Meet Trevor, a 13-year-old Basset Hound, and the “senior citizen” in our Walkabout Wednesday Club. As a Basset, Trevor brings a different visual perspective to Jacksonville than Storm Large, but Trevor is equally excited to be sharing our town’s storied history!
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Kubli House
Today Trevor is visiting the 1 ½ story wood frame structure at 305 S. Oregon Street in Jacksonville. Although the house was built in 1862 and Kaspar Kubli did not acquire it until 1872, it’s known as the Kubli House (or Kubli Haus) since it was occupied by the Kubli family for 25 years.
Twenty-year-old Kaspar Kubli had immigrated to the U.S. from Switzerland in 1852, arriving in Jacksonville a year later. After mining for 2 winters, he found greater success packing supplies from Crescent City in partnership with fellow Swiss immigrants, Peter Britt and Viet Shutz. With his capital he acquired extensive land holdings in the Applegate where he engaged in farming and ranching.
Moving back into Jacksonville in 1872, Kubli purchased this house along with a tinsmith and hardware business. The latter’s success led to his erecting the 2-story brick commercial building on California Street which still bears the Kubli name.
Kubli was also an active public and civic servant, twice elected Jackson County Treasurer, elected Grand Patriarch of the International Order of Odd Fellows grand lodge of Oregon, and involved in the Presbyterian Church management.
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Helms House
Trevor is visiting the Italianate style Helms House at the corner of South Oregon and Pine streets. It was built in 1878 by Table Rock Billiard Saloon owner Herman von Helms. An existing cabin was incorporated as kitchen and pantry.
After arriving in Jacksonville in 1856, Helms had purchased an interest in the Table Rock Bakery (the forerunner of his saloon), and in 1866 purchased this corner lot from William Hesse, the original owner of the Bakery.
Helms marriage to Augusta Englebrecht in 1862 had been arranged through the Northern California and Southern Oregon German communities. Both Herman and Augusta were originally from Holstein, Germany, but they met for the first time the day before they wed. Their marriage appears to have been successful, but of their 9 children, only 5 survived to adulthood. Three daughters died in typhoid epidemics; a fourth was murdered by her sister’s estranged husband. Their spirits still linger and this is one of the houses featured on Historic Jacksonville’s “Haunted History” walking tours.