The area called Steamboat is in the extreme southwest corner of Jackson County, about 6 miles up Steamboad/Carberry Creek from Applegate River. Gold miners began working the creek in 1860 but the rich load died out in 1869. The name Steamboat is a miners' term for a digging that has been worked out or not lived up to expectations.
Two decades later a post office was set up on Applegate Road, 17 miles SW of Applegate, 5 miles NE of Watkins on what is now Route 10 between Josephine Co. and California. The post office served the area's homesteaders with Wilfred E. Finney as the first postmaster, receiving mail twice a week by stage from Applegate.
Although Steamboat once had a school, sawmill and store/post office only the cemetery is left. G.P. Wagner (miner) was the last postmaster as the area went to rural mail delivery from Applegate.
Where did they go? Following the mail trail of the DPOs of Jackson County, Oregon (SHS 979.5281 S93 2013)