6 C
SUNDAY. MAY 6. 1962
Tea Given at Historic Ranch Hou&e
Honoft Woman on Ninetieth Birthday
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD. OREGON
-o
By MARY KKVB
Gold Ijll - A tea given
in the stately cf&een Anne
style Chavner family home on
April 26 honored Mrs. W. E.
Thompson, the former Mar
garet Chavner, on her 90th
birthday anniversary. Mrs.
Thompson was born on the
ranch in 1872, the daughter
of Thomas and Margaret
Chavner, well known Jackson
county pioneer couple, and
has lived there most of her
life. Mr. Chavner laid out the
original townsile of Gold
Hill. '
The house, built in 1891, is
now the home of the honored
woman's son and daughter-in-
law, Mr. and Mrs. Chavner
Thompson, who were hosts
for the tea. Guests were wel
comed between 2 and 5 o'clock
in the south - wing parlor.
In this room stands a rose,
wood piano that was brought
around the Horn to Crescent
City, Calif., and from there
to southern Oregon by pack
oldors completed the center- to sell it to Jackson county
piece. The lilacs were picked ; He had hired Chinese work
from original bushes thatjers to build the road which
were planted after the house i is known as the old South Pa
uns hnilt '
For the occasion the
ored woman wore a floral
; cific highway.
h; 1 Ranch Large O
train. It is more than 100
years old. Mrs. Thompson is
a pianist, as was her sister,
the late Mary Ann Chavner
Pryce. An oil painting, the
work of Mary Ann, also adds
interest to the room.
Mrs. Jack Mayer, daughter
of Mrs. Thompson, came from
her home in Portland for the
celebration. She is the former
Horlense Thompson.
Guests signed a memory
book, a gift to the honoree
from her daughter-in-law, who
wrote an original message in
gold. Cards and mementos of
Mrs. Thompson's 90th birth
day anniversary will be plac
ed in the book. Mrs. Oscar
Rosenberg, Gold Hill, took
charge of the book. Pouring
during the afternoon were
Mrs. S. K. Velliquette and
Mrs. Prentice Petty, both
Gold Hill.
An arrangement of orchid
lilacs stood in a gold trimmed
crystal bowl on the tea table
and gold lapers in crystal
polished cotton frock of aqua
marine and lavender and her
corsage was a lavender or
chid. Mrs. .William M. (Allie)
Thomas, who is Mrs. Thomp
son's companion, was among
the guests. Her corsage was a
white orchid. Mrs. Thompson
resides on the ranch in her
own home that she and her
husband had built about 1006.
She has a view of the city of
Gold Hill from her house,
which is located just opposite
the Rogue river. It was in this
home where she and her hus
band reared their son and
daughter.
Father Founds Town
The late W. E. Thompson
first came to this area because
of his interests in the Blue
Ledge mine near Copper. Pri
or to coming to Oregon he
had mined In Mexico, Mon
tana, Idaho and Canada and
was well known in the gold
rush days.
Mrs. Thompson's father was
a prominent figure in the Gold
Hill lode legend for which he
named the town of Gold Hill.
He laid out the townsite and
donated It as such so that the
railroad company would con
struct the railroad via this
route. He furnished the pipe
and tank for the railroad to
encourage establishment of
the station. The original watur
tank for the trains was locat
ed on the south side of the
railroad tracks just about op
posite the street from the old
Gus Erickson house, on Sec
ond avenue. Thomas Chavner
built the first bridge across
the Rogue river above where
the railroad bridge is now lo
cated. This bridge was the Cen
tennial Toll Bridge built in
1876. It was used as a toll
bridge until 1IW!8, the year of,
his dealli when he arranged
The original Chavner ranch
consisted of about four sec
tions, 2,000 acres, of land. In
addition to the townsite of
Gold Hill, it Included the Dar
danelle, which was an early-
day settlement prior to Gold
Hill. In that area there is
now a restaurant, service sta
tion and trailer court. During
.he years about half of this
land has been sold.
Mrs. Thompson had two old
er brothers and a sister. They
were Michael Chavner, Peter
Chavner and Mary Ann Chav
ner Pryce. She recalls that as
infants all were taken out in
a unique baby buggy. This
old buggy, she said, was taken
to Jacksonville when the fam
ily went to town and wheeled
up and down the historical
old streets while the parents
shopped. Her own youngsters
were both wheeled about the
ranch in it, and on the streets
of Gold Hill. It is now stored
on the second floor of the
Queen Ann house.
Mrs. Thompson's mother
died when she was eight years
old. She attended school just
one week at the early day
Dardanclle school, and re
ceived her education at St.
Mary's academy In Jackson
ville where she graduated in
1088. She went to Cincinnati
College of Music to study pi
ano during 1890, and in 1894
returned cast for more study.
This time three years were
spent at the New England
Conservatory of Music in Bos
ton, Mass.
Children Build Home
It was prior to her return
to the east that the Queen
Anne home was built. This
took place after the death of
her father, who died in 1888.
The sons and daughters had
the residence built and es
tablished it as the Chavner
family home. 11 was construct-
o iwr ' xy-'v. iv . 4..-.
Mood Indigo Theme of
St. Mary's High Prom
Mrs. W. E. Thompson, who celebrated
her 90th birthday anniversary April 26, it
shown here with her son, Chavner Thomp
son, and her daughter, Mrs. Jack Mayer,
Portland, and the elaborate Queen Anne
type house which has been a source of in
terest in southern Oregon since it was built
in 1891. Mrs. Thompson's father, Thomas
Chavner, laid out the townsite of Gold
Hill on part of his original holdings of four
sections of land and the family has farmed
and raised cattle continously on the place
for more than 100 years.
Mood Indigo was the theme
for St. Mary's High school i
junior-senior prom held Fri-1
day, May 4 at the Rogue Val
ley Country club. Decorations
were done in various hues of
blue and purple in keeping
with the theme. James Cal
houn and Miss Barbara Lew-1
is were the general chairmen.
Roy Taylor's band fur
nished the dance music for
the event which was attended
by 33 couples.
In charge of the decorations
was Miss Kathy Hout, while
Miss Linda Metz was publi
city chairman. The programs
and tickets were arranged
for by Miss Mary Lee Lowry ,
and Miss Laura Batzer was
chairman of the chaperone
committee.
Guests were the Very Rev.
Carl Mai, the Rev. William
Noon Luncheon Set '
By Mistletoe Club
The only meeting scheduled
for this montb for Mistletoe
club of the Royal Neighbors
of America lodge, is slated
for Wednesday, May 9 at 12
noon. Mrs. David Fraysher
will be the committe chairman.
Those who attend are asked
by the officers to take a hot
dish, salad or dessert.
FOE Auxiliary j
Group To Meet
Past Presidents of the aux
iliary to the Crater Lake
chapter, Fraternal Order of i
Eagles, plan a luncheon meet
ing at 1:30 p.m., Friday, May
11 in the home of Mrs. Jesse j
Wagner, 112 Cottage street.
McLeod,
Richard
the Rev. John
Paup, William
Ilg.
Mc-
Kibben and Mr. and Mrs.
Hugh Friel.
Chaperones were Mr. and
Mrs. Jack Batzer, Mr. and
Mrs. Van Calhoun, Mr. and
Mrs. Floyd Darland, Mr. and
Mrs. Quentin Lewis and Mr.
and Mrs.
cd by a man named Stewart the valley to conduct the serv- - kA r Chartier
who marie quite a record for ' ices. About 1945 Mass books 'V"S- v-ndlTier
himself when he completed it j a"d vestments kept at the T. D InqtallpH
Chavnprs were timrpH nvpr 1 inaiQIECU
,,i unc jwi. xiic uuLiau, sidliu-
at
fen
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MEDFORD SHOPPING CENTER
Phone 772-9990
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$2.83 2 S4.C0
ing in a grove of Laurel trees,
is a three-story structure with
12 rooms including two par
lors; one in the south wing
land one in the west wing.
A round kilchen, built of
brick, has I-een modernised
by Mr. and Mr.-:. Chnvner
Thcmpsnn, and windows add
er'. The double parlor sliding
doors arc H feci high, and ceil
in: s in the house are 10 feet.
There is a fireplace in each of
the two parlors downstairs
and one fireplace on the sec
ond floor.
With the exception of a
few years, the house has been
continuously occupied by
members of the Chavner fam
ily. The husband of Mary Ann
Chavner was an Englishman
who was one of the first physician-surgeons
in Medford.
During the earlier days,
Catholic priests came from
parishes in Jacksonville, Med
ford and Grants Pass to hold
mass in the west wing parlor.
Until about 192(1 the priesls
alternated between the Chav
ner home and other places in
to Father Nicholas Deis at the
Medford parish. During the
years that Mass was held in
the west-wing parlor, the fam
ily piano was used as an altar.
An early-day priest, Fa
ther Blanchet, who conducted
religious services in the or
isin.'il Chavner home about
1854, used an old cupboard
for an altar, and it is now
stored on a porch at the Chav
ner Thompson home.
Mrs. Chavner (fiuth) Thomp
son has added to the Chavner
house some of her own prized
Mrs. Ellis Chartier will be
installed president of the West
Side School's Mothers club at
a meeting Wednesday, May D,
at the home of Mrs. Robert B.
Webber at 8 "i.m
Cthers to be installed will
ne Mrs. cranes hlvnn. vic-
presir:cnt; Mrs. E. L. Jack
secretary, and Mrs. M. R.
Doty, treasurer.
Members are reminded of
Ihe West Side School Student
Hobby show to be held at the
school Friday, May 25. at 6:,1U
p.m. Many of the activities,
possessions. These include
black pottery pitcher which p.m. Many of
her parents brought from including the cake and plant
England and which is 160! sale and hamburger fry, are
years old, a set of china dish- I arranged by the parents
cs which belonged to her through the Mothers club,
mother and an heirloom plate :
about 160 years old. She also j "j-q Elect
lino KJLCii ui aiiiciiijitt wiiilii
her father, Thomas F. Slater,
mined In Italy.
Ruth Thompson is an ar
dent horsewoman; and she
also enjoys assisting her hus
band on the ranch.
The family stresses that
neither the premises or the
house are open to the public.
Elections will be conducted
during a meeting of the Little
Garden club of Medford when
they meet Wednesday, May 8
al 7:30 p.m., in the home of
Mrs. Dale Graham, 817 Peach
street.
Mrs. C. T. Basom will be
cohostess.
A.,
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