With the first recorded passage of wagons through the canyon dated in 1843, Canyonville is the third oldest town in Oregon. There was plenty of busi­ness for wheelwrights and wainwrights at the foot of what became known as Canyon Mountain. The trail up to the 2,000 foot level of the pass was so treach­erous that wagons often had to be let slowly down the steep inclines at the end of ropes. Canyonville became an important supply station for miners, fur traders, and early immigrants.

The decline of the local timber industry in the 1980s encouraged the development of several antique and collectible stores. Canyonville is now well-known as a center for antiques shopping. The Pioneer-Indian Museum, established in 1969, is also an attraction for locals and tourists.