregon Scholars' Bank. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  17. ^ Darling, John. "A Valley in Flux", Ashland Daily Tidings, 2004-01-12. Retrieved on 2008-04-02. 
  18. ^ Comprehensive Plan: Section 4.03: Description of Major Rock Groups. City of Ashland (2005-09-02). Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  19. ^ a b c Mann, Damian (2003-12-06). Foundation against sliding. Mail Tribune. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  20. ^ Martin, Melissa (2001-11-14). Shade Trees vs Power Lines. Mail Tribune. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  21. ^ Kettler, Bill (2002-02-28). Under bright skies or lost in fog, Prescott Park enchants. Mail Tribune. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  22. ^ a b Mann, Damian. "Resort plan puts county, state at odds", Mail Tribune, 2007-01-31. Retrieved on 2008-04-02. 
  23. ^ Candidate future growth areas. City of Medford]. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  24. ^ Roxy Ann Winery. Mail Tribune (2008-02-29). Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  25. ^ Darling, John (2008-02-29). Power Garbage. Mail Tribune. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
v • d • e
Volcanoes of Oregon
High Cascades
Western Cascades
Eastern Cascades
Basin and Range
Columbia Plateau