Port Orford, Oregon
Battle Rock a short walk from the cabin.
The Powder House Vacation Rental
Located in Port Orford, Oregon
The gateway to Oregon's Wild Rivers Coast

Battle Rock State Park
Battle Rock, is the site of an historic battle between the first landing party of white settlers (Captain Tichenor's crew of nine men) and a local Qua-to-mah band of Athapascan speaking natives. Capt Tichenor left 9 men on the beach (an attempt to establish a supply point along the southern Oregon coast for inland miners) saying he would return in 2 weeks with men and supplies. The men armed with 3 muskets, 2 rifles, 1 pistol, several swords and a ships cannon, made a camp on a big rock situated on the northern end of the beach.
The natives ordered the settlers off what they considered their beach. When they didn't, they were attacked by over 100 warriors. In the ensuing skirmishes 23 Indians were killed and 2 settlers seriously wounded. The chief then negotiated a truce to remove his dead. The settlers told the chief that they were to be removed by ship in 14 days.
For 14 days the settlers never saw another Indian. But on the 15th morning, they were attacked by a group of over 300 men. Their chief was killed at the beginning of the assault. The warriors immediately withdrew with their dead chief and set up camp about 300' away from the Rock. The settlers fled north during the night. They all eventually survived with help from friendly Indians that they encountered along the way.
One of the most photographed seascapes on the Oregon Coast
These Athapascan speaking people lived on and near this site thousands of years prior to the arrival of white settlers, and their tribe stretched over the Southern Oregon Coast and lower Rogue River. In 1792, George Vancouver, one of the first Europeans to come into contact with these natives, described them as being curious, mild, and peaceable. Understandably, the Tututni's Quatomah band was not as friendly some years later when Capt. William Tichenor came with muskets and cannons to establish a European settlement right in their village.