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 the Merry Month of May!
And it’s a time of transitions
from spring programs
to summer programs!
Don’t Miss your Last Opportunity to
Time Travel to Depression Era Jacksonville via
Step back in time to 1932 when the country is deep into the Great Depression; Franklin Roosevelt is running for President; Groucho Marx is on the radio; and hobos go house to house looking for hand outs. Jacksonville residents are digging up backyards and streets looking for any gold left from the town’s original gold rush, and Ben and Carrie Beekman, the children of Jacksonville’s wealthiest and most prominent pioneer family, are closing up their 1870s family home.
Become part of a 1-hour living history “play” as you interact with Carrie, Ben, family members, and friends who are commenting on 1932 Jacksonville and life in the late 1800s. On May 18th, the Beekmans will be receiving callers at 10:30am, 12n, and 2pm. Admission is $10 and tour size is capped. Click here to purchase tickets. All proceeds help preserve Jacksonville’s historic buildings and bring them to life through programs, events, and activities.
The Cornelius C. Beekman House Museum, located at 470 E. California Street in Jacksonville, is still completely furnished with family artifacts. Family patriarch Cornelius Beekman was banker, investor, entrepreneur, and public servant. The Oregonian named him as one of the 100 most influential people in Oregon during the 100 years following statehood. Guests have raved about the tours calling them “the finest living history I have ever witnessed.”
And you have one last opportunity to explore the
Secrets & Mysteries of the Beekman Bank!
The Beekman Bank is the oldest financial institution in the Pacific Northwest, established by Cornelius C. Beekman as a gold dust office in 1856. He constructed the current 1863 bank building at 110 W. California Street in Jacksonville when he became the Wells Fargo agent. Over $40 million in gold crossed Beekman’s counters during Jacksonville’s heyday in the 1800s—equivalent to almost $1 billion in today’s currency!
The building has been preserved as a museum since Beekman locked the doors in 1915 and it’s preserved its secrets as well! The mint was in San Francisco, yet Beekman was never robbed. How did he safely ship his gold under the noses of the highwaymen? Fires destroyed all the wooden buildings surrounding the Bank. Why is the building still intact? Beekman ordered large quantities of opium. Was he a drug dealer? Beekman was supposedly happily married. Why was there a ring in his safe inscribed “Lois to Beek”? What was Beekman’s “office” really used for?
Join regional historian Ben Truwe on a 50 minute lantern light tour as he pursues these and other secrets and mysteries. Tours begin at 5:30 pm, 6:45 pm, and 8:00 pm. Admission is $5 and Tour size is limited. Our May 11th tours are currently booked, BUT we may be able to accommodate “walk ups.” The bank is located at 11o W. California Street at the corner of California and North 3rd.
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.