Following the discovery of gold in the winter of 1851-2, Jacksonville, Oregon,
became a melting pot of races, classes, and cultures as ambitious individuals
pursued the promise of riches. The offer of free land brought settlers
seeking opportunity. The influx of miners and settlers attracted merchants
with goods to sell and opportunists of all kinds.
Historic Jacksonville, Inc. brings the history of Jacksonville and
Southern Oregon to life through the stories of the people, places, and things
that have contributed to who we are today.
It’s that time of year – the holidays are upon us!
So we’re starting off with a little
Holiday History!
With homes and businesses decorated for
Halloween
Historic Jacksonville, Inc. is sharing documented local pranks.
In 19th Century Jacksonville, Halloween was all tricks, no treats,
and of course, boys were the culprits.
William Puhl, who had a barbershop in the Masonic building, kept a milk cow at his residence. One Halloween, several boys decided to take the cow to the barbershop. Once the Puhl family was asleep, the boys stole “Bossy,” broke into the shop with a skeleton key, lured the cow in with bran, and then skedaddled.
When Puhl arrived at his shop the next morning, he found that Bossy had kicked over the barber chair and had generously “painted” the mirror, floor, etc. We would not have wanted to be one of his customers that day!
Click here then click on Halloween to read about 2 more 19th century Jacksonville pranks!
Veterans’ Day and Thanksgiving follow close on its heels.
Then before you know it, Jacksonville will be celebrating
Victorian Christmas!
The individuals who settled Jacksonville in the mid-1800s came from all over the world and they brought their holiday traditions with them. These became melded into how we celebrate Christmas today. Think Christmas trees, Santa Claus, mistletoe, Christmas cards, and more! We’re looking for volunteers to help share these traditions during our Beekman House Victorian Christmas tours!
The house will be decorated for a late 1800s Christmas celebration. One-hour tours begin every 20 minutes between 12n and 3pm on Saturday, November 30, and then every Saturday and Sunday from December 7th through the 22nd. Volunteer for a day, a weekend, or as many days as fit your schedule! Volunteers only cover one room and share the information pertinent to that room’s theme in 5 minute “scripts.” Scripts (talking points), costuming, and training are provided!
Help us bring Jacksonville’s fascinating history to life—and life to its history! If you are interested, please contact Historic Jacksonville, Inc. at info@historicjacksonville.org or 541-245-3650.
And please welcome the newest member of our
Meet Jasper, a certified mutt–part Texas heeler, part pit bull,
part who-knows-what, and part ham.
When he was just weeks old, he was found abandoned in Hawthorne Park. The Jackson County Animal Shelter nursed him back to health. At about three months he was adopted and had a great family, but a year later their lives changed and they thought it was best to find him a new home.
Now Jasper has a big brother (a rescued Shepard mix) and they like to travel, hike, and play. His favorite activity is stick flipping and making sure that all the sticks (or trees) are out of the water!
Historic Jacksonville’s Walkabout Wednesday Club is a tribute to Storm Large, Jacksonville’s Great Dane “history ambassador.” Every Wednesday for over 7 years, Storm shared our town’s historic sites along with their stories. Club members continue her legacy.
We always welcome new club members, so if you are willing to periodically pose and photograph your dog in front of one of Jacksonville’s many historic sites and share that image with the public, please let us know!
Contact info@historicjacksonville.org and we’ll give you some photography “tips.”
And have you
heard about
Jacksonville’s
New Museum?
Ariel and Caliban, two of our Walkabout Wednesday tour guides, are visiting Jacksonville’s Old City Hall. This 1881 building will become the home base for a “Museum without Walls” that incorporates the town’s entire National Historic Landmark District (the first one on the West Coast)!
Click here to check out Ariel and Caliban’s exploits, as well as those of other members of our Walkabout Wednesday Club, as they provide a preview of
some of our museum “sites.”
Stay tuned for more museum information!
And there are always lots of virtual ways to
Explore Historic Jacksonville!
Want an overview? Watch our 30 minute video.
Want a quick sample? Check out our daily Facebook and Instagram posts.
Want to dig deeper? Visit one of the 50 sites on our Walk through History blog.
Enjoy a visit to the historic C.C. Beekman House when
Mrs. Julia Beekman “Invites You to Call”
for a tour of her 1873 home.
Or visit many of Jacksonville’s original residences through our 45 minute
“Step Back in Time” Historic Home video!
Tour Jacksonville’s pioneer cemetery, one of the oldest cemeteries in the Pacific Northwest that has remained in continuous use through our new 45 minute
Pioneer Cemetery tour.
View Jacksonville through the eyes of local pets as they sniff out the
history and stories of local sites each week in our
Walkabout Wednesday series.
Join us for our on-going “Thirsty Thursday” saloon series featuring early Jacksonville stories of beer, wine, whiskey, saloons, and “entrepreneurs”!
So many ways to see the places and learn about the people who transformed a gold rush town into the 19th Century commercial, governmental, and social hub of Southern Oregon! Enjoy the treasure trove of Jacksonville History on this website plus daily history trivia on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Find out how interesting and fun history can be!
Jacksonville 1883 (lithograph)
When Oregon was admitted to the Union in 1859, Jacksonville was the largest inland trade center in the new state, and Jacksonville and its residents played a dominant role in early Oregon history and statehood. But when the railroad by-passed Jacksonville in the 1880s, the town slowly sank into oblivion. However, that oblivion also proved to be the town’s salvation, preserving the historic buildings, homes, and character that you see today—Jacksonville’s National Historic Landmark District. Today, these landmarks live again through the efforts of the City of Jacksonville, volunteers, and private owners so that you can again experience Jacksonville in its heyday.