In 1939 the Works Progress Administration created a road enabling widespread access to Mount Jefferson, which at the time had no official name and was primarily referenced to as Panther Mountain, likely due to a local legend of a panther once eating a child there.
Local citizens donated land and money in efforts to attain state park status for the local park, which required the park to have a minimum of 400 acres (1.6 km²).
By 1956, their efforts yielded a 300-acre (1.2 km²) donation and raised enough funds to buy an additional 164 acres (0.7 km²) for the park.
As a result, Mount Jefferson received its official name and became a state park in October 1956.
In 1939 the Works Progress Administration created a road enabling widespread access to Mount Jefferson, which at the time had no official name and was primarily referenced to as Panther Mountain, likely due to a local legend of a panther once eating a child there. Local citizens donated land and money in efforts to attain state park status for the local park, which required the park to have a minimum of 400 acres (1.6 km²). By 1956, their efforts yielded a 300-acre (1.2 km²) donation and raised enough funds to buy an additional 164 acres (0.7 km²) for the park. As a result, Mount Jefferson received its official name and became a state park in October 1956.
Mount Jefferson State Natural Area