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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (May 7, 1961)
g SUNDAY, MAY 7. 1161 MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD. OREGON t Jdsiiwo!IIe: rflostoiry With -'Modeirini ill ! T'V ' ' " "' ' f f. - s , I o .if F IOOF BUILDING Located on the corner of Main and Oregon sis. in Jacksonville is the Independent Order of Odd Fellows building constructed in 1860. Heavy iron doors over BEEKMAN BANK The old Beekman bank on Jacksonville's Main st. is being restored through efforts of the Southern Oregon Historical society. When completed,, the 'i i. - 'I gin gBnyfa&. jg v: 1 r'-l! tp" riu l i !: . cur 'UiUi-f I - - .r- ..... - Yk k h CITY HALL-The Jacksonville City council meets in the old city hall, first used as a general store in 1836. The council considers modern day problems in old style surround- Vr HISTORIC CEMETERY Many men, women and children who helped shape the history of southern Oregon are buried In the Jacksonville cemetery. These pioneers lie in plots beneath the thade of madrona, pint and oak trees. windows and entrance-ways made the build lng a veritable fort against possible raids by Indians. To the left of the IOOF building U what once was the Table Rock Saloon. f ! k J. j M J.I. n r ' : ' I bank will look Just as it did decades ago, complete with banking facilities. However, no actual banking will be done. It will be used as a tourist attraction. ,.Al.J1lll.lll.' lngs. The building is in need of repair today, and the city plans on soliciting bids for needed improvements. . . The cemetery Is maintained Jointly by the city and various religious organizations. Among most impressive plots Is the Ish plot with nine tall tombstone. Officials Face Problems of Past, Modern Ideas By JOHN STAFFORD Mail Tribune Staff Writer and BETTE HOSKINS Mail Tribune Correspondent Jacksonville-The boom of the 18S0s is over in this his- toric southern Oregon com. munity, but plenty of physi. cal remnants of a town creat ed by a gold rush remain. Old buildings, which would probably be torn down in many areas, line Main st. and serve as a reminder of the good old days" when raw gold was a common sight. The history of Jacksonville starts with discovery of gold in Jackson creek and prog resses through the boom cre ated by wild eyed prospectors bent on making a fortune. The city was the wealthiest and largest community in Oregon when the territory received statehood in 1859. Eventually, opportunities to make quicker fortunes sprang up in other areas and much of the population moved on. Chance Rise Again Chances for high prosperity rose again in the late 1800s when a railroad indicated a desire to run a main line through Jacksonville. History reveals that difference of opin ion between local citizens in settling on a railroad right of way caused the company to put its track five miles away through a settlement known as Medford. One historian said "Jack sonville soon withered as far as commerce and population were concerned." Few Jacksonville citizens today are unhappy about what was considered an un fortunate event years ago. However, city officials are facing problems encountered in few other U.S. cities. Early History 'Recorded Much of the early history of Oregon has been recorded in Jacksonville and there is much to be said for preserv ing this history. However, there also is much to be said for moving the city ahead along modern lines. Chances are good that both viewpoints will be represented in future major development, if and when it comes. City Councilman Don Wendt says he favors preserving the historical elements in , the community, but adds that the people want the city to be as modern and up to date as any other community. Is It possible to Initiate modern improvements and at the same time retain an his torical atmosphere? Wendt thinks it is, and so does Mayor E. O. Graham. Both men have visions of restoring buildings in the main section of town to their original condition, while at the same time, developing other areas of town into first class residential districts. They point out that home- sites in and around Jackson ville are ideal. And they are quick to mention that 17 new homes have been constructed in the city in the last two years. Two Subdivisions Two subdivisions have been initiated. The Reinking sub division is located in the southeast section of town. Seven new homes are includ ed there. The Ford-Patterson subdivision is in the north east sector. Wendt says the city council favors giving the city an his torical flavor and atmosphere while, at the same time, pro viding a "wonderful residen tial area away from city type t . prltfh'. pAA; Vfip ;A?.-C,:,, . . AAA kAAaA' (ft T?': ' AAA-- , . - OLD AND NEW The main street of Jacksonville repre- sents more than 100 years of Oregon history. Buildings haven't changed much in the last 50 years but no one is complaining. Many people hope to see the street restored living." Steps have been taken to ward restoration of historical buildings. The Southern Ore gon Historical society is re storing the old Beekman bank located on Main st. And the Lions club and Siskiyou Pio ner Sites Foundation are en gaged in restoring the U. S. hotel, also on Main st. To insure retaining the his torical atmosphere, in 1939 the city council incorporated a provision in the city zoning ordinance which makes it il legal to change the front of a building in the historical zone. Another ordinance requires all signs in the zone to be of old fashioned design. Graham says he hopes all buildings along Main'st. will be restored in the near future. The building exteriors would have to be historical, but the interiors could be modern, ac cording to Graham. Attracting Tourists v Attracting tourists to the city is a prime factor in fu ture plans. Currently, the ma jor attraction is the Jackson ville museum, founded in 1950. A total of 416,191 visi tors have toured the museum since It opened. Attendance is Increasing at a rapid rate. Since January of this year 10,102 visitors have regis tered, an increase of 880 over a year ago. A few of these visitors visit the main business district. Wendt and Graham want more, and to do this, they say the street needs to be re stored. Curio and sift shoDS on a limited scale, antique shops and more restaurants are needed, they point out. Ponulation of Jacksonville is 1,171. Assessed valuation of property totals $631,799.71. The 1960 city budget was $31,904.36. The annual tax levy has Increased from $9,- 931 in 1956 to $12,888 in 1960, and Jean Hewlett, city recorder, says that much of the increase has been caused by a general Increase in prices. In the 1930s the city spent hetween 500 and $1,000 a month. Today the city spends about $4,000 a montn. , Improving Facilities Improvement of city facili ties has been progressing on schedule in recent years. A long range street paving pro gram has paid off to the ex tent that, only one street in town remains unpaved. More than three miles or hard sur face streets are in the city. In nririlllnn a cover for the city water reservoir was installed late last year at a cost in ex cess of $5,000. Five rmnlnvre.i are on the city payroll. They Include a police chief, city recorder, water superintendent, attor ney and Judse. The fire chief of the 18-mombor volunteer fire department also receives a small salary. The rltv helos maintain the Jacksonville cemetery, an his torical attraction. Representa tives from the city, Odfl ei Iowa. Catholic church. Masons ami Redmen serve as a-gov erning cemetery committee. Common marking on tomb stones is the phrase "killed hv the Indians." One of the earliest birthdates Is 1790. Work In Other Placet A large number of city res idents work In surrounding communities. Local merchants are the only businesses in Jacksonville. r.raham sav. the cltv Isn't ttemDtlns to attract lane in- dustr'al developments. As in other small cities, lo cal organizations play an im portant part in community affairs. The Jacksonville Lions club has 21 members and is currently helping to restore the U.S. hotel. The Lions also built the Jackson ville Community hall 12 years ago. Other projects include aiding the blind and supply ing glasses to needy children in the area. The Lions auxiliary also is active in aiding the blind. The auxiliary sends blind children and their parents to a state institute for the blind meet ing twice a year. Maintains Park The Jacksonville Garden club helps maintain the city memorial park and encourages planting of flowers in all areas of the city. In addition, the club helps maintain an old rose garden, started by the Medford , Rose society. The garden contains over 90 roses of 17 varieties. It is located near the Methodist church on the corner of Fifth and D sts. The Odd Fellows were or ganized in 1880. The IOOF sponsors an historical trek with lodge visitors from all parts of Oregon, and a United Nations pilgrimage, sponsored jointly by the IOOF and Re bekah lodge. A Boy Scout troop is also sponsored by the IOOF. The Elementary PTA has 102 members and recently started sponsoring a summer recreation program. Other active organizations Include the Royal Neighbors of America, Masons, Eastern Star, American Legion and Legion auxiliary. t First County Branch The Jacksonville library, opened in 1923, was the first county branch library. It was started with 290 books. Today this number has swelled to 6,384. According to Graham and Wendt, a key to future devel opments is installation of a sewage disposal system, an Issue defeated in a 1957 elec tion. Establishment of large residential developments may hinge on whether or not the sewage disposal plant is in stalled. Septic tanks are used by residents presently. Cost of the proposed system was $120,600. Since the 1957 election, Graham says the city tax val uation has increased and the tax rate has been lowered. The bonding capacity of the city has been Increased. Cur rent bonded indebtedness is less than $75,000. Graham said that the indebtedness de creased as a result of annexa tion of the high school district Into the Medford school dis trict. To Com Up Again The sewage disposal issue Is scheduled to come up again. Graham says he hopes an elec tion will be held in the near future. Wendt feels that "Jacksonville needs a sewage system. We want to make the proposal as favorable as pos sible explaining why it is nec essary and how it will be beneficial." He points out that the proposed system would raise property values. Progress is being made in Jacksonville and possibilities for the future are unlimited. The town may be old. but the people are enthusiast! cand excited about prospects for the future. Maar Graham thinks the time tor large scale progress Is drawing near. Whether his hopes materialize remain to b teen. utiis and progress in this direction is currently being made, with restoraton of the U.S. Hotel and Beekman bank ' started. The children pictured are standing on ground probably once traveled by gold miners in the 1850s. ?'rA ta -K-w v " - V,W wSa w X TOURIST ATTRACTION The Jackson- come to view museum exnibits. The South ville museum, founded in 1950, is the main em Historical , society maintains the mu tourist attraction in the city. Guest books seum. The building was formerly the Jack indicate people from all parts of the world son county courthouse. Service Unlimited Has New Owner Mrs. Betty Fichtner has purchased the business of Service Unliimted and All Service Temporary Employ ment from Miss Dana L. Platz, owner of the business for the past several years. Mrs. Fichtner said the bus iness will continue to deal with the employment of pro fessional, clerical and skiled laborers. Two full time secre taries are employed in the of fice, she said. They are Mrs. Josephine Williams and Mrs. Laverne James. The business Is located at 1005 East Main St. MAPLE HARVEST Albany - Upper New York and Vermont farm families tap about six million maple trees for the annual sap har vest. D HELP US! W nttd clothing, thots, dishts, (urnitvt, 14 bedding. W ick U. HELP OTHERS! Th Salvation Army 30 N. HoRt SPrin J-7335 L Investigate Our Insured Pre-Need Funeral Service Plan SISKIYOU I ffimmllitWlfi directors ONE Phone SPring 2-5488 ONE LOCATION 605 Bowmer, Taylor Elected To Group Ashland Southern Oregon college professors, Angus L. Bowmer, founder-producer of the Oregon Shakespearean Festival, and Dr. Arthur S. Taylor, chairman of the social science division, have been elected to a membership in the prestigious International Institute of Arts and Letters, Dr. Elmo N. Stevenson, SOC president, has announced. Founded in 1907 a a body " corporate under the laws of Switzerland, the continuing purpose of the Insitute has been the , achievement of world-wide cooperation in the cultivation and promotion of arts, letters and sciences, with the object of increasing knowledge and of contribut ing in other ways to human progress. Among its published list of members are such interna tionally distinguished persons as Marc Chagall, French writer-philosopher; Jean Cocteau, member of the French acad emy; Alan S. Paton, writer, Union of South Africa; Eero Saarinen, American architect; William Saroyan, American writer; Thoronton Wilder, American writer; King W. Vi dor, American motion picture director; and professor Do zent Heinz Hajek-Halke, Aca demy of Fine Arts, Berlin, Germany. j g .' - smmmi mm JOE R. HOSICK Funeral Director CALL Mortuary Cmtry ' Mausolsum Crematory Columbarium Inquiries Invited Highland Dr. isb t
