On Oct. 9, 1855--the day after Lupton's murderous raid on the sleeping Takelma village on Little Butte Creek--vengeful parties of warriors swept down the Oregon-California Trail, murdering unsuspecting settlers and burning their cabins on what historian Frances Fuller Victor called "the bloodiest day the valley had ever seen" (true only as far as white blood was concerned). More than 20 settlers and travelers were killed as the Indians headed toward the rugged Rogue River canyons. One of those victims was George Harris, whose ranch sat along a small tributary of the Rogue near here, now called Harris Creek. The harrowing survival of his wife and young daughter is one of the most stirring stories of the war. After George was shot in his doorway, his wife Mary held off the attackers for the rest of the day and evening with the help of 11-year-old Sophie, who, despite being hit in the arm herself, melted rifle balls and helped reload while Mary fired from the loft. The two eventually escaped during the night and were rescued the next morning by a militia band out of Jacksonville.