Where are the black sand gold mines?
Who first discovered the gold?
When was Randolph there? Then, there? And, finally, there?
As I began to read histories about Randolph, Coos County, Oregon, I soon realized that I was reading about more than one place. It had shifted geographically, in tandem with the economic fortunes of black sand gold mining. Overall, between 1853 and the mid-1860s, there were three or four sites known as Randolph—within three to eight miles of one another.
A Pathway Backward
I first thought that reading the earliest local histories about Randolph would provide the most accurate stories about people, places, and events. But the more I read, the more confused I became, so I shifted my study to more recent accounts—and didn’t fare much better.
Some of the early sources contain a wealth of information but also unintentional errors, whereas other sources present the same overall narrative but change, add, or omit various details. Trying to make sense of stories that identify different key people and events at the same place has proved challenging. I finally realized that I must stop reading and start writing to comprehend the deluge of information from multiple sources.
While working through my tangle of historical accounts, I recognize that most of the stories about Randolph have been told well—they differ simply because their authors have had different personal and temporal perspectives. I also bring my own personal and temporal perspectives to this project: a woman living in the 21st Century trying to learn about her ancestors who lived in the 19th Century.
A Pathway Forward
So, I’m going to sort through and organize what I’ve learned, starting with a basic story about Randolph. Then, I plan to dialogue with the published accounts, weaving in my research findings, and working forward in time to the Randolph community my ancestors found when they moved to Coos County.
At the outset I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by this project, but I’m also looking forward to it. Please join me on this adventure—and feel free to share your own research findings and interpretations as we journey together back in time to learn about Randolph.