Glen Wooldridge, known as the Whitewater Cowboy, was a fearless explorer, riverboat builder, Whitewater river guide, and the first commercial outfitter on the Wild Rogue River.

Born in 1896 on his grandfather's mining claim south of Grants Pass, Woldridge grew up on the Rogue, rowing wooden boats through rapids and fishing for steelhead and salmon.

At 19, Wooldridge and a friend rode their crudely constructed drift boat 120 miles through the rugged Rogue Canyon, learning to read the river to avoid dangerous rocks and logs.

In 5 days, they became the first to navigate from Grants Pass to Gold Beach.

This success launched Wooldridge's river running career.

He ran multi day fishing trips with meals and stories around the campfire.

Clients included Zane Grey, Ginger Rogers, and Clark Gable.

To reduce hazards and portages, Wooldridge helped dynamite boulders in a dozen rapids.

In 1947, after mounting an Evinrude motor on his custom red sled, Wooldridge and two friends became the first to power upstream from Gold Beach to Grants Pass in only 15 hours.

During the 1955 Christmas flood, a local single passenger plane crashed deep in the Rogue Canyon.

Glen maneuvered his boat among the big waves and dangerous log debris to rescue the pilot.

Glen Woldridge died just shy of 90 years.

His company, Woldridge Boats, is now operated by his great-grandson Grant in Seattle.

Wooldridge's biography reveals a contented man.

"If I had my life to live over again, I wouldn't change much.

Runnin' rivers is a pretty good way to spend your life.

And when it comes to white water the Rogue is still the best."

-Glen Southern Oregon Experience, stories from our region's history.