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The Infamous Black Bird Southern Oregon History, Revised


Dr. John Francis Reddy

A doctor turned mining man, Reddy apparently retired after selling the Blue Ledge copper mine, becoming Medford's mayor and one of its most energetic boosters.

From The Sketch, Sept. 14, 1907


    The Hotel Nash is now conducted by Reddy & Ragsdale. In our account of the change in management last week it was stated that the matter of future management was still undecided, as quite a number of rumors were afloat as to what would be done in this regard. Mr. Ragsdale, however, now retains an interest in the business, and the hotel and its accessories will be carried on the same as of yore. During Mr. Ragsdale's management of the hotel he has made so many and such warm friends among our people that the majority of the citizens of this town will be glad to know that he will remain among us. Dr. Reddy's prominence in business affairs for the development of Southern Oregon are too well known to need comment here. It will suffice to say that he is in touch with large capitalists all over the country and believes in investing capital in developing favorable enterprises. That he has found such investments in Southern Oregon is shown by the interests he already has acquired. The firm of Reddy & Ragsdale has the best wishes of the Mail.

"City Happenings," Medford Mail, November 4, 1904, page 5


    Dr. J. F. Reddy, one of the members of the [Nash] hotel company, has a well-equipped office, centrally situated, in [which] he will conduct a mining business and general brokerage. Mining is Dr. Reddy's long suit, and he is never quite happy or content unless he has from one to a dozen big mining deals in hand.
"A Fine Office," Medford Mail, November 17, 1905, page 1


    Dr. J. F. Reddy:--"No, I haven't any news to give you about the proposed railroad to the Blue Ledge--just now. During the past week there have been 'air' lines [imaginary railroads]--several hundred miles of them--built from almost every town in Southern Oregon to that mine. All I can say at present is that there will be a road into that country--perhaps sooner than a whole lot of people figure. The mines are looking first rate. A new body of ore was struck the other day, which has an encouraging appearance. For good showing, considering the amount of development work, that section cannot be beaten by any copper district in the country."
"Street Echoes," Medford Mail, December 8, 1905, page 1


1907 Thomas 40 ad
1907 Thomas 40 ad
    The carload of automobiles mentioned in the Mail two weeks ago arrived for Hodson Auto Co. on Monday. The Thomas Forty was sold almost as soon as it was unloaded to Dr. Reddy.
"City Happenings," Medford Mail, June 28, 1907, page 5
Medford Mail, April 26, 1907
Medford Mail, April 26, 1907

    SPOKANE, Wash., Dec. 3.--Mrs. Annie Cowley, aged 61, the wife of M. M. Cowley, retired banker, a wealthy property owner and pioneer of the inland empire, was found dead in bed by her husband. The cause of death is believed to have been a brain hemorrhage. Mrs. Cowley was one of the earliest pioneer women of the inland empire, having lived within its borders for thirty-four years. She is survived by her husband and two daughters, Mrs. James Smythe, wife of a local plumber, and Mrs. J. F. Reddy, wife of the mayor of Medford, Ore.
Los Angeles Herald, December 24, 1907, page 6


    Born--In Medford, Or., April 16, 1909, to Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Reddy, a daughter.
"Local and Personal," Medford Mail, April 30, 1909, page 5


BIGGEST BOOSTER OF ALL
    Dr. J. F. Reddy, former mayor of Medford, proprietor of the Nash Hotel and builder of the new hotel at Central Avenue and Eighth Street, was labeled by the late E. H. Harriman as the greatest booster he ever saw. Dr. Reddy has done much for Medford, and the awakening of the town from its lethargy dates from his arrival from Spokane six years ago. He has been the means of interesting much capital in the Rogue River Valley and vicinity. It was through him that the Blue Ledge Mine was sold and developed and through his efforts that the Pacific & Eastern is becoming an actuality.
Medford Mail Tribune, January 2, 1910, page B10


Mrs. J. F. Reddy Starts an $8,000 Home
    Last Wednesday ground was broken for the beautiful $8000 residence to be built by Mrs. J. F. Reddy on lots 5, 6 and 7, block 11 [of the Queen Anne addition]. This will be one of Medford's most elegant homes, and is only one of many to be built in Queen Anne this year.
Medford Mail Tribune, March 13, 1910, page 16



DR. REDDY SAILS FROM LIVERPOOL
    Dr. and Mrs. J. F. Reddy sailed yesterday from Liverpool for New York on the liner Lusitania. They will come directly to Medford and will arrive about May 1. Dr. and Mrs. Reddy have been away from here about five months, having gone by the southern route, stopping at the principal cities, some time having been spent at New Orleans and New York. Their stay in Europe has been over two months.
    The doctor has been in touch, so it is understood, with a lot of moneyed people in the old country, and as a result of his trip it is believed that several things of moment are on the tapis for Medford.
Medford Sun, April 23, 1911, page 1


Dr. Reddy Partial to Home Product
Pays 20 Cents Each for Rogue Apples
(New York Sun)
    J. F. Reddy, who lives at Medford, Or., got back yesterday by the Lusitania after a four months' tour of Europe. Medford is in the great Rogue River Valley, where they grow apples, and Mr. Reddy says he ate Rogue River apples in every part of Europe and even had them on the steamer coming home. Some of them cost him 20 cents apiece, but being partial to home products, he paid it.
    "The apple-growing industry has made Medford," said Mr. Reddy at the Wolcott yesterday. "The town has grown in three years from a little place of 1800 to a hustling city of 11,000. The Rogue River Valley is the biggest fruit district in the world, and there are between 80 and 100,000 acres of it now bearing pears and apples. Probably 60,000 acres of that have been planted in the last six years.
    "Most of the fruit grown there goes to Europe. Why, on this trip I bought Rogue River apples in Dublin, Cork, Belfast, Glasgow, Paris, Monte Carlo, Turin and everywhere I went. I paid as high as 20 cents apiece for them in Monte Carlo, where the apples had been repacked and done up in pretty little boxes, but I also paid the same price in Belfast, where they had not gone to that trouble and which is much nearer home. The grower out in Oregon gets from two to two and a half cents apiece for them.
    "I came to the conclusion that there is no limit to the apple market if the grower can get close to the consumer. But 10 cents apiece was the cheapest I paid for the apples in Europe, and 10 cents is more than the average man wants to pay for an apple. Of course the retailer ought to make a good profit, but the trouble is that three or four or five commission men have got profits out of the apple before it gets to its final destination. The freight does not amount to much, nor do refrigerating and storage charges and precooling.
    "As the result of my tour I came to the conclusion that if some enterprising American would go over to Europe and do nothing but distribute Rogue River apples he could make a big fortune and tremendously broaden the market for good American apples. Everybody who has traveled in Europe knows that fruit is high, and in the case of these particular apples it is because of the numerous commissions they have to yield before reading the ultimate consumer. We are bound to come to American agencies for American fruit abroad.
    "I'll bet I could take a hundred carloads of our apples to Europe and sell them at a figure that would net the producer $2 a crate and put them on the market over there for less than 10 cents and in some places for five cents."
Medford Mail Tribune, May 5, 1911, page 1



Apples 20 Cents Each
(Washington Post)
    "It is not so bad to pay 20 cents for a single apple in Europe when you find that the apple came from your home county on this side," remarked J. F. Reddy of Medford, Oregon, last night.
    "I have just returned from the other side, and I found American apples in every city in Europe. They are rapidly taking to our Western fruit on the other side, and it encourages us to keep on planting orchards. Apples are not only making Oregon rich, but famous. Most of the fruit grown in the Rogue River Valley of my state goes direct to Europe.
    "We do not get 20 cents apiece for the apples--more's the pity--but the fruit has to go through several hands before it gets to the man who eats it. There is no limit to the apple market the world over. To Europe the American apple is yet a novelty, and our orchard men have a wonderful chance to grow rich while the demand and eagerness is so great.
    "Talk about paying 20 cents for an apple; please recall that the orchard owner out in Oregon gets possibly a trifle over two cents for each apple, but there is the freight and the commissions, with everybody taking a part of the profits.
    "Our little town of Medford three years ago had 1,800 people. Today we have a population of 11,000, all due to the luscious apple.
    "This comes from the fact that 100,000 acres in the Rogue River Valley are planted with apple trees, and we are setting out new trees by the thousand each year."
Albany (New York) Evening Journal, May 17, 1911, page 4


MEDFORD FRUIT IS SUPREME
DR. J. F. REDDY REPORTS ON TRIP ABROAD
Tells Commercial Club Rogue River Valley Product
in Europe Secures the Highest Price
    "I ate Rogue River apples and pears in London and Paris," said Dr. J. F. Reddy at the meeting of the Commercial Club last night, "and after conferring with fruit dealers in many parts of Europe I found that Medford fruit not only was considered the best in keeping qualities, but got the highest price in the foreign markets.
    "I was interested to find out whether or not the market could ever be oversupplied with Oregon fruit. There is a limit to the high-class quality, just as there is a limit to the number of people of wealth. But the market for staple fruit is practically unlimited, and if the state of Oregon was one fruit orchard, I believe there would still be a demand that would exceed the supply.
    "About every man in France, Italy, England, Scotland and Ireland has an apple or a fruit tree, but there are practically no commercial orchards. There are not to exceed 1500 acres in France and not to exceed 4000 in England. In Italy, Ireland and Scotland there may be 2300 acres in all. No fruit abroad has a better reputation than the Rogue River Valley product, and with the steadily increasing home consumption I see no limit to the market."
Medford Sun, July 6, 1911, page 2


Dr. J. F. Reddy

/photos/Reddy1912-4-25Sun.jpg     Whoever first asked "What's in a name?" must have had Dr. J. F. Reddy of Medford in mind. For the doctor is always ready to push anything along that he believes is good for the community.
    He is, and he has been--and he declares he always will be. Doc has talked with the crowned heads of Europe, the soft heads of New York and the boneheads of Portland, and he has boosted for Medford and the Rogue River Valley before all three.
    To tell all that the genial doctor has done for Medford would be to exhaust the print paper supply of the continent. It can't be told, for a good portion of the achievements are not known--except to a few, and they won't tell.
    The title of doctor is shrouded in mystery. But no appellation could be more appropriate, for if there is anything wrong Doc is called in to fix it. If there is anything to be done you will find the doctor with his shirt sleeves rolled up in the van of the column.
    Lest this degenerate into mawkish eulogy, let it be said that Doc Reddy is not without enemies. The native Oregonians are nix for him. For whenever Doc gets a chance to talk he always declares that no one can show him anything an Oregonian has done for Oregon. He avers there was a time when the native sons had to be thrown down and bound ere they would have their whiskers clipped.
    But we digress. Dr. Reddy was born shortly after the close of the Civil War--or, to be exact, December 3, 1866--in Cleveland, O.
    A family tradition has it that at the age of three months he joined the "Can Do It" club and crept to Chicago, attracted by the civic emblem "I Will."
    Becoming of age was celebrated by migrating to San Diego in 1888, where the mine bee started to buzz in the doctor's bonnet, and the next year he hied for Spokane and the silver and lead fields of the Coeur d'Alene.
    The Blue Ledge Mine must receive credit for Doc Reddy's settling in the Rogue River Valley, and since 1903 he has been active member of the Nash office brigade and a general hustler for everything for the benefit of the valley.
    It's a shame not to tell more about the doctor. He was mayor a few years ago, and he's pulled off more stunts than you can shake a stick at. But if anyone wants more information, here's a tip: Medford was about as big as Jacksonville when the doctor came here. Now look at it!
"Medford's Hall of Fame," Medford Sun, July 30, 1911, page 5
Mrs. J. F. Reddy, September 29, 1912 Sunday Oregonian
Mrs. J. F. Reddy, September 29, 1912 Sunday Oregonian

MRS. REDDY DECLINES TO RUN FOR MAYOR
    Mrs. Mary F. Reddy, leader in the local suffrage club and very active during the recent campaign for suffrage, who was suggested by her friends as a candidate for mayor, today declined to enter the race. Her statement follows:
To the editor:
    Believing as I do that the most important duty is to the one nearest at hand, I must beg to decline the nomination as mayor. We worked for the ballot not to hold office, but to have our part in saying who should. Ten years from now, when women are a force in politics, a woman mayor might be a help to Medford. With many thanks to the friends who have offered me their support,
MARY F. REDDY.       
Medford Mail Tribune, November 16, 1912, page 8


    Dr. J. F. Reddy and prosperity arrived in the Rogue River Valley about the same time. His influence, precept and example have been behind many of the good things which Medford has achieved. Dr. Reddy's public spirit is shown by the large amount of time and money he has devoted to unselfish boosting of Southern Oregon. He has many friends wherever he goes, as is illustrated by the story that during his recent trip to Frisco, his wife, wishing to give him the election news from Oregon, and being unable to locate him at his hotel, telegraphed four of his friends, asking each if he had spent the previous night there, and each answered "Yes."
Minnie (Mrs. Harry C.) Stoddard, "Medford's Hall of Fame," Medford Mail Tribune, December 18, 1912, page 4


    Wong, the Chinese handyman of Dr. J. F. Reddy, was struck by an auto driven by L. P. Black Thursday night, and was shaken up and frightened by his experience. Wong alighted from the streetcar and was struck by the auto coming up the hill. Black stopped the machine just as the Mongolian was hit. Dr. Porter was called, and found no broken bones.
"Local and Personal," Medford Mail Tribune, December 26, 1914, page 2


Developing Chrome Mines.
    The following is from a recent issue of the Yreka, Cal. News, and refers to the claims recently examined by Messrs. Lundgren and McCloy of this city.
    "J. F. Reddy, of Medford, Ore., who for years has been interested in mining in northern California and southern Oregon, has purchased and leased several chrome mines between Hamburg and Seiad on the north side of the Klamath River. At present he is working 40 men and looking for more. His chief operations are in Seiad Valley, but he is opening several of his claims located near Hamburg, all of which look to be producers. Doc Reddy is well known as a man who, when he takes hold of a proposition, usually makes a success of it."

"Local News," Jacksonville Post, June 22, 1918, page 1


MRS. J. F. REDDY NEAR DEATH IN AUTO ACCIDENT
    Grants Pass, July 23.--Mrs. J. F. Reddy of Medford, wife of Dr. Reddy, met with a serious accident this afternoon near the Dry Diggings when the car she was in turned over. Miss Lillian Roberts, also of Medford, who accompanied her, escaped injury by quickly jumping from the auto, but Mrs. Reddy sustained a long, deep cut on the left arm which severed an artery that will require several stitches to close. Her wrist was also sprained and there was a slight cut on her head.
    Mrs. Reddy, who is accustomed to driving a Hudson, was this afternoon driving a Chevrolet. In going up a slight grade she stalled the engine, and in endeavoring to start, the car bucked a few feet off a culvert into a ravine 15 or 20 feet deep, with the car bottom side up and Mrs. Reddy pinned underneath. A depression in the ground probably saved Mrs. Reddy's life. Miss Roberts rendered first aid and started for help.
    The two women were brought to the Josephine Hotel by Mr. and Mrs. N. E. Townsend of this city, who happened to pass a few minutes after the accident. After a short rest at the hotel Mrs. Reddy was able to take this afternoon's train for Medford.
    One wheel was knocked off the car, and it was otherwise battered up.

Medford Mail Tribune, July 24, 1919, page 8



DR. J. F. REDDY IS AWARDED $86,000 FOR CHROME WORK
    WASHINGTON, Jan. 5.--Dr. J. F. Reddy, pioneer of the Northwest, former mayor of Medford and one of the early settlers of Spokane, has received an award from the mineral relief commission which practically amounts to $86,000.
    Dr. Reddy, whose present home is at Grants Pass, Ore., was one of those who went heavily into the chrome mining industry when the government advertised for men to "mine chrome and help win the war." His investments in chrome mines had reached high figures when the armistice was signed and Uncle Sam canceled all orders for the mineral.
    The settlement, just announced, is made under an act of the last congress for the relief of those who sought patriotically to help the government by engaging in an industry that does not thrive in peace times because of foreign competition.
    Dr. Reddy is here, and with John H. Haak of Portland, Ore., and E. A. Dickey of Oakland, Cal., will appear before the House Ways and Means Committee next week to urge a protective tariff on chrome.--Portland Oregonian.
Medford Mail Tribune,
January 5, 1920, page 3


ROSE NAMED AFTER MRS. J. F. REDDY
    The Padre Botanical Gardens at Santa Barbara, California have produced a new rose, which has been named the "Mrs. John F. Reddy," in honor of the well-known matron of this city, who is one of the foremost rose fanciers of the Northwest. The rose was named by George M. A. Schoener, D.Phil., an internationally famous rose culturist, whose wizardry with plants is eclipsed only by Luther Burbank.
    In the rose catalogues for September, the new rose is described as follows:
    "The Mrs. John F. Reddy rose seedling is from the Kaiserin Augusta Victoria X and Mrs. Wakefield Chris."
Medford Mail Tribune, September 20, 1922


    Talents have opened a store on South Central in the building soon to be occupied by Reddy's jewelry store where they will retail their bakery goods and serve lunches. The bake shop will remain on South Grape Street.
    Articles of incorporation were filed at Salem yesterday by Reddy & Co., Medford successors to the Martin J. Reddy jewelry concern, with a capital of $50,000. The incorporators are Mary F. Reddy, Larry J. Schade and Alan Brackenreed.
"Local and Personal," Medford Mail Tribune, November 17, 1923, page 2


MEDFORD MAN IS ACE OF BOOSTERS
Dr. J. F. Reddy Tells How New Life May Be Infused in Defunct Grants Pass-Crescent City Railroad.
    The most confirmed pessimist could hardly fail to respond to the gospel of optimism as expounded by Dr. J. F. Reddy of Medford, whose greatest interest in life for the past decade or two has been the putting of Medford, Grants Pass and Crescent City on the map.
    Dr. Reddy addressed a small but deeply interested and attentive audience at the city hall Tuesday evening, at which Rev. A. J. Irwin, president of the Crescent City chamber of commerce, presided, it being the occasion of the monthly meeting of that organization.
    The most encouraging topic touched upon by the speaker, and one of practical importance to local people, was the Grants Pass-Crescent City railroad, which was started a few years ago and advanced about 17 miles toward Crescent City from Grants Pass, but upon which construction work stopped during the war and has never been resumed. He asserted emphatically that there is now a strong undercurrent of sentiment in favor of completing the road, on the part of large interests, and that now is the time for Del Norte citizens to unite as never before and boost for the proposition.
    While paying a high compliment to the pluck and determination that had accomplished so much toward gaining the Crescent City harbor improvement and in bringing the highways into this county, he said that the harbor and highways are now certain of being completed and that the people here should now center their efforts on the Grants Pass-Crescent City railroad.
    "I do not mean that you should drop your work for the harbor and highways, but the strenuous labors that you have performed in the past and which have gone so far toward getting these two great means of transportation, are no longer required. A little vigilance on your part from now on will ensure the completion of both the harbor and the highways, The same dauntless spirit and firm determination you have shown in the past, if enlisted for the Crescent City-Grants Pass railroad, will bring its accomplishment also."
    Dr. Reddy advanced the opinion that residents of this section will see large activities in the development of the immense chrome deposits near here before very long. He said that the deep water transportation now in sight is certain to bring this about. He called attention to the fact that 80 percent of the chrome in the United States is within a radius of a few miles--about 50--of this place. In order that the chrome may be marketed profitably a tariff will be necessary, Dr. Reddy stated, and added that there is a very good prospect that this metal will be included in the next tariff legislation enacted by Congress.
    Dr. Reddy related a number of amusing and inspiring reminiscences illustrative of the commercial value of optimism. Particularly apt was his story of how an appropriation from Congress to establish and maintain Crater Lake as a national park was obtained from an initial investment of $600, half of which was advanced by the city of Medford and half by Jackson County, to send a lobbyist to Washington.

Del Norte Triplicate, Crescent City, May 31, 1924, page 1


Mary Reddy.
    Mary Reddy is the owner and manager of Reddy & Co., "The Treasure House." This is one of Medford's pioneer jewelry stores and carries an unusually fine and complete stock of diamonds, jewelry, watches, clocks and silverware. For twenty years Reddy & Co. has been famous for its diamonds, and Mrs. Reddy is thoroughly familiar with all the phases of the jewelry business.
"Business and Professional Women," Medford Mail Tribune, January 1, 1928, page E4


DR. J. F. REDDY TO OPERATE MINE BUSINESS HERE
    Dr. J. F. Reddy, one of Southern Oregon's best known mining enthusiasts, yesterday opened offices at the corner of South Central and Main streets for his new business to be known as the Reddy company, brokers in mines, real estate and timber land. His son-in-law, Edward Moore, will be in charge at the office which was formerly the location of the Reddy jewelry store.
    A collection of minerals found in Southern Oregon and California is exhibited in the windows.  Gold and copper from the Blue Ledge country, two varieties of jasper from Greenspring Mountain and mica from Evans Creek are a few of the ores. Dr. Reddy plans to have a case filled with specimens secured during the past 20 years displayed in glass cases in the office as soon as he gets the articles classified.
    Ever since Mr. Reddy came to Medford 26 years ago, his two chief hobbies have been mining and railroading. When mining men from out of the state come to town they usually call on him, for he is reputed to know more about mining than most miners.
    The only chrome mine in the United States where the mineral is found in ledges has been owned by Dr. Reddy since 1917 and is located between the east and west forks of Seiad Creek, a tributary of the Klamath River, 67 miles from Hornbrook, Cal. The property consists of eight claims of 20 acres each, and was said to be the biggest deposit of chrome found on this continent during the World War. The material is used primarily for hardening steel and it was for this reason that the demand increased during the war when offers were made to buy the mine for $500,000, according to Dr. Reddy.
    Dr. Reddy said this morning that he believes that there is a great future in mining as an industry in Southern Oregon and California.
Medford Mail Tribune, July 12, 1928, page 5



REDDY TELLS OF SOUTHERN OREGON MINING ACTIVITIES
    Copper mining is coming to the fore in southern Oregon, and there are prospects of big development along this line, according to Dr. J. F. Reddy, who is registered at the Imperial from Grants Pass. "Some Spokane people have bought the Queen of Bronze and Cowboy mines near Waldo. They intend installing a 100-ton rotation mill. The properties are owned by the Twohy brothers, John Hampshire, George Bosche, R. B. Miller and Frank Ryan. These properties have produced $1,500,000, being taken out by truck and wagons. The mines have scarcely been scratched, for the deepest penetration is only 300 feet. What I consider even more important for the mining industry of southern Oregon is that Edgar Wallace, W. H. Thompson and Mark Gilliam of Los Angeles and Pasadena have bought the Preston Peak mine, located on Preston Mountain, 50 miles from Crescent City Cal., and 50 miles from Grants Pass. It is near Waldo, like the Queen of Bronze and the Cowboy. The Preston Mine was owned by a New York estate, which spent $100,000 on it 20 years ago. It is one of the richest copper properties in the West, but has been inaccessible on account of the topography of the country. The new owners plan constructing a wagon road for 20 miles, from Takilma, Ore., to connect with the Redwood Highway. All the property has needed heretofore has been transportation, and now, thanks to the Redwood Highway and modern trucks, it will be possible to operate the property and perhaps 18-cent copper may have something to do with it. This is a grassroots proposition, the values being right on the surface. The new owners have operated in Mexico, have had an abundance of practical mining experience, are successful and well financed. When men like these have looked over the country from one end of the coast to the other and then selected Oregon as a place for operating it is a great encouragement for other outsiders to come into the state."--Portland Oregonian.
Medford Mail Tribune,
September 26, 1929, page 3



Final Respects Paid Dr. John F. Reddy
    MEDFORD, Nov. 7--Friends from all sections of the Rogue River Valley and a number from more distant points came to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church today to pay final respects to Dr. John Francis Reddy, prominent mining man and former mayor of Medford, at two funeral services conducted at 9 o'clock.
    An abundance of floral pieces expressed further the city's appreciation of one who gave generously of his time and fortune for the development of Medford over a period of 30 years.
    The requiem high mass was celebrated by Father Francis W. Black. Pallbearers conducting the body to its final resting place were: Dr. James C. Hayes, Larry Schade, Gus Conner, Robert Duff, Jens Jensen and John Wilkinson.
    Interment was in the pioneer cemetery at Jacksonville.
    Relatives from out of town here for the services were Owney Reddy of Eugene, brother of the late Dr. Reddy, and the following sons and daughters: Mr. and Mrs. Paul Reddy of Hollywood, Dorthea Reddy of San Francisco and John Reddy of Gonzaga College.
Central Point American, November 9, 1933, page 1


Dr. John F. Reddy, Former Medford Mayor, Succumbs

    MEDFORD, NOV. 4 (SPECIAL)  Dr. John Francis Reddy, former mayor of this city and pioneer leader in the development of this section, died Thursday evening at Sacred Heart Hospital following a heart attack. He would have been 67 years of age had he lived to December 3.
    The deceased came to Medford in 1903 and had the foresight to visualize the future development of the city. Although a physician, he was attracted here on a mining venture, and after seeing the possibilities for development remained here, continuing his active interests in the mining industry until he was stricken. He was mayor of Medford in 1907 and 1908, and under his administration the city acquired its first water system and first paved streets.
Mining Fascinated
    In Spokane, Washington, Dr. Reddy was married in 1897 to Mary F. Cowley, who survives him. He had first come to Seattle, where he lost all he had in a fire. In Spokane he was associated with the practice of medicine with Dr. Stockton. Mining, at all times fascinating to him, however, weaned him away from the medical profession and he there entered that field, which claimed his interest until his death.
    He was president of the Southern Oregon-Northern California Mining Association, and during the World War he mined chrome for the government in Siskiyou, California.
    Dr. Reddy was also a member of the Elks Lodge, the Knights of Columbus and of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church. He leaves, besides his widow, a brother, Owen F. Reddy of Eugene, Oregon,  and the following sons and daughters: Paul Reddy, Hollywood, California; Mrs. Walter Bowne, Tahiti; Dorthea Reddy, San Francisco; John F. Reddy, student at Gonzaga University; Agatha, Mary Elizabeth and Michael of Medford. He also has two nieces in Medford, Mrs. Everett Brayton and Mrs. James Murray. Another niece, Genevieve Reddy of Cleveland, is now visiting in this city. A brother, Martin J. Reddy, former well-known local jeweler, preceded him in death, as did a sister, Mrs. Mamie DeLin, also a former resident here.
    Funeral services, which will be directed by the Perl Funeral Parlors, will be announced later.
Ashland Tidings, November 4, 1933, page 2


Death of Dr. Reddy Inflicts Great Loss on Jackson County
History While in Valley Is One of Optimism and Love for the County;
Is Responsible for Major Developments Here
    Dr. John Francis Reddy, one of the staunchest friends and most loyal supporters of Medford and the Rogue River Valley, died last Friday at the Sacred Heart Hospital following a heart attack. Dr. Reddy was 66 years old.
    At the apex of Dr. Reddy's career he was either responsible for or active in every major development of the Rogue River Valley. A personal friend of James J. Hill, Robert Strahorn, the Harrimans and other big industrialists, Dr. Reddy held an enviable position among valley enthusiasts. It is safe to say that Dr. Reddy was better known to the railroad and mining interests of the Pacific Coast than is the Rogue River Valley itself.
    During the past few years of Dr. Reddy's colorful life, he has been a father, so to speak, of every miner in Jackson County who wanted his advice and encouragement. He gave his life and his fortune in developing the Rogue River Valley, and until his death he held the same optimistic spirit concerning the possibilities of the Rogue River Valley that he had when engineering such developments as the Pacific and Eastern Railroad and the Blue Ledge Mine. He was also responsible for the building of the railroad out of Grants Pass, which will sometime be connected to the Pacific coast.
Knew Every Miner
    It is safe to say that Dr. Reddy knew practically every prospector and miner and every paying mine in Jackson County, from the most humble "hard rocker," who with his wife sought a few grains of gold a day from some old diggings, to Robert Strahorn, who recently opened the Opp Mine employing half a hundred men. Mining, of recent years, has been Dr. Reddy's passion and his love, and, although unable to wield the pick himself, he gave encouragement and the benefit of his mining knowledge to those who could.
Encouraged Many
    Generous as few men are, Dr. Reddy, evening recent years, never hesitated to dig into his own pockets to "stake" some young and enthusiastic miner to the necessities of the trade. He has handed out five, ten and twenty-dollar bills to many, of recent years, with never a thought or worry about repayment. Mining was his passion, because he saw in mining what few people could see--a means of developing the Rogue River Valley and Jackson County into one of the richest sections of the nation. During the week of his death he was working  to make provisions for the coming of a dredge to the Applegate country.
Was Once Mayor
    Dr. Reddy was once mayor of Medford, and it was under Mayor Reddy's administration that the first paving was laid in Medford. He was followed by Judge Canon, under whose administration most of Medford's streets were paved, but Dr. Reddy saw first the advantages to be gained from paved streets here.
    Dr. Reddy had the support of James J. Hill in his efforts to see a railroad built from Klamath Falls to the Pacific coast, through Medford, but the son of James J. Hill opposed the plan. The son was feted in Medford by Medford's leaders, and the railroad has never been built.
    His enthusiasm knew no bounds when he was seeking the development of something in the Rogue River Valley. He thought little of going to Denver, to New York, or to Chicago at his own expense to induce capital to come here.
Came Here in 1903
    He came to Medford in 1903 from Spokane, where he had been chief of police of that city. After coming here to dispose of the Blue Ledge property, he was so taken with the valley that he stayed, and has been here since. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, his parents coming to the United States from Mayo County, on the west coast of Ireland.
    Owney Patton of this city has known Dr. Reddy since childhood, the Pattons having come from the same county.
    After disposing of the Blue Ledge Mine, Dr. Reddy leased the Nash Hotel, and Patton came down from Spokane to manage it. Patton also fell in love with the valley and is still here. Another of Dr. Reddy's activities was the development of the Queen Anne Addition of Medford, in which Attorney E. E. Kelly played no small part.
Aided Small Miner
    During the past few years, Dr. Reddy has been particularly interested in the individual miners who are working on small claims, and he is largely responsible for instilling the enthusiasm into Jacksonville miners who are now mining in their back yards.
    In Spokane, Dr. Reddy was married in 1897 to Mary F. Cowley, who survives him. While in Spokane he was associated with Dr. Stockton, practicing medicine. He was a member of the Elks Lodge, the Knights of Columbus and of the Catholic Church. He leaves, besides his widow, the following sons and daughters: Paul Reddy, Hollywood; Mrs. Walter Brown, Tahiti; Dorthea Reddy, San Francisco; John F. Reddy, student at Gonzaga; Agatha, Mary Elizabeth and Michael of Medford. He also had two nieces in Medford, Mrs. Everett Brayton and Mrs. James Murray. A brother, Martin J. Reddy, former jeweler, died several years ago, as did a sister, Mrs. Mamie DeLin.
    Funeral services were held from the Sacred Heart Catholic Church here, with Father Francis W. Black conducting the Requiem high mass. Pallbearers were Dr. James C. Hayes, Larry Schady, Gus Conner, Robert Duff, Jens Jensen and John Wilkinson.
    Interment was in the Jacksonville Cemetery.
Medford News, November 10, 1933, page 1



STEIGER HOME ON QUEEN ANNE SOLD TO J. E. HOUSTON
    Sale of the J. J. Steiger residence at 122 Oregon Terrace at the end of Queen Anne avenue to J. E. Houston was announced yesterday. The transaction, described by real estate men as the biggest residential sale here in ten years, was handled by Brown & White. The home was sold furnished.
    The residence is one of the showplaces of the Rogue Valley. It is a spacious dwelling containing 16 rooms, a large basement being completely finished and furnished. There is a central oil-burning heating plant. Servants' quarters are provided over a double garage. There are other accessory buildings.
    The home stands on two acres of land that are completely landscaped. On the grounds are two rare redwood trees and more than 500 rosebushes. There are ornamental shrubs of every description, many of them imported. Three concrete fish ponds add a continental decorative touch to the property.
    The place is generally known as the Reddy estate. The residence was built by the late Dr. J. F. Reddy, and the property was developed by him and Mrs. Reddy until it became one of the outstanding showplaces of the valley.
    Mr. Houston, the purchaser, came to Medford recently with Mrs. Houston from Dietrick, Idaho. He is a retired merchant and bought the property as a home. He and Mrs. Houston will take possession Wednesday.
Medford Mail Tribune, May 10, 1936, page 12


Reddy’s Daughter Awarded $846,000 Chrome Contract;
Follows Family Tradition
    Mrs. Dorthea Moroney has been awarded an $846,000 contract by the U.S. government for 25,000 tons of chromium ore to be mined in Alaska, it was revealed today by the Mining and Industrial News.
    Mrs. Moroney is the daughter of Mrs. Mary and the late Dr. John F. Reddy. The Reddy family resided in Medford for many years, Mrs. Reddy having left here only a year or so ago to take up residence in San Francisco, where most of the children now live. The family has many friends here, and the Reddy children make periodic visits in Medford.
    The government, the News explained, entered into the contract with Mrs. Moroney under provisions of the Thomas-May strategic mineral bill, which was designed to build up this country's supplies of war minerals for national defense. The purchasing is done by the Treasury Department.
Father Sold Chrome
    Bids on chromium ore were opened in October, three bids being entered, the News said. First contract went to the Mutual Chemical Company of New York City for 20,000 tons of ore from Turkey. The second contract was awarded to Mrs. Moroney. [The] only other chromium bidder was the U.S. Chrome Mines, Inc., of San Francisco, operating mines in California.
    Through receiving the government contract, Mrs. Moroney becomes the second generation of the Reddy family to supply the United States with chromium in time of war. Her father, the prominent Dr. John F. Reddy, furnished much of the mineral to the government during the World War. The war ended with deliveries yet to be made under the contracts, and it became necessary to file claims against the government in order to collect, friends here recalled today. It is believed some of the claims are still pending.
    Dr. Reddy was considered an authority on chromium. He held several chromium mining claims in Northern California and other mining claims in Southern  Oregon. The family still owns the Dorthea, a gold quartz mine on Wolf Creek in Josephine County, there being also chromium in the deposit. Also still held under claim by the Reddy family is a chromium mine at Hamburg, Cal., which is not now in production but on which assessment work was done last year. About a year ago the family sold the chromium mine it held near Seiad, Cal.
Backed Coast Railroad
    Dr. Reddy, friends recalled today, was intensely interested in the development of Southern Oregon, and among numerous projects that engaged his time and talent was a proposed railroad from Medford to Crescent City, Cal., affording a direct route to the coast. Associated with Dr. Reddy was the late Judge W. E. Crews, who served on the federal bench in Alaska during the 1898 gold rush period.
    Michael Reddy, a brother of Mrs. Moroney, was in Medford today visiting friends. He said he left San Francisco five days ago and that Mrs. Moroney was to leave there two or three days later for Alaska to get the mines started. Michael said that when she returns in about two weeks he will go to Alaska and remain there until the government contract is fulfilled.
    Mrs. Moroney went to Alaska about a year ago and acquired title to the two mines which are to provide chromium to the government, Mr. Reddy said. Both mines are near Seldovia, where headquarters will be made, he added. Mrs. Moroney learned about the mines from her associates, he explained, saying the mines were in production during the World War. They contain chromium of exceptionally high grade, he said.
Hard Job Ahead
    Under the government contract, Mr. Reddy explained, delivery must start within three months and the entire 25,000 tons of ore must be delivered at New Cumberland, Pa., within a year.
    Mr. Reddy foresaw a hard job ahead in solving production and especially delivery problems because of the location of the mines in the distant and frozen North. But, he added, Mrs. Moroney is associated with a group of the best chromium mining engineers in the country, and she is confident of success. A company has been formed and the mines have been turned over to the corporate entity, he related.
    "All we expect and hope for is to break even on the government contract," Mr. Reddy said. "It is our hope that through the contract we can get the mines into production, with the construction of necessary roads and installation of modern equipment, so that we can continue to mine and sell in the open market after the government contract has been completed."
Medford Mail Tribune, December 22, 1939, page 1



Youthful Businesswoman Becomes 'Chromium Queen'
    SEATTLE, June 20--(AP)--Only a few years away from a $135-a-month government secretary's desk, 28-year-old Mrs. William Moroney of San Francisco now can lay claim to the title of "Chrome Queen of America."
    The attractive young business woman, just returned from Alaska, reported she had the decks virtually cleared for delivery of 25,000 tons of the gleaming metal to the government under an $843,600 contract. The "decks," in this case, still must be swept clean of a score or more feet of Alaskan snow.
    She said production at her big Kenai peninsula mine should start within six weeks with a crew of 80 men. Delivery must be completed in six months.
    Mrs. Moroney's entry into the chrome business, rare in the United States and unique for a woman, was a matter of following in parental footsteps. Her father, the late Dr. John F. Reddy of Medford, Ore., supplied the government with chrome during the World War. He never succeeded in collecting, the daughter explained, and her first chrome-plated step was in waging a one-woman fight for compensation. She won a $3,200 claim in Congress last year, she said.
    Then a keen business sense--or feminine intuition--led her to assume the prospect of war might again rejuvenate the chrome business, necessary for stainless steel and many military alloys.
    "All the chrome had been coming from Russia, New Caledonia and Turkey," she explained.
    Mrs. Moroney said she recently sold one chrome mine in California for $75,000 and has others in northern California. They were among her father's holdings, but she "plunged" on her own to start buying the Alaskan mine which produced during the World War.
Eugene Register-Guard, June 20, 1940, page 2


    From the Medford High graduating class of 1931 to the pages of Reader's Digest and on to authoring Jack Paar's two books, I Kid You Not and My Sabre Is Bent . . . that's John Reddy.
    When John F. Reddy graduated from Medford High in 1931, he stepped out into a depression-wide world just waiting to knock the friendly and ever-ready grin from his schoolboy face.
    Son of a former mayor, brilliant high school journalist, better-than-average tennis player, John Reddy swung first, and the world let him keep his grin and welcomed him as one of the brighter of the new crop of bright young men.
    John Reddy found success in writing and producing major radio and TV shows and has been a frequent contributor to Esquire, Reader's Digest and other major publications.
    A friendship with Jack Paar grew from the fact that the Paars lived next door to John's mother in Southern California. This relationship, starting before either of them had achieved very great success, has continued for many years.
    His books for Jack Paar are extremely well written, reflecting the Reddy kid whom anyone from the class of '31 will remember well.
J.W.S., Medford Mail Tribune, February 24, 1963, page 4


DORTHEA R. MORONEY
    Graveside funeral services for Dorthea Reddy Moroney, 64, of 12 Portland Ave., who died Thursday, were held today at 2 p.m. at the Jacksonville Cemetery. The Rev. Aloysius O'Doherty, chaplain of Providence Hospital, officiated for the services. Perl Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
    Mrs. Moroney was born Nov. 26, 1909, in Medford. She was the daughter of the late Dr. John F. and Mary Cowley Reddy. She had made her home in Medford most of her life. For a short time she lived in Yreka, Calif. While living in Yreka, she was engaged in the mining business.
    She is survived by two brothers, John Reddy, New York, N.Y., Michael Reddy, Santa Ana, Calif.; two sisters, Mrs. Donald (Agatha) Bouteyette, Carlsbad, Calif., Mrs. Gustav (Honey) Faust, Miraleste, Calif.; and several nieces and nephews.
    One brother and sister preceded her in death.
Medford Mail Tribune, February 11, 1974, page 7



Last revised June 2, 2023