Now and then I stumble upon an evocative passage that gives insight into what it was actually like to live in Medford in days past--an article or passage that gets behind the sanitized version of life normally presented in the newspapers.

Myrtle Whipple talked about the mud up to the wagon hubs on Main Street; below are more brief glimpses into the lives of early residents of Medford.

    "Southern Oregon" contains three prominent civil centers. These are Roseburg, just mentioned, Jacksonville, the oldest and, historically, the most important town in the five counties, and Ashland, at the base of the Siskiyou Mountains, twelve miles north of the California line. As has already been remarked, the Oregon and California Railway unites the first and last of these communities. But Jacksonville lies off the thoroughfare, five miles to the west. Its railway station is the active, growing little village of Medford. Conveyance to Jacksonville from this point is by stage, over a road decorated in Springtime with frequent capacious depressions filled with water, and usually called mud holes. The writer, with three other passengers, made the distance, one cold starlight morning in March, and distinctly remembers every rod of the comfortable way. They were the longest five miles I ever traversed.
    Our party set out at four o'clock. So arctic was the air, that to a heavy newmarket, as an outer garment, I soon added a fur-lined cloak, and still suffered from the rigor. The driver, an obliging young man, full of vitality, seemed to be utterly unaware of the sudden descent of the vehicle into the pits. But its occupants, despite their resolute bracing of themselves, and their clinging to the straps, were all frequently in the center of the coach at the same time. We arrived in the place just at break of day, and at the hotel happily found the landlord, a shrewd Teuton [Jean St. Luc DeRoboam?], on the watch for us, with a glowing fire throwing out comfort from an old-fashioned fireplace in the office. As was quite sure to be the case, the day proved to be lovely, and I passed its hours in walks and talks about the interesting locality, at sunset retracing my way to Medford.
Excerpt, To and Fro, Up and Down in Southern California, by Emma Hildreth Adams. 
Cranston & Stowe, 1888, pages 553-554


    There is an amusing amount of self-assertion in the manners of the frontier people. When you are introduced to a man, after giving you a cordial hand-grip, the pushes his hat back on his head, thrusts his hands into his pockets and throws his body back from the hips, in a swaggering way. He is far from meaning anything offensive. It is the custom of the country for every man to behave as if he were a tremendous fellow, and were determined the world should estimate him up to his full value. An introduction is almost invariably followed by an invitation to drink. The saloons are the social clubs and business exchanges of the male population. In them the lawyer meets his client, and the merchant his customer. Usually, there are two or three gaming tables in the saloon, and the clink of the ivory chips mingles with the clinking of glasses, and the din of many voices. Women are treated with great respect, if they are respectable, and with none at all if they are not. Not long ago, a timid lady from the East, on her way to join her husband, a government engineer officer, on getting out of a stagecoach, at the door of a hotel [the U.S. Hotel], in [Jacksonville,] Southern Oregon, was met by the stout French woman [Jeanne DeRoboam Holt] who managed the establishment, with this greeting: "Are you a decent woman, madam? If you are, you can come in; if not, you can't stop at my house."
    Frontier towns swarm with dissolute creatures who drink at the bars and mingle with the men in the gaming houses, betting recklessly at faro and keno. In one town, I heard a leading citizen openly defend the tolerance shown them by the authorities. He said they brought money to the place, and made trade good. Most men, in the new settlements, are known to their acquaintances by their first name, or by some droll nickname. Listening to a conversation between two ex-miners in Montana, both now prosperous men, about old times and acquaintances, I heard them speak of "Shirt-Collar Bill," "Yeast-Powder Joe," "Sour-Dough Jim," "Six-Toed Pete," and "Snapping Andy."
    The first harbinger of civilization in all the vast interior between Eastern Dakota and the settled country on the Pacific Coast is the saloon. It does not follow population; it takes the lead. If there is any reason to suppose that settlers will go into any distant and isolated section a year hence, you will find the whiskey seller already on the ground with his tent or "shack," patiently waiting for customers. In mining camps, on bare and desolate cattle ranges, at river fords where a few horsemen or a mule team may cross now and then, and on lonely forest trails, traversed only by prospectors and Indians, the man of decanters and bottles has established himself. Usually his only stock in trade is a barrel of whiskey and a few pounds of sugar, but if he be convenient to wagon transportation, he will have bottled beer. The consumption of beer in the camps of the railway builders is enormous.
Excerpt, "Features of the New North-West," by E. V. Smalley, Century Illustrated, February 1883, page 529


    Bright moonlight nights are the order now, but what will the harvest be when the moon is on the wane and the inky blackness of the night is intensified by the sickly glare of our street lamps. Give us light.
"Local News," Medford Mail, January 14, 1892, page 3


    We would suggest that the city council establish some measures to prevent cattle from running at large in the city as it is now impossible to protect ornamental shrubbery which adds so much to the appearance of the streets and yards.
"Local News," Medford Mail, January 28, 1892, page 3


    The frogs, as it were, seem to be masters of the situation, and we confidently expect the council will be called upon to raise up in all its might, or words to that effect, and put a quietus on their hilarious and discordant strains. Let the good work of extermination be carried to a successful termination even if the troughs must be abated as a nuisance.
"Local and General," Southern Oregon Mail, June 24, 1892, page 3


    Spikenard post office is now a postal note office. That means it does $2 worth or more of business per annum. It has done over $50 worth of business during September. The gross receipts for the current quarter will be about $70. In the face of this fact there are some dudes who undertake to tell us that we are in the back woods, have no country etc. It is a libel on one of the finest little valleys in Oregon. What we need here, and we are only one of many communities, is a few more live men who will work for their particular locality without libeling every other one in the county. California and Washington forge ahead of us because their people are loyal to the state and the interests of the state. When Oregonians peel off their coats and go to work for Oregon we will have a boom. Talk up your town or neighborhood, work for it, invite settlers, and do not rob them when they come; build decent schoolhouses, improve your roads, speak well of your neighbors, or say nothing; go to church on the Sabbath, rather than go hunting; set and care for an orchard, drink less rotgut whisky, keep fewer cattle of a better grade and feed and care well for these, and see if your country does not boom. Stop cursing Oregon and hire someone to kick you until you get a move on yourself, and you will notice a vast improvement in your neighborhood, right at home too, before three months. Your fences are all down, your house and barn with their surroundings look like thunder, your cows are all scrubs, your chickens are half starved and worse than half bred; you don't have butter on your table three months in the year, and that often unfit to eat; your pipe is a holy terror to decent people, yet you curse Oregon. Curse yourself for a week, and thus be in sympathy with the respectable people around you, then reform and go to work. Southern Oregon is the best country God ever made. If we will do something and keep at it, we can put it in the foremost rank.
"Spikenard Sparks," Southern Oregon Mail, September 30, 1892, page 2


    The time of year has arrived for the cleaning of back yards, and should the cholera make its appearance, the coming summer will then find us prepared to handle it. Every nook and corner should be thoroughly cleansed.
"Here and There," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, March 31, 1893, page 3


    The party of young folks who went from here to attend the ball at Eagle Point on Thanksgiving night got lost on the desert, and after wandering around for some time finally brought up at Jack Montgomery's place and hired Jack to act as pilot. They had not proceeded far, however, until Jack discovered that he was lost also, and after roaming the desert for nearly four hours finally reached their destination at twelve o'clock. This is a good joke on Jack, who is supposed to know the desert like a book.
"Phoenix Flashes," Medford Mail, December 15, 1893, page 2


Want the Stock Yards Removed.
    J. W. Hockersmith has been circulating a petition about the city and surrounding country procuring signers asking the S.P. company to remove the stock yards from their present site to a point further north and near the distillery. He procured about 300 names and last week sent the same to the man in charge of this line of work for the S.P. The object in asking for its removal to a more excluded [sic] spot is to do away with the now existing necessity of driving stock through some of the principal streets of the city to reach the yards. There is some doubt expressed regarding the company's taking action in the matter as petitioned, as it is understood that they have already formulated plans for enlarging the yards and upon the grounds now occupied.
Medford Mail, March 30, 1894, page 3


    Report reaches us that boys, who would like to be men, and who want to act like men--real bad ones--are in the habit of congregating in old sheds and various other unused buildings about the city, and there put in their time playing poker; of course in a mild way, with only a nickel ante, but the habit is sufficiently alluring to take the boys from their homes and make gamblers of them. Parents should exercise the greatest possible vigilance in this matter and break up these little gatherings, which if diligently followed up cannot fail to result disastrously to the young men of our city.
"News of the City," Medford Mail, April 5, 1895, page 5


   Speaking of the aroma from ripe apples reminds us that it was nothing of so wholesome a nature that came from the rear of Hotel Medford [the Nash] last week, during the process of removing refuse matter and the accumulation of a dozen or more back number closets. The building of the new hotel will positively have one good effect--that of disinfecting that particular locality, but it would have been more agreeable to the denizens of this little city had the work of removing this refuse been performed at night, when the streets were not filled with people and when the warm rays of sun would not be there to encourage a greater unpleasantness. However, the work is done and we are all glad, not only of the cleansing, but of the occasion which brought it about.
"News of the City,” Medford Mail, May 17, 1895, page 5


   There is an ordinance which prohibits cows running at large within the city limits of Medford, yet many of our people are compelled to build boxing about the young trees they set out along the street in front of their places of residence. The ordinance made to keep cows off the streets ought to be enforced. A law not enforced is worse than no law, because that people expect their property to be protected by it and do not apply the precaution they would if no such law existed. 
"News of the City,” Medford Mail, May 31, 1895, page 5


   John Bigham, living out on Dr. Adkins' place, south of Medford, has entered a complaint that the small boys who go bathing in the river near his place are making themselves too familiar with his potato patch. He has the identity of the lads written where he will not forget it and if they do not let loose of his potato vines, and stay loose, he will have them before Judge Walton.
"News of the City,” Medford Mail, July 5, 1895, page 5


    The half past seven closing move, which is now on in Medford, is working to a degree of much satisfaction to the merchants. They have heretofore been compelled to stand behind the counters until nine or ten o'clock, but to be given the evenings for a home visit with their families is indeed a pleasure. As very little of the evening trade comes from the country, the closing will hardly work a hardship upon the general business of the city. We townspeople can as well do our trading before the closing hour--and no inconvenience comes therefrom. It is hardly more than fair that we give our merchants a chance for a few hours' time at home with their families.
"News of the City," Medford Mail, August 30, 1895, page 5


    The Mail is never saying a word when the boys of our town indulge in innocent fun, or if they reach out into a little hilarity, so long as no person is inconvenienced by it and no property damaged, but when these boys--young men--make night so unpleasant as to call out censure from many of the good ladies of our town it is then time for something to be done. There is a crowd of young men in this town which are fast closing about them shackles of vice and dissipation that will be difficult for them to throw off when the error of their way is discovered. They are sowing their wild oats upon too fertile soil. One lady asked us if we knew where the city marshal was at nighttime when the sidewalks in various parts of the town are thronged with half-drunken hoodlums, and their shouts of blasphemy and vulgarity, making the nights, instead of a time of rest for the residents, one of very much unrest and disgust.
Excerpt, "News of the City," Medford Mail, August 21, 1896, page 7


    Capt. Nash ordinarily is not a gentleman who allows his wrath to get so far beyond him that it is not an easy matter to reach out and haul in sails, but when he appeared on the street Monday morning his wrath was waterlogged and would not respond to the rudder. He was just naturally hot, and there were grounds for this heated condition. He is the owner of a fine brick hotel and has recently had built a splendid cement walk about the building, and the captain prides himself in keeping things neat about his premises, and when he discovered, lined up against his nicely painted walls and new cement walk, a furrow, deep enough to plant sugar beets in, of old quids of tobacco, cigar stumps and thick molasses-colored expectorant, he was just riled "clean through and through." Just why people who feel they must use this vile weed have not enough of manhood left to respect and keep neat and clean things that are beautiful is past finding out--but without any exaggeration whatever that sidewalk was a disgusting sight Monday morning. An anti-spit law that would protect such places ought to be passed by our city council.
"A Grist of Local Haps and Mishaps," Medford Mail, April 30, 1897, page 7


    Marshal Johnson deserves a chromo. If the city council don't put it up, The Monitor-Miner will. Several improvements are observable in the morals of Medford, not the least of which is the cessation of the loudmouthed swearing of certain of the hoodlum element--boys and men. It has formerly been a matter of general occurrence to hear a lot of the boys engaged in playing ball or some other sport shoot off their "bazoos" with obscenity or profanity until decent people would want to either stop their ears or walk away. Business men of the town have been heard to rip out oaths and obscenity on the street that would have put them into the "cooler" of a decent town--that is, if a decent town has such a thing. Marshal Johnson has given the men of the baser sort to understand that loudmouthed profanity must be stopped, and it is to be hoped that he will carry it out to the letter of the law. There are still other improvements that might be made in the morals of the town without interfering with anybody's rights. Let the good work go on.
Medford Monitor-Miner, October 13, 1898, page 2


    Griffith, the hypnotist, has been giving hypnotic entertainments at the opera house every night this week. On Monday night, at 8:30 o'clock, he put his advance agent into an hypnotic sleep and placed him on a cot in H. H. Howard & Co.'s show window, where he slept until Wednesday evening at 8:30, when he was taken to the opera house and there awakened. Those who saw him when he was awakened say he went into all kinds of spasms, and the combined efforts of six men were of no avail in holding him on the cot at that time.
"City Happenings," Medford Mail, December 21, 1900, page 7


    A citizen:--"I wish you would call the chief of police's attention to the fact that stock is running at large in Medford--in direct violation of a city ordinance to that effect. To be sure there is little damage that can be done on the streets, but it is dog-blamed unpleasant to live in fear of this stock getting in on one's lawn, or maybe puncturing the sidewalk in front of your place full of holes."
"Echoes from the Street," Medford Mail, March 8, 1901, page 6


    It is said that between 250,000 and 300,000 pounds of garlic are used every year by residents of the United States. Once in a while a fellow encounters a breath in public which tends to the belief that the estimate given above is far too low.
Medford Mail, April 12, 1901, page 2


    A Groceryman:--"I want you to stand in front of our store a few minutes and notice where the profit on our fruit goes. You will notice that very nearly everyone that passes will take from two to half a dozen cherries from those crates that set out front. It's the same way with berries, and it'll be the same way with peaches, plums and pears when they come on the market. We always buy full measure when this line of goods is taken in, but after standing in front of our store a few hours there is a noticeable goneness near the top of the boxes. The people we sell to will buy only full boxes, and the result is that we lose from one to three boxes out of every crate. No, the people who help themselves to the fruit don't do it to be mean nor with a disposition to get something for nothing. They do it largely from force of habit, or from carelessness, and are forgetful of the impropriety of the act. If I was to speak to them I would undoubtedly offend the party and would without a doubt lose a good customer, yet why they should expect us dealers to tolerate the wholesale consumption of our stock in trade is more than I can tell. Women and children are addicted to this habit more than men, still I have seen a great many men stand in front of my place and eat half a cup of cherries. I sometimes speak to children when they reach into the crates because I think it is a bad habit and they ought to be taught not to do it, but when they see their parents and grown people doing the selfsame thing the matter of youthful education becomes a too-arduous task."
"City Happenings," Medford Mail, July 12, 1901, page 7


    Many Medford people are hitting only the high places in their flight for the tall timber and mountain springs. There seems little need for going thitherward for cool weather, but what's the difference, if it's a good time all these people want--and most of them have earned it--why not take it. We poor, misguided hard workers who are plodding along here at home probably wouldn't appreciate a good time if we had it offered us. Most of the outing parties thus far this year have headed for McCallister Springs.
"City Happenings," Medford Mail, July 19, 1901, page 7


    The Odd Fellows of Medford have a kick coming. Some person, or persons more probably, have of late been making the entrance stairway to their hall a trysting place, or a place of revelry. Tobacco smoke fumes pervade the air thereabouts, and cigar ashes have been found in great quantities, also a lady's handkerchief. This item is published to give notice to the offending parties that the premises are being watched, and they must not offend again. The Odd Fellows do not smoke cigars or pipes within several blocks of their hall, hence the presence of the smoke fumes are easily detected--and again, if the Odd Fellows didn't notice this sort o' thing, the Rebekahs would hardly pass it by unnoticed.
"City Happenings," Medford Mail, July 26, 1901, page 7


    A Subscriber:--"It might be well for parents who have young girls who are in the habit of being out late of evenings to look after their whereabouts. It is claimed by good citizens that not only old squaws but young girls are seen, too frequently, loitering around a certain place of business on East Seventh Street, not far from the bridge, where the age of the proprietor ought to be, but it is feared not, sufficient protection.
"City Happenings," Medford Mail, August 9, 1901, page 7


    The sidewalks in front of Medford's grocery and feed stores present a very inviting appearance these days. There is displayed almost every variety of fruit grown in the valley, and as there are many varieties the sight is decidedly a pretty one to look upon--and tempting as well.
    It is a very disgusting habit, that of expectorating on the sidewalks. The many hundred feet of good, substantial cement sidewalks are a beautiful thing to look upon, but when they are bespattered with tobacco juice they are unsightly things. There ought to be an ordinance passed prohibiting spitting on sidewalks. It is a filthy habit and is very annoying to those of our townspeople who believe in cleanliness and who have a desire to keep our little city looking as pretty and tasteful as possible. Aside from being unsightly the habit is dangerous from a sanitary point of view as many disease germs find harbor in the dress skits of passing women and are in this way carried home, where firm lodgement is found for them in the person of some member of the household.
"City Happenings," Medford Mail, August 23, 1901, page 7


    Horace Nicholson is nothing if not novel, even unique. His latest innovation in window displays is a dozen or more chipmunks turned loose in one of his shop windows. They were caught in a trap by Robinson, the Klamath County buckster. The antics of the little fellows are attracting much attention and as an advertising feature the window surely catches the eye.
"City Happenings," Medford Mail, October 11, 1901, page 7


    While those interested in the appearance of our city are hunting around for something to do business with, The Mail would suggest that they commence action leading to the removal of that old Crater sign board which is disgustingly and prominently perched high up over Harry Myers' jewelry store. There was at one time a beautiful picture of Crater Lake painted thereon, but that was in years agone and prior to Mr. Myers' occupancy of the building. Now nothing but rough, weather-beaten boards are seen.
"City Happenings," Medford Mail, March 7, 1902, page 7


    Southern Oregon people are enjoying some fine weather now, and here in Medford, as the evenings are pleasant, it is not an uncommon thing to see the people bring out their chairs and form themselves into little groups on the sidewalks of the business streets. Each cluster of idlers has its oracle at these open-air assemblies, who hold forth upon any subject which may present itself; but for the present political questions hold a top hand, and the "third termer's" case is being diagnosed with minuteness and even unto pyrotechnic display of Latin. A listener at one of these meetings is almost constrained to think, if we only knew that
Medford Enquirer, April 19, 1902, page 5


    The street cleaners were out in full force Monday, and all of Seventh Street was swept clean of dust and debris. This was a good job--and it was well done. It is to be regretted, however, that this spirit of cleanliness did not extend beyond the streets and onto the sidewalks. There are some walks in our city that are anything but pleasant to look upon--and they are not healthful. Just what breed of swine a man is who will besmear a sidewalk with tobacco juice The Mail is not going to say, but that there are several of this kind of loafers in the city is evident by the condition of some of our cement sidewalks and the adjoining brick walls. The business men find it impossible to keep their walks free of this nauseating nuisance, try as hard as they may. The city council should order the owners of property adjoining the places where these conditions prevail to throughly cleanse them of this filth and then pass an anti-sidewalk-expectorant ordinance.
"City Happenings," Medford Mail, October 24, 1902, page 7




    Some of the revival meetings which have been held in Medford during the past couple of weeks have been attended by a number of young men whose sole and only purpose seemed to have been to create a disturbance and in every way possible make light of the efforts of the evangelists and pastors who have been conducting the meetings. This is not right; in fact, it is all wrong. No young man who has remaining in him one spark of manhood will willfully disturb a religious meeting. If the meetings and the utterances of the speakers are distasteful to them they should remain away from the meetings and away from the sound of the voice of the speakers. No law compels them to attend, but there is an unwritten law of common decency and respect which ought to compel them to behave themselves when in attendance at such gatherings.
"City Happenings," Medford Mail, February 17, 1905, page 5




    A Medford Lady:--"I do not know what you will think of me, a woman, when I come to you and ask that you print an item calling attention to the inhospitality of those of my own sex, but I am going to do it. The Medford women are not hospitable enough. Socially there are a great many of them who are naturally a frost, insofar as strangers are concerned. Now there are a great many new people coming to Medford, and the most of these are the equal, socially, of any who are older residents of our city. The men strangers can hang around on the streets and in a business way get acquainted with lots of people; but it is different with the women; they cannot do these things; they must stay at home, or in a room in a boarding house or hotel and see no one outside of one or two near neighbors or fellow boarders. They get homesick and blue, and pretty soon the family has returned to their home in the East. Why? Husband says, 'Wife is homesick--wants to get back among her friends. Oh, yes, I like the country first rate myself, like your people, too, but wife is dissatisfied and I feel like I want to please her.' I know of a great number of newcomers (women) to Medford who have not met more than three or four people--and they have been here several months. That isn't right; it isn't fair to the city. I am going to suggest that a committee be appointed whose duty it will be to appoint a visiting committee of a dozen or more women to call upon strangers. These committees may be changed at intervals, and in that way the strangers will get to know the most of the women in town, and when they do I will wager that no one gets homesick."
"Street Echoes," Medford Mail, June 30, 1905, page 1


    The condition of the wooden sidewalks around town is causing more or less "language" and a whole lot of loose shoe soles. It does make a fellow pretty warm to catch the sole of his shoe upon a protruding nail in the walk, thereby requiring a trip to the shoemaker or to be walking along the street with a friend and have his companion step on the end of a loose board which flies up and barks your shins and then drop back on your favorite corn. This sort of thing is getting to be a common occurrence and it strikes us that it wouldn't be a bad idea to have those nails driven down and the loose boards fastened. It would lessen the labors of the recording angel and save a whole lot of shoe leather.
"City Happenings," Medford Mail, July 21, 1905, page 5


    Nearly sixteen years ago George Coulter, the painter, one dark, rainy night, picked up a bedraggled kitten in the street, near the Hotel Nash. He carried the kitten into the barroom and fixed him comfortably by the stove. The kitten waxed and grew strong and in time became a cat of large size and dignified mien, and the name of "Jerry" was bestowed upon him. Up to two years ago "Jerry" was boss of the hotel. No dog was allowed to invade that portion of the house which he regarded as his particular territory. He stayed through all the changes which took place in the management up to two years ago, when he left because he and Ragsdale's dog couldn't get along together. He was known to all the old citizens in the town, and nobody had anything but kind words for Jerry. The only time he was ever defeated in battle in his prime was when he tackled a cub bear, which refused to run, and in a short time Jerry was compelled to retire to the top of the barroom partition, where he remained, defiant but careful not to come down, until the bear was led away. About ten days ago old Jerry, worn out by the weight of years, passed away, and if there is a happy hunting ground for good cats, he is there.
    Since the above was put in type, "Old Jerry" has reappeared, and as a consequence has the distinction, enjoyed by few humans, of having good things said about him before his death.
"An Ancient Feline," Medford Mail, September 15, 1905, page 5


    It's a good time of year just now to clean up your back yards. Some of them in this town would be a disgrace to Cologne, the famous city of a "thousand smells." Such things are a menace to the health of the whole community and should not be tolerated. Heaps of trash of all kinds--old rags, broken bottles, tin cans, ashes, etc., can be seen about town frequently if one keeps his eyes open. Such are not only unsightly, but breeders of disease. Clean up.
"City Happenings," Medford Mail, April 13, 1906, page 5


    The habit which some of our boys and young men have of playing ball on the streets and in public places where people are continually passing, is a very dangerous sport, and there should be an ordinance passed by the city council prohibiting it. It was only last week that Miss Grace Lawton, while walking on West [Main] Street, was struck on the side of her head with a ball and was knocked down, and was unconscious for some little time. Another lady walking on the streets with two children was struck on the head. The boys do not injure these people intentionally, but this fact does not relieve the suffering.
"City Happenings," Medford Mail, April 20, 1906, page 5


    Installation of officers of Talisman Lodge, K. of P., was held Monday night, but the ceremonies were curtailed considerably, owing to the heat and the fact that ice cream and fixin's were on tap in the banquet room. The ice cream hit just the proper spot, and the installation will be completed later on.
"City Happenings," Medford Mail, July 6, 1906, page 5



     William McClanahan has just come to Medford from the McClanahan mill, on Elk Creek, owned by his son, and will leave in a few days for his home in Fresno County, California. For 22 years Mr. McClanahan raised cattle in the Rogue River Valley. He engaged in a few reminiscences, when seen on the street Thursday evening, of the days when he drove his cattle down Main Street. He spoke of one time when he roped a big steer on the corner of Main and Central Avenue. As he looked at the crowded streets and honking automobiles he remarked that he would not like to try and drive a herd of wild steers down the street now. Still, it was only five years ago that cattle were driven through the business section of Medford without trouble.
Medford Mail Tribune weekly, September 22, 1910, page 14


    A lady of somewhat aesthetic temperament telephoned to this office yesterday from her home on Mistletoe Street and expressed a wish that The Sun use its influence to dissuade the street commissioner from constructing and launching the rafts that were lining the improved wharves of that thoroughfare during the freshet of yesterday.
    "We are tired of rafts--let us have gondolas," said the artistic-minded fair one, "and have a real Venice here; not a mere imitation."
    "We agree with you," replied The Sun. "You are entitled to gondolas, and it is fortunate, too, that the street commissioner, who understands the needs of the city, has been reappointed that he may complete the grand work he has started. No doubt he feels with the expression of confidence that his reappointment conveys he will have more spirit to complete his ambitions for the improvements and cleanliness of Medford's highways. You shall have the gondolas, and our good offices are with you. We believe the street commissioner will grant your wish with enthusiasm born of loyalty to the welfare of the citizens of Mistletoe, the Venice of America."
Medford Sun, January 20, 1911, page 2




Last revised December 29, 2022