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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (June 4, 1934)
MEDFORD MAIL' TRIBTJOT:, MEDFORD, OREGON, M03TDXY, JUNE '4, 1934 PAGE FIVE 4 PfONEERUFEOF OREGON PEOPLE WASQU1ET0NE - Adventurers Move on to Cal ifornia Sturdy Farmers and Merchants Build Foundation of State By PAUL S, EWING Student In School of Journalism University of Oregon. "All quiet on the western front," i a phrase coined almost 60 years later, would have been an apt description of struggling Oregon towns 75 years ago, on the eve of that admission to the union, the Diamond Jubilee of which Is celebrated In Medford this week. Looking back from the diamond anniversary. It la noted that the roistering, brawling villages that marked other Infant states were con spicuous by their absence In the Oregon of 1859. The pioneer Oregon settlers were sturdy farmers and merchants who were looking for fer tile lands and permanent homes. The few drifters and adventurers who reached the state during this forma tive period soon moved on to the more exciting offerings of California, or paused momentarily at the Jack sonville mines, leaving the building of the towns and villages of Oregon to the more capable hands of the farmers und loggers. At Portland, a supposed traveller would have found a straggling village of nearly three thousand people busily engaged In thrusting the rank wilderness back to make room for . their homes on the muddy banks of the Willamette. Portland was the hub of much bustling: enterprise, with a few stone buildings scattered among the falsefront, frame struc tures that made up the town. One dally newspaper, the "Portland Dally News," was to bo established later in 1859 by S. A. English and company, and the weekly "Oregonlan," on which Tom Dryer had been sticking type since It was founded was to be come a dally the next year. Old Time Life In Portland Our traveller would have noticed the dull thud of horses' hoofs on the planked streets of the business dis trict and the lighter thump of human feet on the high board -side- Medford's First Postoffice and Today's Evidencing the profrresi of the past half-century since Medford waa ettablished, Medford has one of the most modern postoffice building in Oregon. This modern three-story structure Is a far cry since the dayi of 1884 when a struggling vlllajre first came Into existence. Miss Martha DeSouza, In the foreground, Is shown holding the first postoffice, a cigar box, In which all Incoming mall was placed. The scene of Oregon's Diamond Jubilee, this week, Medford Is also celebrating Its golden Jubilee. A comptete program has been planned for the week. walks, built to keep the trailing gowns of the ladles from becoming too encrusted with the black, sticky mud of the townslte. After a day spent in the saloons, he might cross the swollen Willamette to the rival town of East Portland, or he might stroll out into the early February rain and slush for a closer view of the crude frame houses that made up the residential section. Threading his way among the mud puddles and the stumps that dotted the hillsides, avoiding the narrow alleys that opened into barnyards behind the homes, he might have visited the site of Portland's first really substantial residence, that of W. S. Ladd, the banker, which was to be completed later in the year. Turning his back upon this latest sign of permanence and prosperity, he might make his way through the early dusk to the river's edge, and watch big windjammers unloading their cargoes from San Francisco and the Hawaiian Islands. If he wished, he might take passage on one of the outward-bound boats and be dropped with the pilot at Astoria, the oldest town In the state, or he might go up the river by steamer to The Dalles, with a population of almost eight hundred, Hood River with 70 souls, Des Chutes, with 50, and so on to Walla Walla and back by wagon-train to the more thickly settled, east. A Trip South Or he might, If his spirit was strong and his curiosity great, travel south through the dismal winter rains for a' closer view of the other settlements In the new state. Having made up his mind to go south, he would have plodded back to his com fortless hotel, there to await the morning and consideration of modes of travel. Arising the next morning, he would have found that he could take pas sage on a river steamer to Salem, Albany, and Corvallts. However, wanting to see other towns, he could still journey on a lumbering stage coach or travel on horseback. Having little time to waste, he would have decided to hire a horse from one of I Portland's livery stables and set out on his tour with the least possible deity. Going south, he would pass first ! through little Mllwaukie. where 150 settlers made their homes, then Oregon City, where a population of 690 clustered about the grist mills and sawmill at the falls. Most of the flour for1 the state was ground in these same mills, started by Dr. ; McLoughlln. Pushing on as swiftly i as possible over the sloppy roads, he would have reached HUlsboro after a i hard day's ride, and found there a ! sedate little trading center for the j farmers in the vicinity. I Avoiding the Mud ! TTpon saddling his horse after spending the night with some hos pitable settler's family, he would have retraced his route of the day before to the west side road, which skirted the foothills to avoid the deep mud of the valley, and ridden on to Whlteson. Inquiry there would have revealed the fact that he could spend the night In the log cabin of almost any farmer if he failed to reach Dallas before the early night fall overtook him. However, mounted on a good American horse used to the muddy roads, he might have pushed on through the light drizzle to Dallas, a town of 450, where a livery stable and stage station would take care of his wants for the night. Calling for his horse in the grey light of a dismal dawn, he would have ridden on to quiet Mnrysvllle. now Corvallla, one of the larpe towns of the period with a population of over a tftiousnnd. Butts and King's Valley, with 400 and 350 people each, could have received only passing at tention. Meets Stage In Mud Another long day, the fourth of his Journey, would take him through the bustling little towns of Monroe and Franklin, into the still smaller village of Lorane, where lodging for the fifth night would have been sought. Dur ing the day, he would have met the north-bound stagecoach from Cali fornia, swaying along through the rain, bouncing wildly on Its leather springs as It Joust led from one mud hole to the next. Travelling on again through ankle- Oldest Bank Attraction For Visitors at Jubilee &MW 1 , , i , Established In 1853, the Beckman bank In Jacksonville, Ore., bears the reputation of being the oldest bank In Oregon and will be one of the at tractions of Oregon's Diamond Jubi lee celebration In Medford and Jack sonville this week, observing Oregon's sexenty-flfth anniversary of state hood. The Interior of the bank Is much the same as it was when gold dust from the nearby hills poured over the counters 70 years ago, A bench Shangle Photo, where customers used to wait Is still the same, Including the little tacks which had been placed In the wood to prevent whlttlers from exercising their knives. Ancient signs continue to adorn the walls. The bank will be open throughout the week and will be one of the numerous attractions of jubilee week, the activities of which Include Med ford and Ashland In the presentation of parades, pageants and dozens of special attractions, filling up every hour of the seven-day observance. about two miles apart. Without having shown any Interest in the subject, he might have been button holed and told of the skullduggery that was going on; that while the upper town was getting most of the region's business, the lower village would most assuredly come into Its own because vessels could come there and no further without boing favored by the tides. Travel on the Vmpqua Arising early on the sixth morn lug of his trip, he might have left his weary horse In the livery stable at Scottsburg and boarded a majestic schooner bound for Umpqua City, Gardiner and the open sea. After spending the night at Gardiner, he might, if luck was with him, take another boat back up the river to Scottsburg the next day. After an other night in a Scottsburg tavern, he would apaln call for his horse and make his way back to Drain, then on south to Oakland, where he would be made welcome In the log cabins of the tiny town. The ninth day of his tour would take him past Umpqua, through, Winchester, and into Rose burg, with a population of B30, where he would have heard of the Jacksonville gold mines "gold in the grass-roots, they say." Riding eagerly on, he would have forded the Umpqua river and rain-swollen Cow creek before trot ting Into Canyonvllle to escape the cokl night and dry his splattered clothing before a great pot-bellied stove. deep mud, our adventurer would pass through Drain and turn off on the uncertain road to Elkton and Scotts burg, where he would again spend the night. Elkton, the rustic county seat of Umpqua county, would hold little of Interest as compared to Scottsburg, the scene of much rivalry during the early months of state hood. There he would have found that warring Interests had created two towns, the upper and lower, Centenarian Says Suffrage Mistake SAN FRANCISCO. (UP) "I'v seen a sight of changes since I was born in Maine in 1834," said Mrs. Laura A. Terry today as she cele brated her 100th birthday. "Men have taken to the air like birds; night has been turned into day: people talk clear around the world. Some of these changes are good but one lent' woman should never have gotten the vote. They should leave things like politics and professions to men." Keeping -Pace! Since it's establishment in 1918 this company has steadily increased its facilities and staff and expanded its operations in line with substantial Southern Oregon progress. Timber Products Company MEDFORD -OREGON LUMBER BOX SHOOK FUEL -'' , ...""'"IiIii'iiii I , Staff of the Hotel Medford at the service of guests of this long-established and popular hostelry. upper left, f. o. "Fete" Denson manager of the Hotel Medford. The HOTEL MEDFORD Southern Oregon's Leading Hotel Extends A Cordial Welcome To Medford and Southern Oregon Make This Center of Medford's Life Your Headquarters While in Medford This Week BO 'ore , JUNE 3bd TO 9th -193477 Rmtmh?r If yon Kt lnt fmm Tm,r trlmiU yon Kill Unit llifm it the lintel MriUord. Dining Room Service - Medford's Most Popular Coffee Shop Price) In our dining room and In our coffee shop are consistently mod erateservice and quality of foods the BEST everything prepared EXACTLY as you like it I Dining room and coffee shop open all day. Finest Foods - Excellent Service - Friendly Atmosphere P. G. DENSON MANAGER
