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The
Medford Monitor, June 11, 1886 The Medford Monitor was the first newspaper to publish in Medford, Oregon, beginning its run just four days before the town's incorporation was official. Sadly, only two copies of this window into Medford's early days survive: Volume 1, Number 1, February 20, 1885 in the collection of the Southern Oregon Historical Society, and Volume 1, Number 4, March 14, 1885, in mine. Below is all we know of the June 11, 1886 issue. A Relic of Ten Years
Ago.
While Merchant [Simeon] Rosenthal is at all times attending strictly to
business in his line he has also made the preservation of a relic that
at this time is prized more by him than half his stock of clothing.
This relic is nothing more nor less than a copy of the "Medford
Monitor," of date June 11, 1886.
In this issue appears the advertisement of Isaac Woolf's grocery store; J. S. Howard was the city mayor and also kept a general store; Mrs. Gilbert and daughter were in the millinery business; R. F. High was doing barbering; Wm. Smith was blacksmithing; J. H. Griffis was a notary public and real estate agent; Vrooman, Miller & Co. kept a hardware and drug store; A. L. Johnson was advertising the "Italy of Oregon" and selling real estate; A. Childers & Son were mason contractors and builders; H. H. Wolters was proprietor of the Gem saloon and was advertising the "Famous Rogue River whiskies," of which distillery John Hanley was proprietor; R. T. Lawton was real estate and insurance agent; John Noland and Wm. Ulrich were proprietors of the Railroad saloon; G. H. Haskins and D. T. Lawton were proprietors of the City drug store, which business is still conducted by Mr. Haskins; D. Wilson was selling harness; S. Rosenthal loomed up glowingly as a general merchandise dealer; the Medford Reduction works were in operation with G. H. Chick as superintendent; David Payne was in the livery stable business, as was also Kenny & Wortman; J. B. Riddle was proprietor of the Riddle house--that which is now the Nash; the Pioneer restaurant was run by O. Gilbert; G. W. Williams and C. W. Skeel were contractors and builders; Chas. Wolters was then proprietor of the "New Bakery"--the same Charlie now being the "Popular Grocer"; the attorneys at law were W. R. Anderson, W. F. Williamson and B. W. Powell; Drs. Price & Geary were the physicians. There were undoubtedly other business houses in Medford than these mentioned, but they were not of record in the advertising columns. The paper was published by M. A. McGinnis and was then two years old. It was a six column folio and the first page is filled with town ordinances. Among the locals we find the name of D. H. Miller, then postmaster, attached to a list of advertised letters; "Election passed off quietly" and in line with the policy advocated by that paper; Misses Riddle and Gibson called at the office, with strawberries and chocolate cake; the Medford Aid society was getting ready for a strawberry festival; Pennoyer was elected governor; Dave Crosby was on the special police force; "Six years more for Judge Webster" and then he was to be made governor of Oregon; someone was pilfering newspapers from the Riddle house; "Miss Grace Foster celebrated her ninth birthday"--she is now one of the teachers in our public schools; John Robinson had just started a dray wagon; the Central hotel was reopened, Mrs. O. Gilbert, proprietor; Angle & Plymale were selling Buckeye mowers; the paper wanted its subscribers to "pay up;" the election elected L. R. Webster circuit judge by 29 votes over J. R. Neil; W. M. Colvig was elected prosecuting attorney; B. W. Dean, sheriff; W. H. Parker, county clerk; Benj. Haymond and G. S. Walton, commissioners, Newman Fisher, treasurer; Wm. Priest, school superintendent; J. M. Childers, assessor; R. Price, coroner. J. S. Howard was mayor of Medford, R. T. Lawton, recorder; the councilmen were E. P. Geary, A. Childers, F. Galloway and G. W. Howard; Chas. Strang, treasurer; Isaac Woolf, marshal and E. G. Hurt, street commissioner. Medford Mail, June 12, 1896, page 3
Last revised April 20, 2008 |
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