MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD, ORE.
72 Colorful Years Reflected in Looking Oloss
Ashland Hotel
r
SUNDAY. FEBRUARY 19, 1981
Becomes Memory
Of Halcyon Days
By FAITH McCULLOUGH
Mail Tribune Correspondent
Ashland - "Going, going,
gone! Sold for $25."
The auctioneer's hammer
fell sharply. A long mirror
was carried to safety from
the milling crowd, and the
bidding on blankets, beds and
tables went on.
Scenes from 72 colorful
years had been reflected in
the venerable looking glass
of the old Ashland hotel. In
visibly stored within its frame
were the Images of William
Jennings Bryan, of Walter
Damrosch, of William Howard
Taft, of Eugene Debs.
And some there were In the
auction crowd who could see
them again.
Trade Memorial in Tribute
The few who remembered
the halcyon days traded mem
ories in tribute to the ancient
hostelry's passing. Only one
man had personal recollection
of its beginning in 1889.
Clarence Lane, Ashland na
tive son now 90, was one of
the town's gay young blades
who tripped the light fantastic
toe in the gold ballroom of
Hotel Oregon. He had raced
marched or ridden before Its
veranda grandstand on more
than 70 Independence Days.
He had manned a hose when
the ornate cupola and turrets
disappeared in flames and
when the old Ganiard Opera
House across the corner on
Pioneer st. was destroyed by
fire.
"Mister Ashland," authentic
compendium of local history,
whose vigorous years span a
near century, is philosophical
as he watches the demolition
crew at work. He has seen
buildings and people come
and go. To him it is just the
natural course of' events,
something to be remembered
but not mourned.
Purchased By Bank
The hotel was purchased by
the First National Bank of
Oregon Dec. 22. A new build
ing for the Ashland branch ol
the bank will be erected on
the hotel site this summer.
The old hotel property totals
29,900 square feet.
: The new bank building will
feature all modern conven
iences. Wrecking should be
completed by July, according
to bank officials.
Still vivid in the memories
of two Ashland native daugh
ters are the gay parties held
in Hotel Oregon when It was
the town's social center. Miss
Lydia McCall and Mrs. Mabel
Wagner Kinney, cousins who
are now living at Mountain
View Rest Home, were among
the young crowd of that peri
od when the polka and the
three-step vied in popularity
witty the waltz.
Building Completed
It was Jan. 25, 1889, that
the Imposing three-story brick
building was completed by
Contractor A. W. Scott, but it
was not until March 27 that
the stars and stripes were run
up on the turret flag pole and
the doors were officially op
ened for guests,
On that day it is reported
"the handsofne buss, just ar
rived from San Francisco,
carried the band through the
city" announcing the great
event.
"When twilight came the ho
tel was a blaze of light from
office to attic. At 7 o'clock the
music of the band wns the sig
nal to assemble for the cele
bration," according to the lo
cal paper.
400 Crowd Ballroom
Approximately 400 guests
crowded into the ballroom
and lobby, overflowing onto
the long veranda and the new
board walk. Chief feature of
the evening was a bountiful
$1 banquet served in the
"beautiful and spacious din
ing room." Toasts were made
by Gen. J. C. Tolman, Dr. J.
S. Walter and G. F. Billings.
There were recitations and vo
cal music and, of course, danc
ing. Guests thronged the corri
dors and inspected the cham
bers, marveling at the swing
ing light bulbs and the elec
tric "annunciator" which con
nected the clerk's office to ev
ery room.
Electric lights had arrived
in Ashland only a month be
fore the hotel's complctiion
and were an awesome revela
tion to the townspeople. An
electric fire alarm system was
another of the building's mod
ern conveniences, while "hot
and cold water" was proclaim
ed loudly at the Southern Pa
cific depot by the hotel hack
driver.
Neglects To Mention
He neglected to mention
where the lodgers would find
hot and cold water, nor did he
give any details about other
plumbing facilities or their
(its) location.
Old timers recall that the
elegant new hotel was des
cr'ned In glowing terms as
"the finest in Oregon, - out
'(le of Portland." and that lit
ill if te-J "A , lJTlf-
i7$lL I rl ill - j Wr-
RAZING PROGRESSING Razing of the Ashland hotel
is progressing rapidly. This view shows ihe rear of the top
two floors chewed away by wreckers. The hotel has been a
city landmark for 72 colorful years. The three-story build
ing was completed in January, 1889. Approximately 400
accommodations and cuisine
attracted visitors from all
parts of the nation, most of
them arriving by train.
Hotel Oregon, as it was
known for many years, was
built by a stock company com
posed of Ashland business
men "to whom a bonus of $2,
500 was given by other citi
zens;" The bold venture came at
the close of that flourishing
decade, . the , exciting 80's.
when around the Plaza there
arose a half dozen brick build
ings and along the nearby
streets new and imposing
mansions were erected. The
completion of the California-
Oregon railroad ' triggered
Ashland's boom years.
Lease Hotel
Drs. A. C. Helm and Charles
E. Beebe were first to lease
the hotel and H. B. Carter
served as president of the
Ashland Hotel company. Helm
was vice president and W. H.
Atkinson wus secretary-treas
urer. On the board of direct
ors were Gwlnn S. Butler, D.
R. Mills, and Gen. J. C. Tol
man. In addition to the hotel,
there were a barber shop, a
bar and a real estate office
and in the rear a wash house
and a stable. Helm and Beebe
traveled to San Francisco and
as far east as Chicago to pur
chase the furnishings which
filled more than three freight
cars. Included were "solid
onk bedroom suites, handsome
flowered Brussels carpets and
tapestries, marble wash stands
and crockery, and a fine Math-
ushek piano."
Plantings of evergreens and
palms gnvc visitors the im
pression that Ashland enjoyed
a banana bell climate where
the pine and palm meet. For
72 years tho covered veranda,
lined with rocking chairs and
swings, has been the town's
vantage point for viewing pa
rades and passing traffic.
No Record Available
No consecutive record of
ownership is available and
even the best memories have
failed to recall more than a
few of the men and women
who were hosts. Amine them
were D. Perozzl and George
Owens. The final owners from
1947 to 1981 were Mr. and
Mrs. O. W. Green.
Manager of the hotel for 10
years at the turn of the cen.
tury was H. S. Sanford, whose
son, Torbert, and daughters.
Mrs. Ethclyndc Whitney and
Mrs. Gladys Rose, still live in
Ashland. They have many
happy recollections of their
youthful experiences while
the family lived In the hotel
Mrs. Whitney recalls the
three-course dinners served
for 50 cents by Chinese Jim,
saying that traveling men
would arrange their sched
ules so that they might cat as
many meals as possible at the
Ashland hotel.
Wonderful Pastries
"Those pastries were won
derful," declared Mrs. Whit
ney, "And his custard piei
were something very special."
Her brother added that
townspeople made a practice
of eating their Sunday dinners
at the hotel. He recalled that
the Thomas Simpson family
were "regulars." After the
Chinese cook returned to his
homeland he wrote frequent
letters and sent Interesting
giiU to the Sauford fanyjy.
MA"Y MEMORIES Clarence Lane, 90,
of Ashland, looks on as wrecking crews
busi'y go about demolishing the Ashland
hole'. Ihe 72-year-old hotel holds many
mcmnric'j for Lane. He has raced, marched
fecial Jfr'fi1 ; P
HOTEL OREGON When the Ashland
hotel was built in 1889 it was known as the
Hotel Oregon. It was built by a stock com
pany composed of Ashland business men.
Furnishings were brought fcom places as
far away as San Francisco and Chicago. In
It was several years later, Pcil had to await completion oldest hotel has dispensed
during the 1907 "hard times," i so they spent several weeks in warm hospitality to Chautau
that needy families were giv- j a suite on the third floor west qua celebrities and railroad
en a generous pail filled with i front. crews, to senators and Shakes-
dinner left overs for a dime. In 1912 Ashland High school spearean actors, to salesmen
First Acquaintance ' graduates felt they had reach- and overnight tourists.
Mrs. Alice Applegnte Pcil. ed the ultimate of sophistica-1 Today only a front facade
now a resident of the Rogue j lion when they held their sen-1 remains as final reminder of
Valley Manor, tells of her first ior banquet in the. elegance i an era past.
acquaintance with the hotel 1
when she was a bride in 1910.
Upon returning from their
honeymoon Mr. and Mrs. Kmil
r,
guests crowded into the ballroom and lobby at the hotel's
opening celebration. One of the unusual features of the
hotel in 1889 was electric lighting and an electric fire
alarm system.
nearly three-quariers of a century, Ashland's
oldest hotel has served as a home to rail
road crews, senators, Shakespearean actors,
salesmen and overnight tourists. Only a
front facade remains todays as a reminder of
past eras.
of the hotel dining room, re-!
calls Mrs. Grace Milam Flint j
During nearly niree-quar-1
tcrs of a century Ashland's
or ridden Dcfore lis veranda grandstand on
more than 70 Independence days. He man
ned a hoso when the hotel was blistered by
flumes many years ago. And he danced in
the gold ballroom many times.
To the sound of falling tiny
bers and rip of the wrecking
bar Ashland moves on with its
business of progress.
COLLEGE'S NAVY This is Oregon State colleges ocean
ography research ship "Acona" after launching last week in
Portland. One of the vessel's special features is an underwater
port with lights so scientists can observe marine life as the
ship sails. (UPI Telephoto)
'Acona' Launched for Research Projects
Portland- The vessel that
will unlock the secrets of the
ocean off Oregon was launch
ed in Portland last week.
It is the quartcr-million-dol-
lar "Acona" of the Oregon
State college department of
oceanography. It will be used
by the college for the first
really intensive studies ever
made of the Oregon ocean.
The Acona was built with a
grant from the Office of Naval
Research, which picked OSC
two years ago as one of 10
schools in the nation to carry
out a giant 10-year program
of research in waters sur
rounding the United -States.
The schools are spaced up and
down the East and West coasts
and along the Gulf of Mexico.
The new OSC "navy" is de
scribed as an 80-foot "floating
laboratory" by Dr. Wayne V.
Burt, head of the college's
oceanography department and
the man who launched ocean
research in the state when he
joined the OSC staff in 1954.
Special Equipment
Special research equipment
on the Acona will let the
scientists study the ocean inside-out
and from top to ocean
floor, which is 3 miles down
in some places off Oregon. One
of the vessel's special features
is an underwater port, with
lights, so that scientists can
observe marine life as the
Acona moves along on its reg
ular research cruises.
A wide range of research
projects is scheduled by the
various OSC ocean experts,
Burt said. These will include
inventories of plant and ani
mal life; studies of currents
off Oregon and how they
change; bottom sediments and
the ocean floor; temperature;
oxygen content, and salinity
of the water; pollution prob
lems in coastal estuaries; and
defense-type research on un
derwater factors affecting sub
marine operations.
Oregon has the fourth long
est coastline of any state, but
almost nothing had been done
on research before the OSC
oceanography department was
organized.
Sponsor at Launching
Mrs. Burt was sponsor at
the launching that sent the
Acona into the waters of Wil
lamette river. Invocation was
by the Rev. Walter Frutiger
o f the Corvallis Federated
churches.
Members of the official par
ty that witnessed the launch
ing .included OSC President
A. L. Strand, Dr. John R.
Richards, chancellor of the
state system of higher educa
tion, and some members of
the state board of higher edu
cation. The name Acona is an In
dian word for Yaquina. New
port, on the Yaquina Bay, will
be home port.
Before the Acona goes to
Surgical Diseases of
Heart Subject of Show
"Surgical Diseases of the
Heart" will be discussed on
"Adventures in Medicine" at
4 o'clock this afternoon over
station KBES-TV.
Appearing on the medical
panel will be Dr. Thomas E.
Upton, anesthesiologist. Dr.
James W. Quinn. chest sur
geon, and Dr. William Miller,
pediatrician. They will be as
sisted by Herbert Hunter,
medical illustrator.
Normal heart functions and
causes of malfunction will be
described with accompanying
sketches. The difference be
tween open and closed heart
surgery will be explained, and
some of the more common
heart conditions treated by
surgery will be described.
The physicians will note!
also the important conlribu-l
turns made by anesthcsia.ini
r
4 aiHPWwSPwwW
l ' i , i I
EXPLAINS EQUIPMENT Electronics equipment as Naval Reserve Electronics
Technician Second Class Charles Parlier, Division 13-5 honored families and friends
Medford, explains to a group of interested of the civilian-sailor members Valentine's
onlookers the operation of a piece of radar Day night.
Reserve Holds Valentine Party
Mcdford's Naval Reserve
had a Valentine party Tues
day night.
It marked a special occa
sion honoring the families and
"sweethearts" of members of
Electronics Division 13-5 ad
judged one op the "nation's
best" during national competi
tion last year.
After witnessing the open
ing ceremonies and personnel
inspection, the large crowd
settled back while Command
ing Officer R. A. Schuchard
gave a detailed explanation of
the Naval Reserve training
program as offered in an elec
tronics division.
Later, the audience saw a
special colored slide presenta
tion by Radioman Seaman
Alec Gercn, Medford, featur
ing pictures of his recently
completed two-week cruise to
South America.
Newport, however, a good
deal of outfitting still remains.
The ballast, winches, and
other special gear must be
put into place.
Formal commissioning will
come when the Acona is ready
for its ocean duty. At that
time, open house will be held
for those who want to see the
vessel and watch demonstra
tions of research equipment.
In adition to the funds from
Office of Naval Research, OSC
has received substantial
grants for ocean studies from
the U.S. public health service
and the National Science
Foundation.
modern heart surgery, and ex
plain some of the newer sur
gical techniques being used.
Mrs. C. Ivan Burton, director-moderator
of the Tubercu
losis and Health association's
bi-weekly program, presented
in cooperation with the Jack
son County Medical society,
said this is the sixth year in
which a program on heart
disease has been presented
during National Heart Month.
She added that, although
the association's first concern
is the eradication of tubercu
losis, many other chest condi
tions are found through the
case-finding program - the
weekly chest x-ray clinic, op
erated at Sacred Heart Hos
pital. Many of these condi
tions, including heart, are re
ferred to the patient's own
physician for further stuoV.
I
mam uu. - - - u . . l . ( i i imM
Demonstrations in electron
ics and radio were given by
petty officers of the unit
throughout the evening.
Refreshments consisting of
Mortuary
Cemetery
Mausoleum
Crematory
Columbarium
Only Complete
Funeral Service
In ONE Location
In Southern Oregon
O
"3
a
IT)
Joe Hosick-Funeral Director-Monager
SISKIYOU
And
SISKIYOU MEMORIAL PARK
t. G. (Lew) Miles, Mgr.
SP 2-2344
lea
3
O
-
11
o
o
605
specially decorated sheet
cakes and "good old Navy
mud" were served by the
wives of the division staff
officers.
INVESTIGATE
and
SAVE 1
with
One
Ca
In One location
SP 2-5488
5 Minutes from
Riverside & 8rh
or 10th Streets
Highland Dr