On the back of a mule, the gold prospector, John Hillman, became the first European American to stumble across what he called the “Deep Blue Lake”.

In the spring of 1853, eleven miners from Yreka, California, stopped for supplies at Isaac Skeeter’s mercantile store in Jacksonville, Oregon (approximately 90 miles southwest of Crater Lake). They began bragging that they knew how to find the legendary “Lost Cabin” gold mine. Skeeters quickly gathered up ten other Oregonians and set out, using the information overheard in his store. The trip was financed by John Wesley Hillman, a 21 year old who had recently returned home from a successful trip to the California gold fields. On June 12, three members from this party came upon a large body of water sitting in a huge depression. Hillman exclaimed that it was the bluest water he had ever seen. Skeeters suggested they name it “Deep Blue Lake”. Lack of provisions soon drove the miners down the mountains and back to Jacksonville where they reported the discovery of the lake. However, with no prospect of gold, there was no interest in confirming this discovery. It was soon forgotten.

Credits and Sources:

"Climb a Sleeping Volcano, Plus 10 Other Ways to Enjoy Your Park," National Park Service, http://www.nps.gov/crla/learn/news/upload/Crater-Lake-Reflections-Summer-Fall-2014-Low-Res-3.pdf (accessed November 4, 2015).

"History," National Park Service, http://www.nps.gov/crla/planyourvisit/upload/2010-history.pdf (accessed November 4, 2015).