Residing within John F. Fleming Memorial Park, a wayside, are four placards noting the history of Rogue River as well as the nearby Depot Street Bridge. One placard reads:
THE CITY OF ROGUE RIVER
In the early 1800s, the Rogue River flowed through a rugged and untamed land - home to a handful of Tutuni and Shasta bands of Native Americans. In the 1840s, thousands of pioneers and fortune-seekers streamed through this land with dreams of finding gold in California. Towns sprang up at river crossings, mill sites, and other gathering places.
The present-day town of Rogue River began as one of these early river settlements - with history chronicled by its three names. The City of Rogue River was originally named Tailholt in 1850. The small but thriving town was renamed Woodville in 1910, but only for two years before it earned in name Rogue River. The town served as a stage stop on the California-Oregon stage route and later as a depot for Southern Pacific Railway. As settlement and industry boomed, Rogue River steadily grew. The town is now a welcome stop for travelers and a peaceful retreat for many who work in nearby larger communities.