Several West Coast Counties Seek Own State For 70 Years

Secession ideas have existed since the states formed. In 1854, shortly after California joined the union and five years before Oregon did, a group near Siskiyou County, California, first proposed a separate, sovereign territory.

The State Of Jefferson was first proposed in 1854, as published in theYreka Mountain HeraldOn January 14, 1854, secessionists announced a "The Siskiyou Mass Meeting" at the Yreka Hotel to discuss and formulate a plan "to secure the formation at an early day of a new territory out of certain portions of Northern California and Southern Oregon." A letter to the editor in the same issue backed the split, arguing, "Let power, civil and military, pass into hands who understand our wants and will and them wield it in [subservience] to our wishes."

These secessionists wanted their needs represented and protected. People gathered at acitizens met in Jackson Countyin Southern Oregon the next month. They met to consider forming a new territory and plan how to create it. Neither meeting produced anything real.

The successful push for the State of Jefferson occurred in October 1941. Mayor Gilbert Gable of Port Orford, OR, united several counties to declare their desire for independence. A group of supporters and delegates for the causewent to the Curry County Courthouse, where they argued for separation from Oregon and California tothey create the 49th stateHawaii and Alaska remained part of the unionthis lasted until 1959.

Secessionists, including Gable, wanted to leave because rural roads were bad. They felt state representatives in modern areas ignored the run-down dirt roads across the region, demanding asphalt. They wanted these roads updated.

State officials showed "gross negligence" by failing to develop the area's "rich mineral resources," which could boost local economies. New roads would let construction and mining vehicles reach the ore-rich mountains better.

Early secession efforts showed that dissatisfaction came from rural residents feeling the wealthy governing class ignored their needs.

During the early 1941 push for secession—before Jefferson was chosen as the new territory's name—many different groups supported the idea, each with different reasons and distinct plans for the territory's name and shape.

Curry County's efforts, led by the Port Orford mayor, received serious consideration and clear plans. Different groups heard the county's idea and made varied plans for enacting it, plus different names for the potential 49th state.

For instance, the Yreka Chamber of Commerce passed a resolution. This resolution called for a study on how a state could form from existing states.They proposed the name Mittlewestcoastia.This new state would include six counties: Curry, Josephine, and Jackson counties in Oregon, plus California counties Del Norte, Modoc, and Siskiyou.

Another group, the Oregon Cavemen, a social club from Grant's Pass, Josephine County, worked to promote Oregon's cave tourism potential.They suggested a new state.This new state would be formed.It would be called Cavemania.E.K. Mille, the group's leader, stated residents would be called Cavemaniacs.The residents would be called Cavemaniacs.The proposal seemed like a silly comment on the secession movements of that time.

When the Yreka Chamber of Commerce suggested the long name Mittlewestcostia, the local newspaper asked the public for a better, simpler name for the proposed state.Suggestions came in fast.These included names like Orofino, Bonanza, Del Curiskiyou, Siskardelmo, New West, New Hope, Discontent, and Jefferson.

The winning entry was...Jefferson, USA.J.E. Mundell, a resident of Eureka, CA, submitted the name. The name referenced President Thomas Jefferson, who ordered the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore Oregon in 1804 and pictured a "Republic of the Pacific."Jefferson envisioned a possible "Republic of the Pacific."This entity could become separate from the United States.

The name Jefferson aimed to suggest a similar desire for independence.

On November 27, 1941, the Jefferson citizens' committee issued what they called their "Proclamation of Independence".This flier declared Jefferson's identity and the reason for secession. State representatives, acting like a militia, stopped drivers on Highway 99 and handed out their handbill proclamation, as well as bumper stickers.The stickers read "I have visited Jefferson, the 49th state."Part of Jefferson's Proclamation of Independence, the group stated they planned to "secede each Thursday until further notice."

Jefferson's Proclamation of Independence stated the group planned to "secede each Thursday until further notice." The group also detailed Jefferson's main complaint with California and Oregon: a lack of modern roads and the government's refusal to mine resources.This happened in the surrounding area.:

For the next hundred miles on Highway 99, you drive parallel to the Far West's greatest copper belt, seventy-five miles west. The United States government needs this vital mineral. California and Oregon's gross neglect denies us roads to bring out the copper ore.

When Jefferson wrote his Proclamation of Independence handbills, the committee picked Yreka, CA, as the proposed state capital. They also created the official Jefferson state flag and seal. They settled on a simple, effective design featuring the iconic double Xs and a gold mining pan.

The mining pan signals the area's rich mineral resources and ore-rich terrain. The Xs carried a stronger message: They represented how Jefferson and those in the Jefferson area were supposedly double-crossed.Those who governed Jefferson in Salem and Sacramento double-crossed the people.They double-crossed Jeffersonians by governing them in Salem and Sacramento.

The proposed state and its supporters still use the flag first made in 1941. The feeling of betrayal remains strong.Modern-day Jeffersonians still feel that betrayal.This feeling of betrayal remains strong among modern-day Jeffersonians.

Mayor Gilbert Gable proposed that the State of Jefferson would outlaw certain things.Gable proposed outlawing essentially all taxes.This included sales tax, liquor tax, and state income tax. It was unclear how the area would handle federal income tax rules, which the nation enacted in 1913.The nation enacted federal income tax in 1913.Gable also declared that labor strikes would be outlawed.Gable also banned slot machines, as they threatened the state's planned "stud poker industry."Gable banned slot machines because they threatened the state's "stud poker industry."

Taxes remain a major complaint among Northern Californians who support Jefferson becoming its own state. A resident in Seiad Valley, near the border, told 1859 Oregon's Magazine that all their tax money goes south to Sacramento and nothing returns here.A resident in Seiad Valley, near the border, told 1859 Oregon's Magazine that all their tax money goes south to Sacramento and nothing returns here.In 2014, a resident in Seiad Valley, near the border, stated, "All our tax money goes south [to Sacramento] and nothing comes back here."

As 1859 pointed out, the California Department of Finance did the math.The California Department of Finance did the math in 1859.The California Department of Finance calculated that $20 million more in state funds go to Jefferson-area counties than those areas pay in state taxes.

Many journalists, both local and national, mocked the idea of carving out a new territory, which gained traction in Curry County.The Oregonian poked fun at the idea.The Oregonian specifically mocked the group's plan to start their own area due to dissatisfaction with their states.The paper imagined the next logical development because of the group's dissatisfaction with their states.

The paper jokingly explained how a splinter group inside the new territory would dislike its own government and split off into an even smaller new territory.The paper jokingly explained how a splinter group inside the new territory would dislike its own government and split off into an even smaller new territory.Newspapers balked at the idea in the list 'Several West Coast Counties Seek Own State For 70 Years'.

If ambition succeeds, Curry would gain California's climate and become a home for retired Midwest farmers. Developing its minerals would add more people. Gold Beach would become a metropolis with slums, Latin quarters, traffic issues, police scandals, and other problems causing dislike through the hinterland. The hinterland would then logically secede from Gold Beach.

Many people questioned Mayor Gilbert Gable's motives for calling for a new state, despite clear support for Jefferson's supporters and their push for secession.Some people thought the mayor's actions were a publicity stunt.They suggested Gable sought to promote local resources for developers and boost the economic profile for nearby counties and himself.The Oakland Tribune wrote this.The Oakland Tribune wrote this in October 1941:

After the talk of a "seceding" or "rebel" county died down, Curry County gained ground. It publicized resources to grab attention. That is what he aimed for initially.

One local newspaper editor also offered an opinion.That editor called Gable "one smart cookie" and said he had talent for "darned good showmanship." He added, "More people heard about Curry County this month than before in 40 years. Mayor Gable personally engineered the 'secession' stunt." The editor also suggested that Siskiyou County could profit from Curry's tactics if it wanted similar benefits.That editor called Gable "one smart cookie" and said he had talent for "darned good showmanship." He added, "More people heard about Curry County this month than before in 40 years. Mayor Gable personally engineered the 'secession' stunt." The editor also suggested that Siskiyou County could profit from Curry's tactics if it wanted similar benefits.

Just as Jefferson was set to win statehood, something happened.Gable passed suddenly.The cause was called "acute indigestion," but now people know it was a heart attack.

Losing Gable meant Jefferson lost his talent for public relations and promotion. Those supporting secession elected Judge John Childs of Crescent City governor on December 4. Major news outlets covered the swearing-in because the Jefferson rebellion had attracted national attention.

Three days later, on December 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. The next day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war on Japan.

This attack on American soil pulled all national attention from Jefferson. Governor Childs, newly elected, announced that the "Secession Thursdays"—where Jefferson militiamen handed out the Proclamation of Independence handbills—would stop for now.The "Secession Thursdays" would stop for the time being.All secession efforts would stop too.Secession efforts generally ceased.A judge ordered Jefferson officials to stop operations in 'The Day After Pearl Harbor, A Judge Ordered Jefferson Officials To Cease Operations,' which is listed alongside several West Coast counties seeking their own state for 70 years.

Due to the National emergency, the acting officers of the provisional territory of Jefferson stopped all activities. The State of Jefferson began only to draw attention from proper authorities... to the fact that it has huge deposits of strategic and necessary defense minerals and that roads are needed to develop them. They achieved that goal.

The US entered war with Japan. This stopped the dream of Jefferson. This makes what happened then a strange coincidence. If Jefferson gained statehood as they wanted, the state would have been less than a year old before enemy forces attacked it. Oregon holds that specific title.

In September 1942, a Japanese Navy pilot named Nobuo Fujita flew a light aircraft.Fujita bombed Mount Emily.The bombing hit just a few miles east of Brookings in Curry County. The plan aimed to start a forest fire to draw resources and cause panic. However, the devices failed to start much of a fire, and the plan failed.

After the conflict, Fujita...Fujita felt great regret for his actions.He visited Brookings in 1962. Fujita gave the town his family's 400-year-old katana as a gift and an apology. The townspeople welcomed him warmly. Before Fujita died in 1997, he became an honorary citizen of Brookings. The strange story remains a...This is a favorite local legend.Those who love the State of Jefferson feel a strong passion.

The idea of a California secession movement reappeared in 2013. Several counties expressed a wish to leave California and form a new 51st state named Jefferson. In September 2013, the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to follow a plan...to break away from California..

Residents cited a feeling that Sacramento officials did not properly represent Northern California's needs and political views. One resident from Happy Camp, a Siskiyou County area, told the...Times-Standard.Times-StandardA post shared by Clare (@clarebrit) on Dec 21, 2019 at 10:59am PST.

Clare (@clarebrit) shared this post./time>Dec 21, 2019 at 10:59am PST, a longtime Jefferson supporter who lived in Seiad Valley, a place full of secessionists. The small town still flies the Jefferson state flag at the general store.

Driving up Northern California on Interstate 5, you see the huge hay barn. It has "State of Jefferson" in big black letters across its roof. The sign wasBrian Helsaple painted this.A longtime Jefferson supporter lived in Seiad Valley, a secessionist center. The small town still flies the Jefferson state flag at the general store.

Yreka's Chamber of Commerce has a small store selling Jefferson merchandise. This includes shirts, bumper stickers, enamel pins, and more. Some items feature the traditional seal. Others show a modified Jefferson flag. This flag embraces the conservative political views of supporters of the movement. The modified flag includes "the words"."Don't Tread on Me.""Don't Tread on Me."

Ashland, Oregon, in Jackson County, theJefferson State OutpostThis outpost still stands proudly for those who refuse to abandon the Jefferson dream.