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The Infamous Black Bird Southern Oregon History, Revised


Jackson County 1921


Jacksonville and Its Enterprises
    For the information of our outside readers and those not familiar with local business conditions the Post publishes in its first issue under the new management a brief description of the town's principal industries and business enterprises.
    Jacksonville, the county seat of Jackson County, is a substantially built modern little city of about 600 people and enjoys the distinction of being the most prosperous town of its size in Southern Oregon. The town is situated in the most fertile and productive portion of the famous Rogue River Valley--known the world over for its richness of soil and healthful, delightful climate, which is not even surpassed by Southern California.
    Jacksonville is surrounded by the finest irrigated farms, alfalfa fields and fruit orchards in the entire country. It has taken many years and vast expense in preparing irrigating ditches throughout the valley, but all is in readiness now to turn water into the ditches from Fish Lake, in the mountains 25 miles east of here, and from now on the entire valley--thirty miles in length and up to ten miles in width--will develop and come to the front with leaps and bounds. Instead of supporting around 20,000 people--the present population of the valley--there can be no doubt that within a few years Rogue River Valley will support perhaps ten times its present population.
    Jacksonville is 5 miles due west of Medford--a rapidly growing and modern city of 10,000 people, with which it is connected by an electric railway and splendid highway, which is soon to be paved.
    Jackson County, the banner county of Oregon, which captures nearly all the prizes at the state fair--has a population of 25,000 happy, prosperous people. No county in the western country is richer in resources, the principal ones being farming, alfalfa and fruit growing, stockraising, dairying, lumbering, gold and copper mining, oil, cement and marble.
    Petroleum oil of an excellent quality is being found at different places in the valley where it is being bored for, and experts predict that within a few years this valley will be known as one of America's greatest oil belts.
    Our advertising columns show that about every line of business is represented in Jacksonville. Within a short time several industries and projects, which will give employment to several hundred men, are to be established in and near Jacksonville, which will necessitate several times the number of businesses here at the present time.
    Following is our list of enterprises at present:
JACKSON COUNTY OFFICERS
    Circuit Judge, F. M. Calkins.
    Prosecuting Att'y., Rawles Moore.
    County Judge, G. A. Gardner.
    Commissioners, Jas. Owen and Victor Bursell.
    Clerk, Chauncey Florey. Chief deputy, Mildred Neil Florey. Clerks, Delilia and Mattie Stevens, Alice Poor and Ruberta Pearce.
    Sheriff, C. E. Terrill. Deputies, L. D. Forncrook, Geo. L. Howard and W. L. Farlow.
    Assessor, J. B. Coleman. Deputies, Linnie Hanscom, Ray and Elva Coleman.
    Treasurer, A. W. Walker. Deputy, Dorothy Bedwell.
    School Superintendent, Susanne Homes. Assistant, Mrs. H. H. Davis.
    Coroner, John A. Perl.
    Health Officer, Dr. W. P. Holt.
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JACKSONVILLE CITY OFFICERS
    Mayor, Emil Britt.
    Councilmen, W. A. Bishop, Peter J. Fick, W. I. McIntyre and Chester Wendt.
    Recorder, D. W. Bagshaw.
    Treasurer, J. N. Cronemiller.
    Marshal, M. D. Jones.
    One of the best public and high schools in the county.
    Churches--Presbyterian, Methodist and Catholic.
    Nearly all lodges are represented here.
    Jacksonville Post weekly newspaper--only paper at the county seat and best advertising medium west of Chicago.
    Post office, Lewis Ulrich postmaster and G. R. Chapman assistant.
    Telephone office, Mrs. Barbara Reter chief operator; assistants, Fleta Chapman, Mollie Bailey, Amy Dow and Bernice Reter.
    D. W. Bagshaw, lawyer, justice of the peace and insurance agent.
    Jacksonville and Medford Electric Railway, Joe Gagnon manager.
    Jacksonville-Medford auto bus, Bud Laurentz driver.
    W. A. Bishop, Jacksonville-Medford auto freight line.
    Jacksonville Cash Store, general merchandise, John M. Williams Co., proprs.
    Lewis Ulrich, general merchandise.
    Fred J. Fick, hardware.
    Dr. J. W. Robinson, drug store.
    O. C. Dorothy, confectionery, soft drinks and barber shop.
    S. E. Dunnington, soft drink saloon.
    Tom Dunnington, meat market.
    Geo. Snearly, groceries and confectionery.
    John Pappas, clothing and shoe store.
    John Lyden, rooming house, restaurant, real estate and second-hand dealer.
    Frank Zell, second-hand store.
    Joe Applebaker, blacksmith.
    E. R. Jones, blacksmith.
    W. R. Sparks, shoemaker.
    Mrs. Mattie Thompson, boarding house.
    Wm. Broad, real estate.
    W. R. Childers, real estate.
    Public library, Mrs. Merrifield, librarian.
    Numerous gold mines near town, the principal one being the Opp quartz mine and mill.
    And last but not least, one of the strongest, safest and most comfortable county jails west of the Mississippi.
Jacksonville Post, October 22, 1921, page 1



Last revised May 30, 2024