Medford mail tribune., May 31, 1959, Image 10

AmftDdfilhi Posfttfkfc' D.mieDiuidledl
10
MAIL TRIBUNE, Medford, Or.
Sunday, May 31, 1959
Phoenix Country Store Was Center ot
Area Activity During
By JOE COWLEY
Mail Tribune Staff Writer
A group of men in rough
cut clothing stamp the mud off
their shoes and enter a tall
wood-frame building, move
through bales of merchandise,
bins and barrels and enter a
smoke-filled back room domi
nated by a large wood stove.
The building is the general
store of Frank Towne, owned
by him from about 1882 to
1901. This was one of the first
such stores erected in Phoen
ix founded on donation claim
donated by Sam Colver. The
old New England style coun
try store was the supply cen
ter for tJie farm community
of that day, contained a fourth
class post office and its back
room was perhaps the social
center for the farmers when
they visited town.
This is the way it was de
scribed by Miss Marian Towne
and her sister, Mrs. - Anna
Smith, whose father operated
the first general merchandise
store in Phoenix. Their father
purchased the store from Con
rad (Coony) Sergeant, who
built it. , . '
Store Passes Owners
AKn.it 10ni Trramo sVIrl it
to Will Coleman who in turn
sold it to Bert Hearn, then
it passed through a 'number
of hands. It was located where
the Truax market is on the
corner of Second and Main
sts.
The little post office didn't
contain many boxes. The
town and country residents
usually got their mail by gen
eral delivery. Miss Towne re
members standing on a aox
and handing the mail over the
counter to the customers when
she was a little girl
Frank Towne came from
Maine where the general store
was a community institution
for the easterners. He modeled
his store after those of Maine.
Around the store were the
barrels, bins and shelves con
taining the staples of te Jay.
On the other side would be
the drygoods, bolts of calico,
clothing items and shoes.
Coffee was purchased by
the pound green, then roasted
at home and ground. Tobacco
was sold by the plug and was
cut on a machine attached
to which was a deafer-like
. - , , j i nj
arm wnicn wouia oe pu-ueu
down to cut off each tobacco
chunk as it was measured off.
Women Smoke Pipes
Women of those days also
smoked pipes, using small
clay ones, or corncobs and
carrying their cut tobacco in
small Bull Durham-like sacks.
Sometimes, like the men, they
would whittle on plugs to fill
their pipes. Mrs. Smith re
members one woman who
would come to their house on
Second st. in Phoenix, (which
is still standing much as it
was in the older days) puff
on her small clay pipe and
tell ghost stories.
Mrs. Smith "said after one
of those ghost-story telling ses
sions, she became so scared
the ran out in the street in
front of the house and waited
for her mother to come home
from the store.
Crackers came in boxes
about two feet long and al
most as deep. These could be
mivAtiqccMl Vfc-t, tVio TinnnH nr VV
the nickel's worth. Calico then
sold either 10 or 15 cents a
yard.
"We considered 15 cent cali
co as very fine stuff, believe
you me!" Miss Towne com
. mented.
There were also a few dishes
and the hardware used then.
Tea came in large ornate la
quered boxes that have since
become collector's items. No
body then bought flour in less
than 50-pound sacks. Families
were large and women did
their own baking, Miss Towne
said.
Shipped io Portland
Farmers bought their but
ter and eggs to the Towne
store and these were shipped
off to Portland. It was in
Portland also where Towne
nurchased his suDDlies.
The farm women made their
own "old Oregon cheese"
which was nroduced in large
rounds. Mrs. Sam Furry, wife
of one of the prominent Phoe
nix Dioneers. was one of the
famous cheese makers of the
area and time.
One of the prominent pio
neers who came to the general
store was Hub Coleman, who
Mrs. Smith described as hav
ing a bushy white beard which
came far down on his chest.
He was gruff, but good heart
ed and a good neighbor, she
said.
"Uncle Hub Coleman was a
good man. They had to be
good men in those days to
survive the hardships," Mrs.
Smith noted.
IT-sd Butter Maker
' Trs. Hub Coleman was also
one cf the noted butter mak-J
e:-s of the day. Hub Coleman
was the father-in-law of Mrs.
Loiiy Coleman, who now lives
in i'noenix near tne colver
house.
Other well-known men of
the day who visited the store
were John Mills, Emerson
Gore, Quentin Anderson, Jack
Anderson and Dr. George
Kahler, one of the first horse
and huggy doctors of that
area.
i&P ' .' ''' N. -
PHOENIX GENERAL STORE - One of the
first stores in Phoenix was operated by
Frank Towne from approximately 1882 to
1901. The building was erected by Conrad
(Coony) Sergeant who sold it to Towne. A
group of the old timers of that day are
EASTER PROGRAM - The building shown
above replaced the one constructed in 1892.
It was built-during, the summer vacation
period of 1912, and completed in time for
Ceremony Held to
Dedicate Flag
Pole in Phoenix
Phornix - A flag - raising
ceremony in front of the
Phoenix city hall Friday eve
ning led off the Memorial Day
week end festivities for Jack
son county.
About 5:30 p.m. Friday a
group .of the townsfolk, the
mayor and members of the
city council participated in
ceremonies to dedicate the
new flag pole erected in front
of the"building on Second st.
Mayor Arthur MacKintosh
made a short speech. The
Rev. William Saladin, Phoe
nix Presbyterian church, gave
the benediction. E. R. Claflin,
Phoenix, presented a U. S.
Marine Corps flag in behalf
of his son, Lynn, who was
killed on Iwo Jima in World
War II. Following Claflin's
brief address, two other sons,
Vincent and Cecil Claflin at
tached the flag to ' the hal
yards of the new pole. Then
Vin ent Claflin slowly raised
the colors as Harry Kannasto,
Phoenix High school music in
structor, blew taps.
Lynn Chaflin had served in
the Third Marines in the Solo
mon islands in the South Pa
cific. He was one of four sur
vivors in his company from
that action. Following treat
ment for his wounds Sgt.
Claflin was sent to Iwo Jima
with the Fifth Marines. After
his death the E. R- Chaflins
received on his behalf the
bronze star. His unit received
the U. S. Navy unit citation
and the Presidential- citation.
A recent Agriculture De
partment survey revealed
that most homemakerr- would
choose oranges if they could
have only one fruit or fruit
juics for a month.
Early Years.
Many of the townsfolk and
farmers used to gather around
the old stove in the general
store's back room. There the
men would argue about poli
tics and current events of the
day. So many men would
gather around the stove that
Miss Towne said she had to
push her way through the men
shown gathered in front of the old general
store where it was located where the Truax
market is now at Second and Main sts. in
Phoenix. .The man standing in the door
way and wearing a straw hat is the owner
and proprietor, Frank Towne.
' -" '' i 'vv';--,, ' J"?- .- 42&&nm
fall classes. V.
school in the
taken at Easter
FIRST HOUSE - The first school house, shown above, was
built by Jim Collins on the site of C. W. Sage's present resi
dence. Miss Lou Houston taught the first school, supported
by taxation, in this building in the spring of 1874.
New Officers Are
Anthony Marshall, son of
Mr. and Mrs. John Marshall,
was elected president of the
student body, at St. Mary's
High school forjnext year.
Other student body offic
ers' are Jere Randolph, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Richard E. Ran
dolph, vice president; Mary
Robinson, daughter of Mrs.
Mildred Robinson, secretary;
and John Snider, son of Mr.
and Mrs. John Snider, treas
urer. ' Senior class president for
next year is Thomas Tomjack,
son of Mr. and Mrs. J. A.
Tomjack. Fred Burich, son of
Dr. and Mrs. Fred Burich, was
named junior A class presi
dent, and Anne Manno, daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony
R. Manno, junior B class presi
dent. Sophomore class president
is Susan Reavis, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Reavis.
Sodality prefect will be
Thomas Hersant, son of Mr.
and Mrs. W. J. Bernardi, and
Letterman club president will
be Roger Haut, son of Mrs.
LaVonne Haut.
assembled there. It was there
the nails were kept in small
kegs.
: It was probably from listen
ing to the political arguments
in the backroom of her fa
ther's store that Miss Towne
became interested in politics
and public affairs. She later
became the first woman legis
lator in Oregon.
A. Davis taught the first
building. The picture was
Sunday program in 1912.
Named at School
Other officers, elected in
clude Ann Darland, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Floyd E. Dar
land, Lancette, girls pep club,
president; Donald McPherson,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Donald
McPherson, lord chancellor
Lancers, boys pep club; Mary
Joe'Batzer, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. John Batzer, yell
queen; and cheer leaders,
Lynne Parsons, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. R. R. Parsons;
Anne Haviland, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Paul W. Havi
land; Dolo,res Cooper, daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. E. H.
Cooper, and Daryl Zapell,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Stanley Zapell.
SLOW BUT SURE
Prairie Du Chien, Wis. -(LTD
-Terry Seeley received a
reply this week to a mesasge
he put in a bottle in July,
1955, and tossed in the Wis
consin river. Donna Olsen, 12,
of Alma, wrote that she found
it - at a point 100 miles, six
sets of river locks - and
nearly four years down
stream.
Mgmm
Little Interest Was
Shown in Education
During Early Years
(Editor's note: The fol
lowing article about the
history of the Table Rock
school district was given at
a meeting of the Table Rock
Community club April 28,
1933. Information in the ar
ticle was compiled April 1.
1933, by V. A. Davis, one
of the teachers of the early
schooL Excerpts from the
history follow.)
By V. A. DAVIS
Ever since the early pio
neer days, education has been
fastered and has held a prom
inent place in the rise and
progress of the county.
When the county's founda
tions were laid, the founders,
with prophetic vision, made
provision for the laying out
of school districts -and main
tenance of schools. Jackson
ville school district No. 1 was
the parent of all the others.
On July 19, 1854, this dis
trict was organized with T. F.
Royal the first county school
superintendent. Owing to the
scattered population, the dis
trict was at first very large
with boundaries irregular and
oft-times imaginary. As the
population increased, business
developed and transportation
improved, districts were re
duced in size, re-arranged and
reorganized.
Historical Events
Many historical events re
corded in southern Oregon
history took place within the
boundaries of some of the
present school districts. One
of these is the Table Rock dis
trict, located in the most
charming, picturesque and
fertile spot in the county.
It was here that the treaty
that ended the Rogue River
Indian war in 1853 ,was
signed.
Among early children of the
mother district was Antioch,
No. 18. This district, original
ly known as the Mountain dis
trict, was set off Oct. 31, 1860.
The specified boundary began
in the center of Lower Table
Rock, thence north to Evans
creek, east to the center of
Rogue river, down the center
of the river' to the place of
beginning.
Little Interest Shown
This was a thinly populated
region of a varied surface,
with a great area. For several
years after formation of the
district, little interest was
shown in education; no dis
trict officials elected; and no
school maintained by taxa
tion. But interest in the necessity
of educating growing boys and
girls was revived and in 1867
J. A.- Burns taught a "sub
scription" school in an old log
cabin that stood near the site
6f the present Antioch school
house. i '
Afterward, Burns taught
several such schools in the
district and at Phoenix and
later became one of the lead
ing educators in the county
,In 1870 he taught a spring
term subscription school in
an old log cabin that stood on
the knoll near the Schafer
residence. John Potter taught
a similar school for three
months in 1871 and Mary Mo
Cabe taught a spring term in
an old cabin in 1872. That was
the last school ever held in
the old cabin.
No School
About that time school was
not held in the district for a
period of nearly two years.
At last Antioch directors de
cided to establish two schools
in the district, both to be sup
ported by taxation. One was
to be in the southern part of
the district to accomodate
settlers in the Table Rock vi
cinity. Miss Lou Houston, who
later became Mrs. Jasper Rog
ers of Medford, taught the
first school under the new dis
pensation in 1874. It was a
spring term and school' was
held in a small house built
on the Jim Collins farm. S.
M. Nealon afterward bought
the farm and the first public
school in the present Table
Rock s district stood near the
twin oaks on or near the site
occupied by the residence of
C. W. Sage.
Collins had built the house
first as a residence for his
mother. It was of rough lum
ber, about 16 by 20, and un
painted both inside and out.
A typical pioneer schoolhouse,
it was furnished and equipped
according to primitive meth
od in vogue in those good old
days.
Enrolled 13 Pupils
Miss Houston enrolled 13
pupils, received S33Vfc a
month, taught a three-month
term and "boarded round."
Jane Nichols taught the term
in 1875; W. J. Stanley, 1876;
Mary Berry, 1877; and O. W.
Gregory, 1878.
Population having in
creased, the citizens became
more independent and ex
pressed a desire to manage
their own school affairs. In
March, 1879, Table Rock
school district 44 was de
tached by petition from An
tioch district 18.
Boundaries of the new dis
trict were "Commencing at
the southwest corner of Jacob
Conley's land, thence running
in a southeast direction along
the base of Upper Table Rock,
thence in the same direction
to Donnegan ford on Rogue
River, thence down along the
north bank of said river to the
southwest corner of W. W.
Wilson's land, thence in a
northeast direction along the
base of Lower Table Rock,
thence in a northeast direc
tion, running west of the res
idence of Dennis Donnegan to
the place of beginning."
Fountain Superintendent
J. D. Fountain was super
intendent of county schools at
that time. E. P. Pickens, B.
Vincent and J. W. O. Greg
ory were directors and J. S.
Marsh was clerk of the new
district.
At the first school election,
17 votes were cast. The census
showed 32 children of school
age and the treasury sweMed
to $96 cash on hand.
Maude Tuffs taught from
April 21 to July 11 in 1879,
the first spring term of the
district. In 1880 H.H. Mitchell
taught and afterward bevame
county school superintendent,
Receives $25 Per Term
Maggie lipweii taught in
1881, receiving $25 .for the
term. W. H. Gore taught from
June to August in 1881 for
$33.33 a month. He later be
came a prominent farmer apd
banker in Medford.
M. Vina Gore taught in
1882 and Sarah Knowles in
1884. In 1885 Mary Newbury,
sister of the late Gus New
bury, Medford attorney,
taught a private school during
the fall and winter. 1
In 1885 Henry Cryder
taught and in 1886, Amanda
Goodyear. Jenny Oaks taught
the first fall term in the dis
trict's history in 1886.
When fall term was added,
six months of school was held
each year. Two different
teachers frequently taught in
the district during the same
year.
Kj Fall Term Set
Lottie Reed and Fanny
Knowles taught in 1887; Miss
Reed taught spring term in
1888 but no fall term was
held that year due to an epi
demic of malaria.
March 25, 1889, a portion
of Table Rock district was de
tached by petition and added
to district 52, the old Chapar
ral district. At that time H. H.
Mitchell, who formerly taught
in the Table Rock district,
was county superintendent.
Rose Griffith taught the
spring term and Charley Grif
fith the fall term in 1889. An
nie Harvey and Laura Col
ton taught iri 1890.
Teachers Board Around
From the first term that
John Burns taught in the old
log cabin, and - for 20 years
after that, teachers "boarded
around." Beginning about
1890, the practice of having
them board in some certain
home in the district was es
tablished. Ella Griffith,' who later
married a Mr. Pattrick of
Gold Hill taught in 1891, and
Arthur Walker, now a resi
dent of Portland, taught the
spring term of 1892, and Lutie
Burch the fall term. Miss
Burch later became Mrs. Pat
Daily, who served for several
years as county school super
intendent. In the spring of 1892, Fred
Hansen deeded one acre of
land to the school district for
school purposes-. A new school
house was built upon the
tract by Mr. March. It was
completed in the fall just in
CORN REMOVER
Gfvi bittant rlif from pain and poii.
tnatf mw hard corns, loft
bvtwMn K toi. callouiM.
papillomas, dub noils. It contains
rai different otts that soften.
and dons not cousn ma 8riKjtiuw a
do strong acid mixtures. Whan aB
others kcv failed try this on Try
ovr (union Rnlief. which relinn
pain, sorenoss, swelling first or
application, loth remedta told
ON DEEDED LAND - In 1892, Fred Hansen ing was completed in time to hold the corn
deeded one acre of land to the district for munity Christmas tree program in it that
school purposes, and the above building year,
was constructed by Mr. March. The build-
time to hold the Community
Christmas tree program in it.
Teach in New School
Emma Ruth taught the first
spring term in the new school
house in 1893. and Armenta
Burch taught a private school
in the new schol house during
the fall and winter.
John Potter taught a spring
term in 1894, and L. A. Sim
ons, now a resident of Yam
hill county, and Anna dem
ons, taught during the fall
and winter of 1895.
Libby Pendleton taught a
spring term in 1896. She was
a sister of the late J. G. Pen
dleton and is now Mrs.
Holmes of Standish, Calif.
During the fall and winter
of 1896, a Miss Cotter of Cal
ifornia taught a private school
in the new schoorhouse. Ow
ing to the small attendance
and lack of interest in such
schools, they were discontin
ued in the future.
In 1897, Libby Pendleton
and Maude Downing taught
the spring and fall terms. Miss
Downing later became Mrs.
Joe Boswell, formerly of Cen
tral Point. ,
Spring, Fall Terms
Maude Downing and Olive
spring and fall of 1898. Miss
Gregory afterwards married
George Yeo, an insurance man
of Ashland.
In 1899, Nellie ,Town and
Lizzie Ferguson taught during
the spring and fall. Miss Town
married a farmer and Miss
Ferguson, now a Medford, is
the first teacher whose name
appears on the systemized rec
ord in the county superintend
ent's office.
Beginning with the school
year 1899 and 1900, the rec
ords began to be systemized,
and from time to time, have
been improved.
Teachers at the school in
cluded: 1899, Lizzie Ferguson,
Medford; 1900, Mae Sutton,
Wick Easter and Stella Stid
ham, who later became Mrs.
Jay Purkeypile, now residing
in British Columbia; 1901,
Dolly "Badger and Mae Mcln
tyre, who is now Mrs. Wycoff
of Walsenburg, Colo.; 1902,
Flora Smith, now Mrs. J.
Laurens, Medford; 1903, Flos
sie Briscoe and H. B. Leach;
1904, Ida Stewart and Lorena
Shuck.
In 1905-06, V. A. Davis;
1906- 07, Myrtle Corum, a sis
ter of Mrs. Victor Bursell;
1907- 08, Alice French, now
Mrs. Amos Willetts; 1908-09,
Cy Watkins and Miss Louise
Ward, who became Mrs. Stew-
Veterans
Memorials
One for each branch of the Armed
Forces soon to be dedicated in honor
of those who have served.
Arf .wc: .W'- wt2-.yv
FIRST SCHOOL - The first school in the Table Rock district
was held in this log cabin. J. A. Burns taught a. three months
term subscription in the cabin in the spring of 1870. The
cabin stood at the site of Mrs. Schafer's present residence.
art Porter, a prominent farm
er in the county and also one
of the school directors in the
Independence' district; and
1909 through 1912, V. A. Da
vis. Old Building Replaced
The march of progress de
creed that the old building
should be replaced. Accord
ingly, during the summer va
cation, the present building
was built upon the site of the
old one, erected in 1892. Da
vis taught the first school held
in the present building.
Other teachers: 1912-14,
Gladys Miller, whp became
Mrs. Henry Payne of Harbor,
Curry county; 1914-15, C. E.
Johnson, now n Douglas
county; 1915-17, Hattie B.
Lester, who married Stanley
Lydiard, a farmer and or
chardist; 1917, Josephine Kin
caid, now Mrs. Mayfield, Red
mond; 1917-18, Eva Beebe,
now Mrs. Floyd McKee; 1918
19, Helen Parker, now Mrs.
Brophy; and 1919-20, Verda
Lynch, now Mrs. Carl Quack
enbush. Teachers between 1920 and
1933 included June Dunlap,
now teaching in Portland;
Mae Johnson, Mrs. Voorheis
and Mrs. Burdeen Meyers;
Irene Franks, now Mrs. Blaine
F lirley, Medford; Mrs, Ina
Purcell, now teaching in the
Applegate; Miss Mary Martha
Sweney, Miss Betty Brown,
Nellie Egan, Elizabeth Brown,
V. A. Davis, Miss Winifred
May, and Roy Parr.
Officially Organized
When the district was offi
cially organized, 54 years ago,
it maintained but three
months school during the
, M
My
Bill Driscoll, manager North Phoenix Road
Phone SP 3-6162 or SP 2-711 1
. -tews -wftfsj Lf&j3 $
i
year, employed one teacher,
enrolled 32 census children,
and had $96 in the treasury.
Today, nine months school are
maintained, two teachers are
employed, 74 census children
are enrolled, and the assessed
valuation of its property is
rated at $280,767.80.
The district's present offi
cial organization consists of
Frank Hensley, Sam Newman
and Floyd Hamlin, directors,
and Mrs. Mary B. Myers,
clerk. The teaching staff con
sists of Roy Parr, principal,
and teacher of the upper
grades, and Miss Winnifred
May, assistant principal and
teacher of the lower grades.
The school ranks high in ef
ficiency and scholarship and
bids fair to rise to greater
heights in the future.
Student Officers
Named at Gold Hill
Gold Hill - Student body
officers for Hanby school were
elected recently. They are
Bob Turner, president; Bar
bara Schatz, vice president;
Loraine Hixson, secretary;
and Penny Flenner, treasur
er. All are seventh graders.
Yell leaders named are Su
san Post, Ronda Rosecrans,
and Darlene White, all fifth
graders. .
Toni Morrow, who is now
in the seventh grade, was
elected queen for the varsity
yell leaders. Others elected
are Judie Post, seventh grade;
and Pamella Freeman and
Linda Walker, sixth graders.
1