Alexander R. McLeod led the first overland expeditions to Oregon's central and southern coast between 1826-27. McLeod, a Chief Trader for the Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Vancouver, sought furs and trading opportunities with tribes such as the Tillamook, Umpqua, Coos, and Coquille. Local tribes also provided information, canoes, and other assistance.

The McLeod expeditions included French Canadians, such as Michel Laframboise who served as an interpreter, as well as Hawaiians, and Iroquois Indians. These explorations opened this portion of Oregon's coast to commercial trapping and further exploration.

McLeod's first expedition camped on the banks of nearby Beaver Creek from June 29 to July 10, 1826. Calling this stream the "Nackito River," McLeod noted, "a good many Beaver have been caught…." This camp served as a temporary base from which the party trapped on local streams, traded for furs, and hunted for food.