This site has been an important crossing of the Rogue River since 1851, when Davis "Coyote" Evans began a ferry service. Though Evans' business was short-lived, it was one of only three ferries to cross the more than 200-mile-long Rogue River, establishing this site as a settlement location. Four bridges have spanned the river here in the last 100 years, and as traffic volume and weight changed, each bridge was outgrown and replaced with a larger, stronger one. In 1910, with the dawn of the automobile and State Highway 99 along the south bank, this bridge crossing became the town's crucial link to the rest of the state. Today, although Interstate 5 has shifted the primary travel corridor to the north bank of the river, this crossing remains the lifeline to smaller communities along the south side, providing access to mail, food, supplies, and emergency services.