MAIlTRIIUNf, Mee'fere", Of. A Sunday, April I, !
McBirkers Commemorate
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111 J "flfiiV .
AT SPINNING WHEEL Mrs. Jennie Young, 90S West 10th
st, Medford, is shown at the spinning wheel. She is among
the few southern Oregon residents who remember living in
Log Town when it was a gold mining community. Mrs. Young
will be 90 in May.
Deadline for Filing
Earnings Reports by
Beneficiaries Hears
The deadline tor iVUng an-,
nual earnings reports by
working Social Security bene-1
ficiaries is nearly here again,
Edward B. Jacobson, district
malinger ui ma Jueuiuru ui-
nee, nas reminnea area resi-ithe
aems. '
Any Social Security bene-
uviury. muii, wuiimiL or ciiiiu
who earned more than $1,200
in 1959 and was not 72 years
old by the end of January.
19S9, must file an earnings
report by April 15, 1960. If
Eagle Scout Banquet
Planned April 29
The second annual Eagle
Scout recognition banquet
will be held at Kim's restau
rant on Highway 99, south of
Medford, at 8:30 p.m. April
29. Alpha Phi Omega, sponsor
of the banquet, is inviting all
Eagle Scouts In the area to
attend.
Eagle Scouts and persons
knowing such Scouts are re
quested to send names and
addresses to the Boy Scout of
fice, 500 East Main St., or call
SPring 3-7371 by April 8.
The average length of a
truck trip in the United States
is 10.1 miles.
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I A Tribute to
Jj National Library Week
P April 3-9, 1960
For a better-read, better-Informed
America. Reading can open wonderful
new worlds of challenging ideas, of
creative adventure, of quiet contem
plation. National library Week it a
good time to stort your personal read
ing program . "". . to expand your
personal horizons. Wake up and readl
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Medford Pharmacy
10) North Central, Cor ner 6th Ph. SP J-62S3
Open Week Daysi 8:30 A.M. to 10:30 P.M.
Sundays and Nolldoysi 10 A.M. to 9:30 P.M.
We Salute Our Town!
benetlciary became 12 alter
I January and he earned over
$1,200 in the year, then he
must make the report too.
The nurnnsp nf 1lio r-r.,.Pt
I. i0 .ollj- npcniinl. hotuaan
Social Security adininia-
tratlon and (lie workine- bene-
ficiary. Jacobson said. Anv
nerson miner 72 whn pjirni
more than $1,200 can lose
a check for every $80 he ex
ceeds $1,200. Accordingly, a
person who earns $2,080.01
would lose all 12 checks for
the year, he noted.
Important Exception
Ai with most rules, how
ever, there is an important
exception; no matter how
high the 1959 earnings were,
the administration can pay a
check for any month the
beneficiary does not earn
wages of more than $100 and
does not operate his business,
Jacobson said.
All these facts are brought
out on the annual report form,
Jacobson explained. He said
that every beneficiary re
ceived a card in February
which they can use to order
the report form.
Anyone needing help with
the. report can get it by tele
phoning or visiting the dis
trict office at 1005 East Main
St., Medford.
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John McKee Family
Settles on Creek;
Move From Midwest
By MAUDE ZIEGLER
Mail Tribune Correspondent
It is only a mediocre spot
along the highway. The rains
fall on the gentle slope, spring
flowers bloom, and the sea
sons pass.
A couple of markers com
memorate the site of old Log
Town, one of many mining
villages that sprang up a cen
tury ago and are now extinct.
A cemetery is there.
But this is where the fam
ily did the washing in a big
kettle down by the creek.
They heated the water there
in a big barrel, and when
there was bedding to be done
the children got in the barrel
barefooted and jumped up
and down.
. At night there were no
lights but the candles, and
"kicking up the fire" would
always make it real bright in
the room.
Cooking Over Fireplace
There was no stove, just the
fireplace. That is where all
the cooking was done in big
kettles hung on brass bars, or
in a Dutch oven. They made
their own cornmeal and flour
and the bread baked in that
fireplace was the best. Folks
didn't know what white bread
was.
Sometimes they went out in
the grain field and played all
day, because Indians might
come to the house, iwo
squaws were digging cameras
one time, and came in the
house. The mother could see
them in the mirror, and how
one held an axe to show that
she could strike with it. But
they only wanted bread and
made themselves some corn
cakes. Chinese Cook
They had a Chinese cook,
but he didn't want to wash
the diapers. The father gave
dancing lessons, and there
was one big bedroom, where
they could have two sets of
quadrilles, as well as schot-
tisches, polkas and waltzes.
Folks came from far outside
the little village for their
Saturday night "hoe down.
There it one living today
" "
cM'1 and relates these stories
......
Mrs. John Higginbotham of
Central Point, now 84.
She was too young to re
member some of the events,
but has related them as she
heard her parents speak of
them. She is a daughter of
John and Maryum McKee.
who were married in Sullivan
county, Missouri, and came to
Oregon by ox team in 1852.
Numerous members of the
family came along, and today
there are many descendants
living throughout southern
Oregon.
Arrive During Uprising
The family arrived during
an Indian uprising and took
refuge in a military fort at
Phoenix (Gasburg), later
homesteading at the foot of
Roxy Ann east of Medford.
It is said the butte was
named for Maryum's step
mother, Roxy Ann Bowen,
since they were the first
white settlers in the region.
They became discouraged
with the "sticky" soil, and
moved to a mining claim near
the confluence of Poor Man's
creek and Forest creek, then
called Jackass creek, about
six miles southwest of Jack
sonville, which later became
Log Town. Great Grandfa
ther Bowen died and was bur
led at Log Town.
Supply Point -
Log Town became the sup
ply point for many mines in
the area, and was on the pack
CHAIN
LINK
You can erect this lifetime fence yourself! All
the materials and hardware, the tools to do the
job and the help of profeuionali when needed,
available at
PAR ROOF & FENCE CO.
111 N. FIR - MEDFORD
Estimates Without Obligation
Phone SP 2-2461
trail from Crescent City to
Jacksonville. In the Sixties
many of the miners left to go
to new strikes in Idaho, and
many Chinese moved in,
bringing the population at one
time to 250 whites and 400
Chinese.
Besides many homes, there
were two blacksmith shops, a
livery stable, a store owned
by the Law's, two meat mar
kets, one of which belonged
to the Ish brothers, a hotel
school house, and church,
three saloons, and two Chi'
nese stores, according to in
formation given by descend
ants of these families
The Chinese lived in huts
across Forest creek, and when
they arrived in such great
numbers many of the miners
returned from Idaho and took
the mines back, burning the
Chinese stores, and in one
known instance killing one.
Large Log Home
The home that John McKee
built for his family was a
large one of logs with a porch
across the front, where they
liked to sit when they had
time. One of the blacksmith
shops belonged to him, and it
was he who invented the
"strap-eyed" pick used by
miners. One of these is on dis
play at the Jacksonville mu
seum. John could make five dol
lars before breakfast most
any day sharpening picks for
the miners. Their meat was
venison, pork, bear or mut
ton. They made their own
candles from mutton tallow,
wicks and a mold. Often they
merely inserted the wick in
the fat. .
Maryum McKee was a busy
woman with 12 children to
care for. She washed fleece,
carded wool and spun it into
yarn, then knitted th" socks
and stockings for the family.
Oak bark boiled in water
made prettv brown dyes.
Mrs. Higglnbotham was 13
before she had any "bought
en" stockings.
Maryum rode her little
lnnnv , wh.. h.. .,.-
sickness or need: she also was
called when babies were
born.
Yellow Rose Slip
She was not too busy to
bring with her from Missouri
a little yellow rose slip which
she planted at the gate. The
rose has been classified as
the Harrison yellow rose orig
inally from England.
Long after the last trace
of buildings at Log Town had
rotted away, the rose bush
remained, and finally the
Jacksonville Garden club en
circled it with protective
white posts, and in Oregon's
Centennial year, the Apple
gate Valley Garden club
planted 60 of the rose plants
as a decorative hedge at the
front of the cemetery. Some
years ago the rose was eulo
gized in a poem published by
Fred Law, grandson of John
McKee.
It was also during the Cen
tennial year that dedication
ceremonies were held by the
Jacksonville Garden club,
and a granite marker com
memorating the yellow rose
was unveiled by Teri Lee
Wolfe, daughter of Leonard
McKee and great great grand
daughter of John McKee. The
Jackson County Centennial
commission also erected
wooden markers commemo
rating both Log Town and its
rose. ,
First Burial
The first burial In the ceme
tery was that of James Dun-
PIONEER FAMILY This is a reproduc
tion of an early picture of John and Maryum
McKee, pioneer family of Log Town, Many
of the couple's descendants live in southern
Oregon. The McKee't arrived in southern
n.
S
YtL,LOW ROSE Tnis is the marker which has been placed
at Log Town cemetery marking the rose which was planted
by Mrs. John McKee in 1853 soon after they moved to the
area. The marker was erected by the Jacksonville Garden
club. The Applegate Valley Garden club planted 60 similar
roses to form a hedge around the cemetery.
lap in 1862. A rail fence once
enclosed the cemetery.
For a period of years the
burial spot was neglected,
but in 1939 an association was
formed for improvement of
the plot. The first board of
directors included Mrs. Har
ry Whitney, Leonard McKee,
John Black, and Mrs. Anna
Jeffrey Lozier of Medford.
Parents of John Jeffrey, Port
land attorney, are buried
there. .
Mrs. Ed Smith was Instru
mental in compiling records,
and markers were placed at
all unidentified graves. Other
improvements have included
a wire fence, log archway
over the gate, and water
pump. Other pioneer cemeter
ies still in use in the Apple
gate area are at Sterling,
Watkins, and Missouri Flat.
School District Formed
County school superintend
ent's records show that in the
early 1860s a school district
was formed known as Log
Town-Uniontown, No. 27, and
among those attending school
at Log Town was B. F. Irvine,
noted blind editor of the
Portland Journal prior to
1937. He lived with his father,
Jesse B. Irvine, on Forest
creek.
Volume 23 of the Oregon
Historical Quarterly gives
pertinent notes on doings of
the area in the '60s and '70s.
Mining laws of that time said
"This creek from the forks of
Jackass and Poor Man's creek
near Log Town to its junction
with Applegate shall be called
'lower Jackass.' "
The name of J. B. Irvine
was signed as chairman, with
D. K. Henderson as secretary.
Other documents were signed
by Samuel Hinkle, John D.
Buckley and Francis Logg.
Miner's Meeting
Recorded in the Quarterly
Is a miners' meeting at 'the
house of Miller and Savage,
Jackass creek in 1876.
At one time mining laws
prohibited Chinese from hold
ing claims unless they had
citizenship. It is said that
Jackass creek was so rich for
a time that a man shoveling
into a sluice box could make
$100 day.
It Is believed that Log Town
(recorded in some instances as
Logg Town) was named for
Francia Logg. The last re
maining house of the little
village was destroyed by fire
about 1910, and about this
time the name of Jackass was
changed to Forest creek. The
town declined as mining
ceased
Thcre is another person re-
nrniiuijirr iti,
Site of Id
siding in Medford who re
members living at Log Town
as a child. That is Mrs. Jen
nie Young, 908 West 10th st.,
formerly Mrs. Fritz Ruch,
who will be 90 in May. Be
fore marrying, her name was
Jennie Estes, and her step
father was Calvin Hinkle.
She remembers the log cab-
Ins without floors, and it was
Visual Care Topic
Of Rotary Meeting
A child "learns to read" in
grades 1 to 3 and "reads to
learn from the 4th grade on
ward, Dr. Thomas C. Ander
son, a past president of the
Southern Oregon Optometic
Society, told a recent meeting
of the Medford Rotary club.
The optometrist pointed out
that since vision has not been
a cost to the individual, it is
often neglected. He stressed
the need for visual care start
ing with pre-school children
in order to teach them good
visual habits.
In pointing out the need
for pre-school visual examin
ation, Dr. Anderson stated
that vision problems are npt
inherited. Less than 1 per
cent are born .with visual
weaknesses, and yet nearly 20
per cent enter first grade
with their vision already sub
normal or out of balance. On
entering junior high school,
the figure is 40 per cent and
it reaches 80 per cent at the
high school senior level, he
said.
Most of the symptoms of
visual problems, Dr. Ander
son explained, are easily rec
ognized by teacher or parent
and preventive measures may
be taken before the problem
becomes acute. Some of the
symptoms are day dreaming,
rubbing the eyes and hold
ing reading material too
close.
Dr. Anderson stressed the
importance of early detection
of vision problems and pre
ventive care rather than al
lowing vision to deteriorate
to the point where corrective
treatment must be given or i
lenses prescribed. i
Some 15,000 newspaper
salesmen and marketing men
in the U. S. are available to
local retailers to assist them
in making their newspaper ad
vertising pay off. Retailers
appreciate this service that
i is why they regularly adver-
'Use In their local newspapers.
il j 1 1 v im r jjj untsrr
MEDFORD PAINT
and
Wallpaper Store
th ft Holly Diaejonallf
Acnti from Port Ottice
PHONE SP 2-9321
Oregon in 1852 from Missouri during an
Indian uprising here. They took refuge in
a military fort at Gasburg, now Phoenix,
before homesteading near Roxy Anne Butte.
They later moved to Log Town.
the custom to dig a hole in
one corner to bury gold. She
tells of baking biscuits in a
14-inch Dutch oven set in a
bed of oak coals. The lid was
put on, and coals heaped on
top. Cookies were baked in
this way, too.
She remembers they would
use oxen to go visiting, as
well as for hauling logs and
other work.
Log Town was not without
its tragedies. There was a
murder and burning of a
home there, and details were
printed in the Oregon Senti
nel, Jacksonville newspaper
in 1861, according to Paul
Pearce, whose father, J. D. S.
(Doc) Pearce, came to Log
Town in the winter of 1857
via Crescent City and San
Francisco. Paul Pearce re
members hearing his father
relate the story.
Robber Seeks Gold
A robber came to the home
of a Mrs. Hinkle looking for
gold. He killed her and set
the house on fire to cover up
the crime, also burning her
two grown daughters who
were sleeping in the house.
A few days later a team of
blooded sorrel horses was
stolen from a Mr. Hill in Ash
land. That crime remained
unsolved until three years la
ter when Doc Pearce, togeth
er with Mr. Hill and other
riders, was taking a herd of
beef cattle to Virginia City,
Nev., through Harney valley,
where they stopped to feed
and fatten the cattle.
They were told by people
who lived in the neighbor
hood that another party was
camped just over the hill
with a span of beautiful sorrel
horses. Mr. Hill investigated
and recognized the horses as
his stolen team. "Getting the
drop" on the two culprits in
camp, they tied them to a
tree and were about to hang
them for horse stealing, when
the thieves confessed to the
even greater crime of the fire
and murder of Mrs. Hinkle
and her daughters. The hang
ing was carried out.
Gave Themselves Up
Mr. Hill and Mr. Pearce
rode on into Virginia City and
gave themselves up to the
sheriff there. They were turn
ed over to the judge who
heard their story, reprimand
ed them, and set them free.
When the men returned to
Rogue River valley they told
their story, which was print
ed in the Sentinel.
A second tragody was the
drowning of Mrs. Hannah
DeLong Herd as she attempt
ed to wade across "Jackass
creek," an account of which is
given in a newspaper clip
ping belonging to her grand
son, Leonard McKee.
Referring again to the John
McKee family, it is noted
that a brother, Silas (Si) Mc
Special Purchase!
18" Hiah Border fmncinm
jnd fan shaped Trellises
at IftUAL KKItti!
them today at . . .
5MITH
Log Town
Kee, fought in the Rogue
River Indian war in the bat
tle of Table Rock, and served
as a guard until the treaty
was signed in 1853.
All of the John McK.ee lam-
ily except the eldest son,
Adelbert, was born at Log
Town, and the family contin
ued to live there until the
children were almost grown,
when the family moved to
Butte creek.
Children of Couple
Amos, one of the sons, -was
married to Charlotte Pence.
Ernest and Floyd McKee of
Medford and Mrs. John Byrne
and Mrs. Rolland Smith of
Applegate are children of
this couple.
Adelbert McKee, John Mc
Kee' eldest son, took up a
ranch about two miles above
the present Star Ranger sta
tion. The McKee bridge and
campground is at the lower
end of that ranch, and were
named for him.
During the time that the
Blue Ledge mine was in oper
ation his ranch was the half
way point between the mine
and Jacksonville and served
as a stage station. Relief
horses were kept here and
lodging and board provided
for travelers. Some of Adel
bert's children still live in
Jacksonville, including Mrs.
Verna Culy, Mrs. Luella Dun
nington, Mrs. Riley Norris,
Mrs. Albert Hackert and
Leonard McKee.
Glenn Smith, another well-
L
2100
Columbarium
Cemetery
JOE HOSICK
Funeral Director
Medferd's Only Crematory
Congratulations to the Crater Lions Club
and all of the fine merchants of the area
who participated in the Sportsfair. Another
wonderful program that makes Southern
Oregon a perfect place to five,
IF you are one of the 10,000 people who
have not registered to vote please do so.
Remember this Is one way you can express
your opinion and make it count.
SISKIYOU
FUNERAL SERVICE
Investigate and Save ,
PHONE
Siskiyou Memorial Park
ONLY
MEMBER OREGON INTERMENT ASSOCIATION
IN MEDFORD
605 HIGHLANl
SAVE ON
PICKET FENCING
and Trellises
Pre-palnted pure white woven picket fences In
4 heights and choice of even or curved top.
Easy to install ... fine protection from stray
dogs, etc. Adds beauty to your yard. Comes in
SO ft. rolls but we will sell 25 ft. lengths, also.
alio 50 Ft
i
36", 42"
- DYNGE LUMBER
known resident of the area, is
a great grandson of another
of John's brothers, Joe Mc
Kee. Fortunatus Hubbard, one
time co-owner with his broth
er of the pioneer Medford
hardware store of Hubbard
Bros., married Tressie, one of
John McKee's daughters. The
McDonough family is another
of the pioneer families of Log
Town.
ORNAMENTAL
IRON
Cultom made railings snd col
umn! at a very reasonable price.
Phone Keith Childreth (or FREE
Estimate without obligation
SP 3-3588
2231 Orchard Home Drive
SP 2-5488
ALL WITHIN
$14
95
ONLY
and 48" High
Qllr
.ess "v m m
n
Ittawtilmei
: j
We Gie
Corner 8th and Fir St.
S1H GREEN STAMPS
Phone SP 2-716
1
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