Modi
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Railroad Engineer
Provides Name of
New County Seat
(Ediior't note: This ii another In Ihe series of arti
cles on historical facts about rarious Jackson county
subjects. Today's article is on Medford. It is one of a
series of folders published by the Jackson County
Chamber of Commerce.
. (Information in the folder came from "A History
of Medford." by Jane Snedicor, 1935; "Oregon Geo
graphic Names by Lewis A. McArihur. 1944; "The
history of Jackson County, Oregon." by William Pierce
Tucker, 1931; Jackson county court records and board
minutes, Medford Commercial club, 1920.)
In the very heart of the beautiful Rogue River valley, the
railroad planned to start a new town.
The name first selected was Middle-Ford, as David Loring,
the railroad engineer, claims because Bear creek was forded
at this place. Loring had lived in Medford, Mass., and so
he shortened the name of the new townsite to Medford. Peo
ple in Jacksonville were not enthusiastic about the new com
munity and referred to it as "Chaparral City."
The land selected for the new townsite was .owned by
C. C. Beekman, C. Mingus, C. W. Brobeck and Ira J. -Phipps.
These four men on Oct. 27, 1883, agreed to convey to the
Oregon California Railroad company a tract not exceeding
20 acres for a depot and other railroad purposes.
By the spring of 1884 the railroad was completed as far
as Phoenix and the first week in. January, 1888, found trains
running south over the Siskiyous into California.'
As soon as the railroad reached Medford, the government
established a post office. Early equipment consisted of a cigar
box, later discarded for a soapbox provided with nine com
partments. Still later a case was built with 30 compartments.
J. S. Howard served as postmaster for 10 years. ,
Western Town
' Medford was a typical little
western railroad town in
those days, with a few wood
en store buildings and a great
many saloons, some of them
occupying tents. Frequently
the more hilarious men rode
up and down Main and Front
sts. firing revolvers. Occasion
ally tempers flared and a
hooting scrape occurred.
Being a late comer, Med
ford's wild west days were
short lived. The town matured
quickly as citizens bent their
efforts toward organization
for the responsibilities thrust
upon them by an approaching
20th century. During its first
winter (1883-84) 40 wooden
buildings had been' erected.
Population in 1890 was 967.
By 1910, it was 8,840.
voted a $2,800,000 bond is
sue providing a second line
from Big Butte Springs and
doubling the supply.
Ts
Articles of incorporation
for the town were signed by
Governor Moody on Feb. 24,
1885, and adopted by Medford
leaders March 11.-
On March 28, the board of
trustees met at the office of
J. S. Howard and elected of
ficers: J. S. Howard, presi
dent; R.-T. Lawton, recorder;
J. H. Redfield, marshal;
Charles Strang, treasurer; E
B. Hurt, street commissioner;
I. J. Phipps, A. Childers, Dr.
E. P. Geary and W. H. Barr,
trustees.
Early Improvements
Ordinances were passed.
The first provided for punish
ment of individuals guilty of
disorderly conduct, riots and
disturbances. Ordinance num
ber two prohibited "minors
from loitering about the de
pot." Hogs were not to run
at large after Oct. 1, 1885.
In August, 1886, three doz
en pails, two good ladders,
two hooks, and 200 feet of
manila rope served as fire
equipment. In 1908 a fire hall
was constructed at the south
east corner of Sixth and Front
sts. A team and wagon were
added, and Mr. Amann be
came fire chief.
Sept. 7, 1886, the county
court was petitioned for $1,- j
600 to build a bridge across J
Bear creek. Medford agreed j
to pay the remaining costs. j
Early in 1884 the first j
school was held in a one-room I
building on South Central at j
the present site of the new i
Franklin building next to
Ward's store. A Mr. William
son was the first teacher. It
was a subscription school and
each pupil paid $8 per year. !
In May, 1884, the Medford ;
school district was organized, j
A school was built at the
present site of the court j
house. During 1891 it was j
moved to West Tenth st., just
back of the Catholic church.
Today it serves as an apart
ment house.
Another large building was
built on the property vacated
in 1891. This burned in 1895.
It was replaced by the Wash
ington school in 1896. In 1931
the building was razed to
make way for the present
county court house.
The first hotel was the Tor-
rey House, on the northwest
corner of Riverside and Sev
enth sts., where Hubbard
Brothers store is now located.
It was remodeled and called
the Roxy Anne Saloon. Next
was the Cunningham . hotel,
built on the northeast corner
of Central and Main early in
1885.
The first brick building in
Medford was one story with
two rooms located on the
corner of Main and Front sts.
It was started in May, 1884,
and later converted into a
hotel.
In 1892 when M. Purdin
and Harris leased the proper
ty, it became the Grand Cen
tral hotel. Under different
managements, , the hotel
changed its name often, being
known as the Riddle House,
the Grand, and Medford. In
1895, it was purchased by
Captain Nash and became
"The Nash." In 1927 if chang
ed hands and was named the
Allen Hotel. Today it is
known as the Robinson hotel.
Mountain Water
In the early days Medf ord's
water supply was a serious
problem. The first six years
each family was dependent on
its well or that of a neighbor.
About 1890 an open ditch
three miles long was dug from
Bear creek and the water
pumped into two wooden
tanks each with a capacity of
32,000 gallons. These stood on
the property now occupied by
the library.
In 1902 the old ditch, was
abandoned and a pumping
plant established on the west
bank of Bear creek. By 1908
it was necessary to find a
larger supply of water. In De
cember the city contracted
with the Fish Lake Water
company, agreeing to pay
$254,100 for the construction
of a gravity pipeline from
Little Butte creek.
By 1919 this was outgrown
and a city water commission
was appointed. In July, 1927,
water from Big Butte Springs,
31 miles away, flowed
through the city facilities and
the million-dollar system was
completed.
Medford has reason to be
proud of its unusually pure
and almost limitless supply
of water. In 1950 the citizens
Organization, Communication
The first civic club, known
as the Ladies Aid Society, was
organized the summer of
1884. Nearly all the ladies be
longed to this civic and social
group. On Sept. 25, 1903, the
Medford Library association
was formed. A library was
started in Haskins' Drug store
with Leon Haskins as librar
ian. March 14, 1895, the leading
business men of the town met
and organized a board of
trade. Captain W. S. Crowell
was elected president. This
was the forerunner of the
Medford Commercial club, or
ganized in the summer of 1902
with C. I. Hutchinson as the
first president.
The Commercial club occu
pied an exhibit building by
the railroad on the northwest
corner of Main and Front sts
formally opened May 13, 1905.
In 1920 the club's name was
changed to "Medford Cham
ber of Commerce." In 1935 it
was again changed to "Jack
son County Chamber of Com
merce."
The Medford Mail Tribune
is Medf ord's oldest newspa
per. It was established Feb
20, 1885, when McGinnis
started the "Medford Moni
tor." The following year Ira
A. Phelps bought the paper,
changing the name to the
"Medford Advertiser." H e
sold it to T. Harlan who
changed the name to "South
ern Oregon Mail."
George Putnam came to
Medford in 1905 and began
publishing "The Tribune." In
October, 1908. A. S. Bliton
sold the "Medford Mail" to
Putnam who consolidated it
with "The Tribune" calling
it "The Medford Mail Trib
une." ' In 1919 Putnam sold
his interest to S. Sumpter
Smith, manager, and Robert
Ruhl, editor.
In 1926 the county seat by
vote of the people was moved
from Jacksonville to Medford
The cement building on the
northwest corner of Fifth and
Central served as a court
house. This became the city
hall when the new court house
on the northwest corner of
Oakdale and West Main sts
was completed in 1933.
The radio broadcasting sta
tion KMED was established in
the Sparta building by W. J,
Virgin on Dec. 26, 1927. As
early as 1922 he had opened
a radi station, KFAY, at the
fairgrounds and later moved
it to the Sparta building.
Aviation
Although the railroad gave
Medford its start, aviation
captured the community's
imagination early. In 1920
the chamber of commerce
voted $300 to equip a land
ing field at the fairgrounds
according t o specifications
from the war department.
Medford was the first com
munity in Oregon to have reg
ularly scheduled air mail serv
ice, provided in 1926 by Pa
cific Air Transport (now
United Air Lines).
In 1929 the citizens voted
$120,000 bond issue to es
tablish an airport north of
town. A $60,000 bond issue
was voted in 1940 to match
Federal funds for further im
provement as part of the na
tional defense program.
In 1947 West Coast and
Southwest Airways (now Pa
cific Air Lines) both estab
lished additional air service
for Medford. Citizens voted a
$250,000 bond issue to provide
a new air terminal building,
Today the Medford airport is
the second most active in Ore
gon, serving over 80,000 pas
sengers per year.
Jackson County
Chamber of Commerce
We Hare
Every Kind
for Every
Type of
Building
Commercial or
Residential
Come in and meet Ray Morris, our roofing depart
ment head with years and years -of experience. He
will be happy to help you select the type roofing you
need and will furnish expert installation men . . .
economically.
FREE ESTIMATES
UU I GH Construction
111 North Fir
Phone SP 2-2461
lllllilltllllll
Four Teenagers Injured in Crash
Four teenagers were taken
to Rogue Valley hospital
about 1:15 p.m. Saturday after
the sedan one' was operating
struck a tree at 200 Valley
View dr.
Investigating Medford po
lice officers said Ronald
Duane Roberson, 17, of 312
Perrydale ave., driver of the
car, told them he was driving
at 25 miles per hour when
"all of a sudden the tree was
in front of him."
Roberson and William Gail
Crowl, 18, of 111 Chestnut st.,
were treated for injuries and
released. Elaine Da .'is, 16, of
1093 Brookdale rd., was ad
mitted to the hospital and
later released, and Clifford
Albert Coiner, 16, of 129,Taft
st., was confined to the hos
pital. Police said Coiner com
plained of pain in the shoul
der, back and legs.
MAIL TRIBUNE, Medford, Or.
Sunday, May 17, 1959
ROYAL TONER DIES
Rockville Centre, N. Y. -(CPU
- Royal Toner, 65, former
president of the National
Fisheries Institute, died here
Friday.
Fuscias & African Violets
FREELAND'S
Tropical Fish
2958 Freeland Read
(West End Beall Lane)
f.. himii.i -- ----- , ...STiSSfMJ
Centennial Day Set
In Grants Pass
Grants Pass-The southwest
Oregon city of Grants .fass
will open its Centennial cele
bration with a Memorial Day
parade May 30.
The parade will include
historical exhibits, the earli
est automobiles, trucks and
old firetrucks and buggies.
Marchers will be in Centen
nial attire. There will be
mounted units, bands and the
well-known Oregon Cavemen
of Grants Pass.
A Rogue River Boatnik will
start at 1:30 p.m. from city
park. Powerboats will com
pete on a roundtrip over a
25-mile stretch downstream
through dangerous riffles and
rapids to Galice.
A barbecue will be held
from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at
city park. The host will be
Glen Wooldridge, a boatman
who has been plying the
treacherous Rogue for many
years. Beef and bear meat will
be served.
The day will include a boat
and water show, a hole-in-one
golf tournament and a donkey
baseball game.
Edwin Abbey, noted Amer
ican painter who died in 1911,
became a member of Brit
ain's Royal Academy in 1898.
WHOOSH-A spectacular splash was created at Medford air
port Friday when nearly 1,000 gallons of water were dumped
from a new tank plane that will be used this year by the for
est service in "bombing" forest fires. On an actual fire, a
soupy mixture of borate, which serves to coat combustible
material, is used, according to USFS Fire Control Officer
S. T. (Tenny) Moore. The test drop was to check release
mechanism and determine coverage. The plane, as well as
two others contracted by the forest service, are owned and
piloted by Medford Air Service., Last year, 10 fires in this
area were effectively controlled by the 'bombing" method,
according to Moore. '
EAST EVANS CREEK
Family Moves to GP
By NELLIE BERGMAN
East Evans Creek-Meadows
-Mr. and Mrs. F. M. Allen,
who have been living in a
trailer house in the Meadows,
have moved to Grants Pass
to be near his work.
The. meadows are getting a
long wished for rain.
Hermon Gerhardus has re
turned from a visit at Port
land. '
Mrs. Mamie Archanbeau has
returned to her home at Milo
after a week's stay at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Carl
Bergman. .
Mrs. Curt McRea and chil
dren have returned from a
visit with her family' in Salt
Lake City, Utah.
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Le Vasseur
of Myrtle Creek visited the
Carl Bergmans recently.
Mrs. Lily Harth and Mrs.
Ben Dawson were visitors at
the home of Mr. and Mrs. Guy
Bishop Wednesday.
Mr. and Mrs. A. Singler
and daughter, Norma Jean,
have moved from Rogue Riv
er to their ranch in the mea
dows.
ARTERIES BLOCKED
Frankfurt, Germany - (UPD -The
Institute of German In
dustry said yesterday the
East German Communists
had blocked 200 railroad
lines, highways and canals
which formerly went through
the 900-mile-long border sep
arating West Germany from
the Soviet zone. '
The National Automobile
club estimates that traffic ac
cidents in the United States
in 1957 took one life every 13
minutes.
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