"Time erases everything but memories." It is the Medford of years ago that lives in the memories of the few old-timers who still remember two and three decades back when buggies and  bustles were in vogue. Old Father Time with sure, yet unhurried, hands has wiped out nearly all of the old landmarks that have become obstructions in the path of progress.
    The reminiscent old-timer, however, will easily recall, and not without a few tender thoughts of the "good old days," the Medford of twenty and thirty years ago. Behind the curtain of years is a vivid picture of Main Street, muddy and soggy with the rain of early spring and late fall, which gripped the wheels of buggies and the sturdy hoofs of horses like Tanglefoot grips the unsuspecting fly.
    The hitching rack was the center of many friendly gatherings and heated political debates. "Would McKinley be elected," and "What was Garfield's stand on the tariff?" In the saloons, which were the popular rendezvous for many Medfordites of 20 or more years ago, and on the old Nash Hotel corner the Spanish-American War was fought with many a verbal skirmish and bombardment from sturdy-lunged soapbox orators.
    Indians from the Fort Klamath country came to Medford to buy their supplies and tarry in Medford on their way to‘'Huckleberry Mountain," lending color to the Medford of those days. Horse races down Medford's Main Street were not uncommon events while the cattle rustler, long since deposed by today's bootlegger, keep the sheriff and posse in the saddle.
    A few Medford men, now in active business circles of this city, were serving Rogue River Valley people back in those colorful days. Many of their old patrons have passed on, old buildings and landmarks have been razed, the city has progressed. A glance, however, at these old-timers will show that they, too, have progressed with the Southern Oregon country. Among them may be found some of Medford's most active and progressive citizens who have themselves been responsible for much of the development of Medford and the Rogue River Valley.
    Medford people have a warm spot in their hearts for these old-timers who, through thick and thin, through booms and depressions, have attained such respected and envied places in the civic and business circles of this city.
   
    Hubbard Bros. have the distinction of being the oldest concern in the city. The business was started early in 1884 by F. Hubbard, Sr., when Medford was a "wee infant." In September 1885 Mrs. Hubbard and children came west and joined their father. Four years later the store was completely destroyed by fire. In those days about every other store had pasteboard buckets hanging on their porches for fire protection. In the excitement someone took a stick to knock those buckets down, so they could be used, but the stick was too sharp and he jabbed holes in nearly every one, making them useless.
    In 1892 the firm name was changed to Hubbard Bros. Alexis and A. C. Hubbard took over the business. Alexis sold to another brother, Fort, in 1895, and he in turn sold his interest to A. C. in 1925. In 1929 the business was incorporated under the same name, Hubbard Brothers, A. C. taking his sons Roland and Chester into the corporation.
    When the company first opened for business wagons sold at $95 that would now cost $200. Buggies ranged in price from $60 to $150, but now they can't even get buggies! Before they added tractors in 1915 everything was horse-drawn and farm implements were the biggest part of their business. They now carry hardware, implements, sporting goods, tractors, etc.
   
    Chas. Strang has the second oldest concern in Medford and has been in business 46 years, longer than any other one man. He opened the city's first drug store in 1884, shortly after Hubbard Bros. started, and was associated with Dr. M. Vrooman. These were the good old days when ladies wore no rouge and practically no powder. Men hadn't heard of safety razors then and used shaving soap instead of cream. If you said it was for medical purposes, you could then buy the best whiskey made here for 50¢ a pint.
    More patent medicines were used then, and a big part of the business was horse remedies, which have been replaced by cat and dog remedies.
    Strang's Drug Store has filled more than 125,000 original prescriptions and often goes back over 20 years for a refill. They carry a complete line usually found in a first-class drug store.
   
    Dr. E. D. Elwood has fitted more than 20,000 pairs of glasses here since 1898. Thirty-two years ago the glasses people wore had very small lenses, less than half the size of many modern lenses, and a person who wore glasses was often accused of doing so to be in "style."
    The profession of optometry has radically changed since Dr. Elwood first started practicing 32 years ago. Orthogon, or bifocal, or soft-lite or most any of science's greatest standbys now were not dreamed of then. When bifocal lenses first came in they were two pieces of glass cemented together, but now the profession has advanced almost out of recognition.
    Dr. Elwood predicts that in the near future practically all glasses will be of soft-lite Orthogon, with the new frames which are just coming out.
   
    The first Palace Hotel was built by Mr and Mrs. R. E. Halley in 1900 but they had lived here since 1888 when there were not more than 200 people including all ages. Mr. Halley was a tailor by trade but they started a little merchandise store which soon gained the reputation of "if you can't find it anywhere else, go to Halley's, they'll have it or something like it."
    When the hotel was built the best rooms rates were 25¢ to 50¢, and frequently the farmers would come to town and stay two or three days before they could get their business done. There were practically no tourists, except a few families from the East who were looking for homes, and most all the hotel guests arrived by train.
    In 1927 Mrs. Halley, who has continued in business after her husband's death in 1919, built the present Palace Hotel.
   
    "Toggery Bill" Isaacs started into business when he was 21 years old in 1903 with most of the town's "wise heads" predicting that he would go bankrupt in sixty days. He invested his small capital in fixtures and gave only a pleasant smile and his reputation as security for his merchandise. That was when good all-wool suits sold for $12.50, hats from $1.50 to $3.00 and neckties were high at 50¢. Toggery Bill says he has worked for 25¢ a day and board. Much of the clothing of those days was made by manufacturers who didn't give their employees a living wage.
    The well-dressed man 27 years ago was attired in a very long, loose, sacky coat with heavily defined stitching and plain trousers.
    Although "Toggery Bill" has probably spent more time for recreation than any other business man in the valley and is one of the expert fishermen of the Rogue River, his business has grown so that he now employs several people instead of the young high school boy with whom he started.
    Mr. Isaacs is well known all over this part of the state.
   
    E. G. Trowbridge bought the Medford Iron Works in 1903 and was located where Hall's cafeteria now is until 1920 when he patented the Medford Quartz Mill and moved to his present location to secure more room. Before selling his patent in 1926 he sold over 300 of these mills to customers all over the West.
    Mr. Trowbridge says that due to high labor costs mining has fallen off in the last 27 years but that the company has recently received more inquiries from all over the country than they have for many years.
    The iron works has grown with the city and now has a complete foundry and modern equipment.
    Mr. Trowbridge is an expert in his line.
   
    The Jackson County Abstract Company started in 1904 from a combination of three companies, and E. H. Janney and Paul Janney have owned and managed the firm since. The company has a complete record of every tract in the county and as abstracts become more complicated every year, title insurance was added in 1925 and has proved so satisfactory and so much easier for the client that it is now about 50 percent of the business.
    Since coming to this city, both Ed and Paul Janney have been identified with civic and fraternal activities, and recently Ed Janney completed a term on the Medford city council. Their establishment is considered one of this city's oldest and most substantial business firms pertaining to land titles.
   
    Volney Dixon established the oldest exclusive wire business on the coast at Medford May 1st, 1905 and during the following 25 years has been active in the sale of the most modern types of new fences including the "chain link," aluminum, and barbed wire.
    He has furnished and installed some of the largest fence jobs on the Pacific Coast, for the United States government, large corporations and stock ranches.
    Mr. Dixon began selling and erecting Page fence on the Pacific Coast in 1898, and during the past 32 years has made a nationwide study of fence manufacture, distribution, construction under all known uses and climatic conditions. The largest woven wire fence suspension bridge in the world was erected many years ago in Oregon and many smaller structures have been in continual use in Jackson County for more than 20 years. Mr. Dixon is western distributor for Page fence.
   
    The next year, 1906, the only concern which started "for keeps" was the Medford Ice and Storage Company. Originally the company only delivered ice locally but now they have a manufacturing capacity of 120 tons daily instead of 20 tons, as at first. They often have 100 employees instead of four as at first and a storing capacity of 20,000 tons of ice each year. This is enough ice to cover the Pacific Highway 12 feet wide, 11 inches thick and 13 miles long. or if it were laid end to end it would make a chain of ice 80 miles long. They also have added storage for eggs, butter, blackberries, strawberries, etc., and have a meat freezing room and a fur storage room.
    Of course pears are still their biggest item, and they often store them with splendid results into the late spring. They ice approximately 5,000 cars of fruit a year and can spot 35 cars at a time on their tracks. In their pre-cooling department they take pears at a temperature of 85 degrees and in 48 hours bring them down to 32 degrees at the core.
    Prominent stockholders who have been with the company the 26 years are Jesse Houck and G. S. Butler. O. T. Bergner has been the manager for the past three years.
   
    O. V. Myers started in the real estate business here in 1907 and later started the first taxi in town, which, because of the newness of auto taxis, had to be supplemented with a livery. In 1918 he bought the Chevrolet agency and has since had the agencies for the Nash, Cole Eight, Mack Trucks and now has the Packards, Studebakers and Reo agencies.
    In 1923 he sold over $172,000 of Mack trucks. In 1919 he sold 33 cars in one month, three of them being Franklins.
    Mr. Myers is one of the leading automobile dealers in Southern Oregon and owns considerable city property.
   
    Glen Fabrick couldn't have washed off too many buttons since he bought the Medford Domestic Laundry 22 years ago when it had 12 employees and a team and single horse to make deliveries. Horses were a big help to the business because as they walked along the street mud would fly in every direction, sprinkling pedestrians, windows and everything else. Most clothes then were plain white cotton or linen, but they frequently had dozens of small tucks which necessitated hand ironing.
    Now the Domestic Laundry has 30 employees, three trucks, the best equipment obtainable and they launder blankets, lace curtains, mixtures of materials and colors and all sorts of materials. Since 1908 the business has become scientific and standardized, Mr. Fabrick says, so that usually a piece of goods which has been repeatedly laundered can't be told from one which is entirely new, although a measure is due to better manufacturing. Recently Mr. Fabrick washed some rayon for 45 continuous hours and it came out showing no wear. The laundry has become well known throughout the industry and recently won first prize for fair booths in the United States and Canada.
   
    The Big Pines Lumber Company is the oldest lumber establishment in the city. It was started by H. A. Thierolf and associates in 1908 when $1500 would build a very nice house and $2,500 would erect a mansion. Mr. Thierolf later acquired all the business and has increased the buildings and stocks and added new lines to cope with their increasing business. They now have all their yard under cover, which is 100 by 300 feet.
    They recently rebuilt the offices and arranged unique and attractive display rooms for their products.
    They gladly furnish plans and expert advice to prospective builders. The business has become more complicated of late years because it requires a thorough knowledge of materials and values of properties.
    Deliveries in early days were made with three two-horse and one single-horse wagon and often took half a day or longer when the horses got bogged in the mud, where now they require several trucks.
    It is interesting to note that the telephone number of the Big Pines Lumber Company has been Number One since 1908.
   
    The Jackson County Building & Loan Association, termed by the State Tax Commission as "one of the best managed and most prosperous associations in America" started in 1909 with Bert Anderson as president and O. C. Boggs as secretary and general manager. From the date of incorporation investments began to be made in the stock of the association, but very slow progress was made during the first few years. Assets of about $50,000.00 were accumulated by the beginning of the war period, and remained at that approximate figure until the period of development began soon after the war years, when the cities of Jackson County began to feel the period of increased prosperity. Rapid strides were made in the following years, and now assets of over $1,250,000 are carried on the books of the organization.
    Nearly two thousand loans have been made to residents of Jackson County for home buying, building, or improving purposes; and all funds used have been deposited by other residents of the county who realized the great service such an organization was able to render in furthering the prosperity of the locality.
    O. C. Boggs is still in the same capacity as secretary and general manager, and C. M. Kidd has served as president since 1917.
    The following compose the directorship: O. C. Boggs, C. M. Kidd, A. L. Hill, John C. Mann, J. J. Emmens, Emil Mohr, R. E. Green, Glenn O. Taylor, Glen Fabrick.
   
    When the Medford Greenhouse started in business in 1908 you couldn't send flowers by telegraph to any part of the world as you can now. Then it was a tedious and uncertain job if people wanted to send flowers to some distant friend's wedding. Ten years ago the Florists Telegraph Delivery Association was organized, which now has 5,000 members in all parts of the world. Except for this, the florist business has changed very little, according to Thos. Judge, proprietor, who has been a florist all his life. However he says that flowers have become larger, better shaped and colored, although in many instances they have failed to retain their original perfume.
        Can you imagine insuring the body of a dead Chinaman which was sent to China for burial? That is what the R. A. Holmes Insurance Agency has done once in 21 years. When Mr. Holmes, Sr. started in 1909 there were only five lines of insurance written but now there are over 60 in force in their office. They have had 49 customers constantly on their books since the first year they started, and a large number of the "old-timers" are insured with them. Cole Holmes, son of the founder, who came into the office in 1920, says insurance rates are now 40 percent lower in Medford than 20 years ago, largely due to better fire protection and the tendency of the companies to reduce rates. They have paid over $258,000 in losses since opening the office, which is in the same location. They still represent six companies with which they started.
   
    J. H. Cooley started the Medford Lumber Company in 1909. In 1922 H. L. Andrews became cashier. He had been in Medford since 1895 and says in those days every once in a while one could see a man's head and hat in the middle of Main Street. On investigating, Mr. Andrews says, the head and hat usually belonged to a man on a load of wood that had gotten mired in the mud! He also says that it was practically impossible for the 1895 pigs to go to sleep at night because they got such a ball of mud on their tails that it stretched their skin so tight that they couldn't close their eyes!
    Although Mr. Cooley started with a large stock, his business has more than trebled in the past 20 years. Lumber substitutes were practically unknown in 1909, and their development has made little difference with the Cooley lumber business, because they handle both lumber and all its substitutes in large quantities.
   
    Brown's opened for business in 1909 with three employees. They also have grown with the city until now they have 14 employees and have added new departments as the business has grown.
    Under the management of Ed Brown, this establishment has become one of Southern Oregon's most popular recreational places, where billiards and pool may be enjoyed in an atmosphere of clean respectability. Every possible step has been taken by Mr. Brown to provide a strictly high-class recreation hall for those who enjoy "the gentleman's game."
    Brown's coffee shop has won a wide patronage because of tasty foods and excellent service. In the same establishment is a soda fountain, department for the smoker, a barber shop and a shoe shining parlor, as well as a room for those who wish a friendly game of cards.
    Billiard tournaments are frequently staged at Brown's, and many nationally known cue artists have appeared in exhibition matches there.
   
    E. H. Lamport, familiarly known as "Ed,"' with hundreds of Southern Oregon sportsmen, entered Medford business circles 10 years ago in a portion of the location now occupied by the Star Market. The task of paving Main Street was just started at that time and Mr. Lamport's patrons came to Medford either in buggies and wagons or on horseback. As he had been engaged in the harness and leather business in Tacoma, Mr. Lamport was naturally attracted to that line of business when he happened to visit Medford and it was with little difficulty that he secured a good buy for the Medford Harness Company from A. Tackstrom.
    Old-timers will recall that Ed operated the Medford Harness Company for several years before changing the name to Lamport's. Fishing, hunting and baseball were popular 20 years ago, and with recent years, football, golf and tennis have been added to these as major sports.
    The old city water tower was in the city park when Ed Lamport joined the business circles of this city--a far call from Medford's million-dollar water system of today. W. W.Williams, who presides over the sporting goods and leather goods repair department at Lamport's, has been with that firm for 18 years and was associated with Mr. Lamport's father for 15 years before that.
   
    C. J. Semon insists that the religious atmosphere which they got from the tabernacle in which they started business September 10, 1910 has been a strong influence in the company ever since. That first year  the Medford Concrete Construction Company manufactured over 90,000 feet of sewer pipe and was the first company in the city to wash their sand and gravel. As an advertisement the first few years they gave away washed sand for children to play in.
    Two years ago the company went into the paving business. They make drain tile, culverts, sewer pipe and everything else made of concrete.
    Russell D. Semon came into the business about 10 years ago, H. H. Pringle, secretary treasurer, five years ago. Homer H. Marx is their irrigation engineer.
Medford Mail Tribune, September 29, 1930, page 8

Facts and Figures Show Importance of Medford
as Center of Rich Territory