TWELVE MEDFORD (OREGON) MAJL TRIBUNE
Sunday, January 2, 1951
... .-. . . " ... 3. ' '
sfOJP'tJCAL SWISS SIW
BaURDER-GASE
falemt Project
-'Most Sigraifficai-t'
Dm 'HemiheiTs View
The brutal murder of Mrs.
Tern Hile last April 24, the cap
ture of her slayers, and their
ubsequent trial and sentencing,
was the top "spot news" story
i 1854, m the judgment of Mail
Tribune newsroom staff mem
bers.
, The "most significant", story
of the year was the progress of
the Talent division irrigation
and reclamation project from a
plan to a project authorized by
.Congress, with preliminary
. work already started.
Choice Unanimous
. The eight members of the
news staff were unanimous in
their selections of the Hile case
as the top spot story. They were
less so in their choice for sec
ond place.
Four of them chose the ef
forts to obtain the release of
.Newsman Dick Applegate and
his subsequeht return home as
the second ranking spot story of
the year. Two others chose the
political activity of 1954 the
as the second story; one chose
the Talent story, and one chose
- me series oi spectacular iires,
the Edmonds mill, the Pinnacle
packing plant, and an Ashland
mill fire. . .
Other Chosen '
two start members did not
choose the Talent story as the
most significant. One chose the
May 1 freeze which damaged or
ui . the valley, ' and the other
thought that construction in and
round Medford, under way and
proposed,' was most significant.
Such construction includes two
new schools in Medford and a
number elsewhere throughout
the county, two new bank build
ings, sanitary and water district
development, lumber mill ex
pansion, the courthouse annex,
and announced plans for a new
shopping, district, two anew ply
wood mills, a new armory and
ca new hospital.
Choices varied widely in vot
ing for second-ranking "most
significant" story. Three chose
the construction activity; two
the general election; two the
Talent project, and one the
-n cctc ui ujc xiuil crop.
Only Ones Picked - j
The seven stories mentioned
were the only ones nominated
for c top Tank in either category
a smaller number than is us
ually suggested during a year
nd roundup of the news.
Here is a mdnth-by-month
fummary. of Jackson county
JACTYB, ll.ACU UVUl UlUb J1C;
itories appearing in The Mail
Tribune.
JANUARY
Mayor D. L. Flynn urges strict
er traffic fine system for city ...
Five-year-old Patricia Ann Shilts
Talent, dies of incurable illness;
friends and neighbors provided
"one last Christmas" for child in
1953 . . . Voters approve addition
of 800,000 acres to Sams Valley
Beagle Soil Conservation district
.. . . Official of Oregon State Em
ployment service forecasts "no
record level of unemployment"
in 'Rogue valley in near future
. . . Officials of Dewey school
district announce plans for legal
test of state law involving con
solidation of school districts . . .
Board of health estimates Jack
son county population at 63,000
. . . Eight Jackson county offi
cials, including Circuit Judge H.
K. Hanna and Sheriff Howard
Gault, subpoenaed in hearing for
Convict Gerald T. Macomber . . . j
Medford Police Chief Charles
Champlin calls for crackdown on
bad driving . . . John Dellenback
named to receive 1954 Junior
Citizen award . . . Judge David
vanaenDurg aemes ueraia i.
Macomber's petition for writ of
habeas corpus . . . Ben Hur
i g B PCs. c .
Lampman, poet laureate of Ore
gon and onetime Jackson coun
ty newspaperman, dies after
lengthy illness . . . George R.
Carter, Jackson county clerk
for many years, dies here .
Jackson county stockmen sup
port plan to use surplus seed for
range improvement . . . Medford
and Jackson county officials
meet with National Guard of
ficers to discuss plans for new
Medford armory ... Lewis
Bright, Medford High school
student, named outstanding boy
in Northwest Forensic tourna
ment at Spokane.
FEBRUARY
Hooded gunman gets $2,100
in robbery at Medford Piggly
Wiggly market . . . Earl Miller
named chairman of Medford
city council for 1954 ... New Med
ford Ground Observers Corps
post dedicated . . . Department
of Interior grants patents on 23
mining claims in Union Creek
district ... Harry Skerry Jr.,
Ashland, elected president of
Jackson county Lincoln club
Medford scheduled to get "re
covery base" at municipal air
port as a part of jet base sche-
uled for construction at Klam
ath Falls ... Mrs. Christine
Godberson, 101, Medford, old
est resident of Jackson county,
dies . . . Donald . Forbes and
Arlene Forbes, both of Medford,
killed in four-car crash on High
way 99 near Gold Hill L . . State
Sen. Richard Neuberger charges
Interior Secretary Douglas Mc
Kay with "giveaway" on patent
ing of Al Serena mining claims
near Union Creek Dennis
D. (Denny) Edge, well known
Medford businessman and sports
figure, dies unexpectedly
Rogue River Valley Traffic as
sociation, announces plans for
new type' of hail . suppression
program.
MARCH
County clerk reports there
are only 84 candidates for 380
Jackson ' county precinct jobs
. State water resources com
mittee holds hearings in Med
ford . . . Medford city council
orders temporary .fire hall for
east side . . . Rep. Harris Ells
worth calls for expanded medi
cal facilities at Camp White . . .
Ernest- R. Gilstrap,; longtime
west c coast newspaperman and
business manager of The Mail
Tribune for 21 years, dies . . ..
Mrs. Sarah Blevins Wing, Ash
land, . celebrates 101st birthday
Sen. Guy Cordon and Rep.
Harris Ellsworth announce they
will submit multipurpose recla
mation and power project for
Rogue valley to congress . .,.
Suits seeking restraining order
to prevent construction of pro
posed east Medford fire hall at
Valley View and Ruhl Way
started in circuit court . . . May
or D. L. Flynn asks officials of
10 southern Oregon cities to
aid in campaign to secure re
lease of Dick .Applegate,. Med
ford newsman imprisoned by
Chinese Communists ... Resi
dents of Brownsboro area fail
in efforts to keep post office
there in operation; petitions
signed by 128 . . . R. W. Price,
Portland, sells lodge at Crater
Lake National park to Harry
C. Smith and Harry W. Smith,
Spokane ... Richard Johnson,
17-year-old Medford High school
student, wins $600 scholarship
in Elks lodge state "most val
uable student" contest - . . .
Brownsboro post office goes out
of operation, after 70 years of
service. ' j
APRIL '
Jacksonville voters approve
$150,000 bond issue for con
struction of new primary school
EDMONDS MILL MAKES SPECTACULAR BLAZE SOUTH OF
Thousands of Spectators Saw Early-Evening Fire
OK mam ' BBS
IIPT fip i
'
MRS. FERN HILE
Her Brutal Murder 'Top Spot News Story
building . . . National Guard of
ficials announce that funds' have
been earmarked for construc
tion of new Medford armory
building . . More than 1,400
persons attend closing session of
Jehovah's Witnesses circuit as
sembly in Medford . . . Bureau
of Reclamation, report on the
$19,984,000 Talent division
Rogue River basin project sub
mitted to state and federal ag
encies . . . Talent voters approve
$150,000 bond issue for construe-.
tion of new high school and
athletic ground . . . Anonymous
donation allows United Medford
Crusade to top $101,000 goal in
first year of operation . . . Gov.
Paul Patterson expresses , con
fidence that Talent project will
receive approval ... Dick Neu
berger opens his campoign for
the United States senate in Med
ford . . . Voters approve incor
poration of Kings Highway
water district by -margin of 133
to 72 . . . Linda May Van Vol
kenburgh, 13, Medford, dies of
accidental gunshot wound suf
fered during picnic at TouVelle
park . . . Communist source
discloses that Medford newsman
Dick Applegate is held in Red
prison at ' Peiping . . . County
budget committee pledges $60,-
000 in county funds for use iri
new Medford armory building
. James Norman Jensen and
Donald Chesley- arrested and
charged with brutal murder of
Mrs. Fern Hile in her west
Medford home . .'. Total of 30,
098 .registered to vote in May
primary election . . . District
Attorney Walter Nunley de
clares he will ask death penalty
for suspects- in Hile murder
case . . . tjmnese communists
sentence Medford newsman Dick
Applegate to five years in prison
for "espionage." . . . Jackson
county grand jury returns first
degree murder indictments
against James Norman Jensen
and Donald .Chesley, suspects
in Hile murder case.
MAY
Voters approve addition of
more than auu.uou acres to
Rogue ' Soil Conservation dis
trict . . Orchard surveys indi
cate that damage to fruit from
freezing temperatures was the
most severe in more than 30
years; loss may reach 100 per
cent in some orchards . . . Rob
ert Davis, Roseburg, named to
serve as special prosecutor for
Hile murder trial . . . Mr. and
Mrs. Frank Applegate appeal to
Communist representative at
Geneva, Switzerland, in attempt
tc gain freedom c for their son,
newsman Dick Applegate, held
in Communist China prison . . .
Jackson county orchardists ask
emergency loans from govern
ment because of freeze damage
to fruit crops . . . Frank J. Van
Dyke, Medford, named "to west
ern interstate commission for
higher education ... Depart
ment of Interior completes re
port favoring Talent irrigation
project . . . Organization of Med
ford Police Athletic league com
nleted . . . Richard A. Bates.
Medford, one of six persons to
receive national award for pub
lic service . . . Total of 11,943,
or 39.7 per jent of registered
voters, cast ballots in primary
election in Jackson county .
Spectacular fire damages por
tion of Medford hotel . . . New
Medford Civil Air Patrol build
ing dedicated . . . Jackson coun
ty completes 100 days without
fatal automobile accident . .
Medford city council orders elec
tion on use of $40,000 for new
Jackson County Memorial arm
ory . !. . Campaign starts to raise
funds for restoration of historic
U.S. hotel in Jacksonville.
JUNE
Low bids totalling $318,061
accepted by county court on
construction of annex to county
courthouse ... Petitions seek
ing to have issue favoring day
light saving time placed on Ore
gon ballot are circulated in Med
ford area . . . New Jackson coun
tv budaet totals $2,845,843
James Blin Coleman, Jackson
county judge for 13 years and
county assessor for many years,
dies at age of 77 . . . Medford
city budget for 1954-1955 totals
$1,018,783. . . 256 Medford high
school seniors receive diplomas
at school's 61st annual gradua
tion ceremony . . . Oregon Game
Commission receives title to
1.800 acres of land in Camp
White area for hunting, fishing
and other recreation ; . .-Rodney
Keating, Ashland, receives
recommendation of county Re
Dublican Central committee for
appointment as county judge . .; .
Fred DeVos, Medford, selected
as Bovs State Citizen -of 1954
. . . 150,000th visitor registers at
Jacksonville museum . . . Med
ford residents vote by . 10 to 1
margin in favor of $40,000 bond
issue, for construction of new
armory building . . . U.S. House
of. Representatives, subcommit
tee approves Talent project
Widespread northwest; lumber
strike involves . Jackson county
firms . . Frank C. Bash re
elected to Medford district
school board . . . Leonard May-
field named assistant superin
tendent . of. Medford public
schools . , .' Elk Lumber com
pany reveals plans for $2,000,-
000 expansion program. . . '
CITY
JULY ,
Eugene Thomdike, Medford
banker for 30 years, retires as
vice-president of First National
Bank of Portland . . . Red
Blanket Lwriber company mills
at Eagle Point, closed since June
21 by strike, resumes operations
. . . County budget committee
approves use of county funds to
hire second deputy district at
torney . . . Medford school board
award contracts totalling $315,
790 for construction of new
grade school on Garfield st. loca
tion . . . Medford city council
adopts comprehensive new plan
for classification of city em
ployees . . . Three small children
die in series of home accidents
in Medford area . . ..Talent divi
sion irrigation project bill ap
proved by senate committee
Conditions under which new
Medford armory building will
be constructed receive approval
... Fire destroys main, sawmill
of Lithia Lumber company at
Ashland . . . House of represen
tatives interior committee rec
ommends passage of Talent divi
sion irrigation project bill . . .
Circuit judge rules that city of
Medford must condemn property
rights in order to construct pro
posed, east side fire station at
Valley View and Ruhl Way ...
F. Corning Kenly, 81, longtime
resident of Medford, dies . . .
County mosquito control ; pro
gram gets under way . . . House
of representatives aproves
Jackson county, sponsored meas
ure calling for use of surplus
seeds to improve range lands
. ' . National Guard officials
say Medford armory should be
ready for occupancy by August
1955 . . . Lumber strike ends at
two local mills . . . Governors of
30 states assure Mr. and Mrs.
Frank Applegate they will work
to secure release of Applegates'
son, Dick Applegate, Medford
DICK APPLEGATE
Noted Newsman Returns, Home
newsman held prisoner by Chi
nese Communists . , . First State
Bank of Eagle Point announces
plans to move to Medford . .
17-year-old Dale Balderstoh ad
mits setting fire m which his
mother was critically burned . .
Sheriff Howard Gault says Don
ald .Chesley. suspect in Hile
murder case, will be charged
with arson as result of fire in
jail. . ' "
AUGUST - -
Largest crowd In history sees
opening : performances of 12th
annual Rogue River Roundup
.-. .-18-young people arrested in
liouor violation raid at local
dance hall . . . Opening cere
monies held for 1954 season of
Oregon Shakespearean festival
in : Ashland . . James V. Mc-
Goodwin elected , chairman of
executive -- board ( of : Jackson
county " juvenile advisory com
mittee . . . ' County's assessed
valuation listed at $61,751,085
. . ' James Main appointed to
serve as city judge v. . City of
Medford abandons proposed site
for east side fire station at Val
ley View dr. and Ruhl Way . .
Pat Rector elected queen of an
nual Jacksonville Gold Rush
jubilee . : . Goal of $102,000 set
for 1954 United Medford Crus
ade . . .' Medford's Mayor 'D. L.
Flvnn announces ' he . will not
seek " reelection - '. . . Ground
broken for hew Medford grade
school on .Garfield, st. site . . .
Oregon Shakespearean festival
in Ashland has largest opening
week attendance in .its history
. . ; . United States Senate gives
approval "-to : bill - authorizing
construction of Talent division
irrigation and reclamation ' proj
ect .. . Fred T. Johnston, sup
erintendent of . Crater Lake Na
tional park,1, transferred; to be
succeeded by Tom Williams, as
sistant superintendent of Olym
pic National park . - August
Zattlin sells Grand hotel to Mr.
and Mrs. ,E. ,B. Serruys .
Emergency March of ; Dunes
drive conducted in Jackson
county . . . Frank J. Van Dyke,
Medford, named to board of gov
ernors of Oregon State Bar as
S:-:;?.o::.L::::-:??::fAi:.
d IP'
. 1
Major
sociation
..City council auth-
orizes sewer connections for
South Bear Creek, Table Rock,
and Berrydale sanitary districts
. . . President Eisenhower signs
Talent project into law . . , Con
tract awarded for construction
of hew Medford junior high
school on east side .: . . City
council votes to put city man
ager plan on ballot in fall elec
tion . . . Victory celebration held
in Ashand for approval of Tal
ent project . . . $84,500 allocated
for Talent project surveys and
planning.
SEPTEMBER
v
- State - Highway commission
outlined comprehensive plan
for Medford street planning and
development, including freeway
through city . . . Plans an
nounced for starting new inter
denominational school, known
as Southern Oregon Christian
school, in Medford .' . . Medford
city council approves ordinance
for privately-financed meat in
spection . . . County tax levy
for , 1954-1955 - fiscal - year an
nounced as 5.9' mills, a .2 in
crease from 1953-1954
Chinese Communists announce
release of Dick Applegate, Med
ford newsman held prisoner or
18 months . . -. Enrollment at
Medford city, schools up 3.1 per
cent from opening day in 1953
. . State forestry officials in
vestigate series of 20 forest fires
set in Applegate region . . .
Jackson county share of federal
O&C money scheduled to be
$1,220,000 . . . Field office to
facilitate advance planning for
Talent division irrigation proj
ect opens in Medford . . . Special
census shows Medford popula
tion to be 19,044 . . . U.S. Sen.
Estes Kefauver. of Tennessee
speaks in Medford in behalf of
Democratic candidates . . . Old
Medford armory property and
building sold to Otto J. Frohn
mayer for $27,500, clearing way
for construction of new armory
building ... Sale of Central
Point Mutual Telephone com
pany to Pacific Telephone and
Telegraph ; company approved
by Federal Communications
commission . . . Dick Applegate,
prisoner- of Chinese Commun
ists for 18 months, arrives home
in Medford.
OCTOBER
More than 1,000 members of
Seventh Day Adventist church
attend - regional service in Med
ford ... Top political figures
including Secretary of Interior
Douglas McKay, Senator Guy
Cordon, and Congressional Can
didate Charles Porter,-speak in
Medford ." . Democratic candi
dates attack patenting of Al
Serena Mining company claims
in northeastern Jackson coun
ty... Richard Neuberger, Dem
ocratic candidate for .U.S. sen
ator, and his wife, campaign in
Jackson county . . . School board
decides new Medford elemen
tary school will be named Jef
ferson school , . . Miss ; Mollie
Britt, 89, daughter of Jackson
county nioneer, dies . . . James
Norman Jensen found guilty of
murdering Mrs. Fern Hile; sen-
fenced to die in state gas cham
ber'. . . Gov. Paul Patterson
speaks in Jackson county m
campaign for reelection ... A.
A. Lausmann, Medford, elected
president of Oregon Republican
clubs . . . Two men killed, wom
an injured, when log load, falls
on passenger car on Crater Lake
highway at cascade uorge . . .
100 delegates attend .sixth an
nual convention 'of Oregon As
sociation of Soil Conservation
Districts, held in Medford . . .
Sentor Wayne Morse, and Repre
sentative Harris Ellsworth speak
in Medford . . Defense At
torney Edward Kelly file motion
seeking new trial for James Nor
man Jensen, convicted of April
24 murder of Mrs. Fern Hile
. - Republican Senator Edward
.irw :' mm
v nit I
!'""-
PINNACLE PACKING PLANT FIRE
Blaze Makes News During Year in County
NEW COURTHOUSE ANNEX
Construction Started, Progressing
Thye of Minnesota arrives in
Medford to speak in behalf of
Senator Guy Cordon . . . Joseph
Carson, Democratic candidate
for governor, campaigns in Medford..-
- ; -
NOVEMBER
Total of 21,433 persons cast
ballots in Jackson county in
general election; Earl . Miller
elected mayor of Medford; coun
ty voters back . all . Republican
candidates . . . Errors found in
millage rates for. nine . Jackson
county school districts ." .. . Dam
ages estimated at between $250,-
000 and $300,000 as spectacular
fire - destroys L. E. Edmonds
sawmill south of Medford ... ...
Two persons killed in automo
bile crash south of Ashland . . .
Otto Shulz, Portland apartment
house owner, purchases Grand
hotel from" E.,B. and Hazel D.
Serruys . . . Oregon Farm Bu
reau federation holds 23rd an
nual meeting in Medford .
Members of Jackson County
Milk Producers league decide to
continue selling Grade A Milk
to distributors at unchanged
prices ... Medford's Mayor D.
L. Flynn elected president of
League of Oregon; Cities . . .
Mercy Flights, Inc., local non
profit air ambulance service,
carries 300th patient . . . "Air
lifting" of three cent mail starts
from Medford . . . Plans for
construction of new $60,000
building for Girls Community
club discussed . . . California
Oregon Power company an
nounces $10,000,000 construc
tion program for 1955 . . . Rus
sell DeForest appointed to serve
as deputy . district attorney for
Jackson county : . . First of two
permanent chest . x-ray centers
in Medford goes into operation
at Community' hospital .
Highway Lifesavers Committee
of Jackson County Citizens,,' Inc.,:
organized. ., ' V ,
DECEMBER
Arrest of .'Marion , Franklin
Piening first development in
more than 5V& years in Margaret
Ann Cornell murder case ;
Parrot type birds quarantined in
county, as health department
warns of psittacosis danger . . .
School census shows Medford
school-age population up three
per cent from 1953 . . . Fire de
stroys Pinnacle Packing i plant
in Medford .. . V Preliminary
work started on new shopping
district south of Medford . . .
Renovation of Savage Rapids
dam on Rogue river completed
, . Prehminary plans for new
hospital, to serve southern Ore
gon revealed . . . New company
tells plans for half-million dollar
0
JUDGES H. K. HANNA, J. R. KEATING .
New - County Official Swora in By Circuit Judge
.: w"
st?i1" ',, 1
MORE POWER
Copco Project Progresses
plywood mill near Medford . r .
Articles of incorporation filed
for Rogue Valley Physidani
Service to provide local ' non
profit medical insurance . . : .
Special census lists population of
Central Point at 1,909 . . . John
H. Pletsch elected president of
Jackson County Chamber of
Commerce . . . Medford area
xceis siignx tremor wnen snarp
earthquake hits Eureka, Calif.
. . . Cancellation of . letters
reaches new alltime one - day
high of 80,000 at Medford post
office . . . Jackson county school
census shows total of 18,422
school-age children in county . . .
Retiring Mayor D. L. Flynn hon
ored 1 by. 50 Medford city em
ployees . . . Frank J. Newman,
former Jackson county district
attorney, dies at age of 80 . . .
Triplet sons born to Mr. and
Mrs. James W. Rolls of Med
ford . . . Plans announced for
construction of $300,000 ply
wood sheathine nlant in Med
ford area . . . Fred J. McPher
son, Medford lumberman, killed
in automobile accident.
AX'S. .jrXitx.A I
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