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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (March 22, 1959)
History of Tovns Given for Club The early history of three Jackson county communities, was reviewed at the last meet ing of College Women's Club of the Rogue River valley. Mrs. John M. Black spoke on Jacksonville, Miss Ruth Esther Hill, a school librarian in Ashland, told of early days there and Mrs. Bert Stancliffe, Phoenix teacher, talked about that town. They were intro duced by Mrs. W. H. Sutter, program chairman. Mrs. Black stated that by 1851, there were several set tlements in the Jacksonville area Th first house was built by Joel Perkins at thel ferry on the Rogue. A man named Evans settled at the mouth of what is now Evans creek; there were also settle ments on Wagner and Bear creeks. As these people need ed protection, Governor Gaines sent Judge A. A. Skin ner here as Indian agent, with headquarters near Willow Springs. By January 1851 there were 27 white men in the locality. One of these, a man named Sykes, who was an employee of Agent Skinner, is credited with finding the first "pay dirt" in a placer mine on Jackson creek in Feb ruary 1852. Soon after this, two packers, James Cluggage and Joe R. Poole, who had camped near Jackson creek to feed and rest their animals, did a little prospecting on a tributary of Jackson creek. What they found set off a ma jor gold rush in a country al ready hot with the gold fever. Community Grows Communication was slow in mid-century, yet within three months there sprung up a com munity of more than 1000 men. The first settled on adja cent claims to those of Clug gage and Poole; those who came later went up both forks of Jackson creek and over into the Applegate watershed to Poor Man's creek, Jackass, and Sterling creeks. By the fall of 1852, lumber hacks aDDeared in the tent city. Some were homes; others were saloons and other places of business. In May 1853, the Cram Rogers company, Yreka, inaugurated messenger service to Crescent City with C. C. Beekman as the first rider. Need for a stable govern ment resulted in the establish ment of a district court in 1853 with the Honorable Ma ther P. Deady appointed dist rict judge for the Oregon Ter ritory by President Pierce. A county government was orga nized January 12, 1852, with Jacksonville designated as county-seat in 1853. "In any frontier town," Mrs Black said, "the cemetery played a significant role. Life was cheaD and death consid ered an act of God, whatever the cause. Decent people held that mortal remains should have civilized burial. It was for this purpose that Jackson ville Lodee No. 10, IOOF, was organized in 1863. The Rebe kah degree for women was in stituted Decemebr 30, The lodge still meets in the same hall and on the same night. The Masonic order was organized March 15, 1855. The "Masons built and still own the original building on the cor ner of California and Oregon streets. First School School district No. 1 of Jackson county was organized July 1854. Jacksonville boomed again " in 1860 when a rich quartz ledge was discovered near the site of old Fort- Lane, near Oold Hill. Disasters of epidemic and fire have struck Jacksonville Intermittently but it has al ways "bounced" back. In the late 30's mining activity was renewed with the streets tun neled and the old placer mines reworked until World War II made labor and materials un available. Miss Hill Speaks Miss Hill said that even be fore the coming of the white man, there was an Indian vil- cause of the mills, the new la?( on Ashland creek. On I town was called Ashland January 6, 1852, Robert B. Hargadine and a man named Pease settled on land known as the Applegate Farm, which is the present site of the Southern Pacific railroad yards. The first business was a sawmill and in 1854, Abel Helman built a flour mill near where the present Chamber of Commerce building now stands. On May 17, 1855, a postoff ice was established with Mr. Helman as postmas ter. Because Mr. Helman came from Ashland, Ohio, and be- Mills. The "mills" part of the name was dropped locally about 1860 but it was retained by the postoffice department until 1871. ' The building of the flouring mill was an outstanding event and was dedicated by a grand ball. The mill, located on Ash land creek at the entrance of what is now Lithia park, be came the nucleus of the new town. A plaza was laid out in front of the mill and around it the business district de veloped. Ashland school district was organized, the first teacher was the Rev. Myron Stearns, and he taught in the home of Eben Emery in 1854. The first school building was ereated in 1860 on land given by R. B. Hargadine. With an addition or two the building served until 1880 when "a new and commodious two-story build ing was erected at a cost of $2000 on the same site." Memorable Day May 4, 1884 was a memor able day in Ashland, for it was on that day that the first passenger train arrived. Many had gone to Phoenix in order to ride in on the first train. Mrs. Stancliffe used as her source a booklet, "Early Days in Phoenix, Oregon" by Mar-' jorie Neill Helms. i Among the twenty-odd rr.enj in the valley at mid-century! was Sam Colver, who took up j a donation land claim where j the town of Phoenix now is. j He built a cabin on his claim j directly across the present'; Highway 99 from the famous i Colver House in Phoenix. Mrs. Stancliffe quoted from Orsen Stearns' diary: "Sam Colvin and John Davenport soon commenced to build the block house, which was intended to be a hotel, a store for general merchandise, and a rendez vous for settlers during Indian troubles." It was often spoken of as "the Colvin r.'sr.sfop." and sometimes as the "Colvin House." However, it was not used as an inn until the 1920 s when it was known as "The Elue I'iower Lodge." Phoenix was first called Gasburg for young Kate Clay ton, who because of her quick repartee was known as "as?y Kate." After the Indian wars a mail route was established between Phoenix and Sacra mento and a postoffice was es tablished across the street from Wait's gristmill. Mr. Waite was named postmaster and he took the name Phoenix from his insurance plate. Lo cally the town was Gasburg for another generation. Guest r e and o River i ! '. vas provided by ;:ade ensemble c: :i:L :.i Junior High school, cirri. ted by Ray Lewis. ; They v, ; ; e introduced by Mrs. ; C. O. Lr. rison. ! Miss Jane Snedicor and Mrs. S. E. Trent were hostesses. Mrs. James Medley, social chairman,' was assisted by Mrs. Mrs. L. H. Bohrer, Mrs. , J. W. Murray, Mrs. H. L. j Snodgrass, and Miss June I Wheaton. 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