|
Jackson
County 1908 Medford, Oregon, Jan. 1908
Dear Unknown Friend,I was requested by our teacher, Professor Shirley, of the eighth grade, to write to you concerning our city and valley, which I will do to the best of my knowledge. Medford is located in the center of the beautiful Rogue River Valley. It is on the main line of the Southern Pacific railroad, 331 miles south of Portland and 442 miles north of San Francisco, in the southern part of Oregon. Its altitude is 1,374 ft. It is the western terminal of the Medford and Crater Lake Railroad. This railroad not only opens the gateway to Crater Lake National Park, but also makes it the point of concentration for all the timber of the upper Rogue River. All the public buildings and business blocks are of brick and stone, magnificent in design. The religious and educational advantages of Medford are of high order. There are nine churches representing all the leading denominations, all of strong congregations, and most of them having splendid places of worship. Medford has a fine school system. There are two large brick buildings. They carry a broad course of study, including drawing, watercolor work and music, under a special director. Jackson County, in which Rogue River Valley is located, lies at the southern end of the state. The climate is mild. During the coldest weather it seldom gets to 20 degrees above zero. The warmest weather is in July and August from 90 to 100 degrees. The nights are always delightful and cool. Rogue River Valley is the home of the the apple and pear and has been known and recognized throughout the East, and commanded the highest prices. All other fruits are raised in abundance. Among those raised are peaches, plums, apricots, cherries and prunes. Also almonds and walnuts. Berries of all kinds. Grains, wheat, oats, barley, rye and timothy. Alfalfa to perfection. This is the pioneer mining district of Oregon. Copper, gold and coal in abundance are found here. There are also fine timber regions. The territory of timber tributary to Medford extends far beyond the limits of Jackson County. While the forests of upper Rogue River is immense, sugar pine, yellow pine, fir, cedar, oak and laurel are in abundance. Hoping this will give you some information of our beautiful country and city, Yours respectfully,
"Inter-School Letter System Started," Alton Evening Telegraph, Alton, Illinois, March 4, 1908, page 1Berna Roberts. JACKSON
COUNTY.
(Jacksonville, County Seat.)
Jackson County lies in what is known as the
Rogue River Valley in the southwestern part of
the state. It is bounded on the north by
Douglas, on the west by Josephine, on the east
by Klamath counties, and on the south by
California. The population from the 1905
census was 13,628; of these 89 percent are
United States born; of the foreign 11 percent
about one-fourth are German; the remaining
three-fourths are made up principally of
Canadians, English, Irish, Scandinavians and
Austrians. The total area of the county is
1,779,662 acres. There are 48,183 acres
unappropriated and unreserved, of which 47,155
acres are surveyed and 1,028 acres are
unsurveyed. There are 199,183 acres reserved
and 1,532,296 acres appropriated. Of the
assessed appropriated land 81,069 acres are
cultivated and 1,010,667 are uncultivated.
Cultivated land is worth on an average of $58
per acre, and uncultivated $10.45. The total
value of taxable property in the county in
1907 was $22,811,390. The expenses for the
same year were $30,935.69. The surface is
level, rolling and mountainous. The rock
formation in the western part is
pre-Cretaceous; in the eastern part it is a
combination of Cretaceous and Eocene. The
natural forest growth consists principally of
oak, willow, yellow and sugar pine and fir.
Fruit of all kinds, especially peaches, have
been found to grow well on this soil, which is
rich in all the essential chemicals. It is
likely to be a very lasting soil. Its first
need will probably be phosphoric acid. The
soil is black and deep, ranging from ten
inches to several feet. The subsoil is hard
and white. The sugar beet, hemp, onions,
sorghum and strawberries should grow well on
this soil. The soil in the immediate vicinity
of the valley consists of successive alluvial
deposits of different geological periods and
is very rich. Rogue River and its branches
furnish excellent water power for milling
purposes. The fuel used is wood and costs from
$4.00 to $6.00 per cord. There are several
mineral springs with good curative qualities
in the county. The leading industry is
farming. Lumbering is carried on extensively.
There are fifteen sawmills, one saw and
planing mill, one saw and shingle mill, one
box factory, one saw and box factory, one saw,
lath and shingle mill, one sash and door
factory and three planing mills, employing in
all 101 skilled men at a daily wage of about
$3.15; 170 unskilled men at a daily wage of
$2.25; two women at a daily wage of about
$1.15. Mining is also an important industry.
There are sixteen gold quartz mines yielding
ore valued at $24.15 per ton, a number of
placer mines, five asphalt mines, two copper
mines yielding 30 percent ore, one iron mine,
also quantities of asbestos, quicksilver and
building stone. Among the industrial plants of
the county are found brick yards, breweries,
creameries, cold storages, electric light,
flour and feed, fruit canneries, laundries,
machine shops, printing, soda water and water
power, employing in all 125 skilled men at a
daily wage of about $3.75, and 160 unskilled
men at a daily wage of about $2.25. The roads
are in good condition. The climate is mild and
congenial. The mean temperature during the
spring months is 50.5 degrees, summer 61.1
degrees, fall 56.4 degrees, and winter 42.7
degrees. The mean precipitation during the
spring months is 2.64 inches, summer 1.34
inches, fall 1.43 inches, and winter 4.21
inches. At the 1908 June election this county
voted in favor of a local option prohibition
law. The charter of Medford, however, exempts
that town from the operation of the law.
Third
Biennial Report of the Bureau of Labor
Statistics and Inspector of Factories
and Workshops of the State of Oregon
from October 1, 1906 to September 30,
1908, Oregon State
Printing Department, 1909, page 132
Last revised September 30, 2017 |
|