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The Infamous Black Bird Southern Oregon History, Revised



Medford News 1937

Medford-related news items from 1937. Also see descriptions of Medford and Jackson County for this year.


Fairground Blaze Destroys CCC Gear
    Medford,  Jan. 21.--(U.P.)--Fire early today destroyed the exhibit building at the Medford fairground, which was used by the CCC for a transportation garage.
    Five new army trucks, an ambulance, an undetermined number of automobiles used by officers and salvaged trucks brought in for repairs were destroyed.
    Fire Chief Roy Elliott believed the fire started in one of the cars.
    The blaze was well under way when it was discovered. It was kept from spreading to other buildings.
Oregon Journal, Portland, January 21, 1937, page 7

    Royal Riviera. Ser. No. 383,445. Rosenberg Brothers, Medford, Ore. For fresh pears.
"Trade-Mark Department," The Chicago Packer, January 16, 1937, page 28


Wins Advertising Award.
    Medford, Ore., March 19.--A gold medal award for the most distinguished advertising copy in 1936 went to the Bear Creek Orchards owned by Harry and David Rosenberg, and to their advertising agency, the G. Lynn Sumner Company of New York.
    The awards in various classifications are intended to perpetuate the ideals of truth and quality that were embodied in the original Harvard Advertising Awards, founded by the late Edward W. Bok in 1924. The original awards were discontinued in 1931 after the death of Mr. Bok and were revived last year by Advertising and Selling magazine. The Bear Creek Orchards advertisement that won the award appeared in the November issue of Fortune magazine.
The Chicago Packer, March 20, 1937, page 11


New Modern Packing Plant at Medford for Rosenberg Brothers.
    Medford, Ore., April 23.--Plans were announced this week by the Rosenberg brothers, David and Harry, operators of the Bear Creek Orchards, for the construction of a new and modern building for their packing plant at the orchards, two miles south of Medford on the Pacific Highway.
    The new building, according to David Rosenberg, will be of modern design, constructed along the lines of the architecture of the Chicago World's Fair, and will represent something entirely new not only in local construction, but on the entire Pacific Highway.
    Two towers encased in stainless steel, with heavy black bands around them, will stand sentinel in the front of the building facing the highway, with the huge bear of the Bear Creek orchards superimposed on the front.
    The building will be of two stories with the upper part toward the highway providing room for the box-making equipment and other storage rooms. Long and wide steel windows will provide ample light for the plant, both on the top and bottom floors. Large doors, that lift up from the bottom, will make lighting and ventilation simple on the lower floor.
    Frank Clark and Robert Keeney, architects, have drawn plans for the new building, construction of which will start in the near future, Mr. Rosenberg said.
The Chicago Packer, April 24, 1937, page 23


    Building Permits--Walter H. Leverette applied for a permit at the city building inspector's office yesterday to demolish a house at 128 North Central Avenue. No cost was given.
"Local and Personal," Medford Mail Tribune, May 27, 1937, page 9


Medford District Bartlett Pear Harvest August 15-20.
    Medford, Or., July 16.--Harvesting of the Bartlett pear crop of the Rogue River Valley will start between August 15 and 20, according to County Horticulturist C. B. Cordy. This is from ten days to two weeks later than last year.
    Bartlett tonnage is estimated by Clarence Pankey, orchard expert, as being 10 to 15 percent lighter than last year. Boscs, d'Anjous and other varieties will be heavier, Mr. Pankey said.
    The heaviest irrigation of the season is now under way in the fields and orchards here, with all ditches carrying capacity loads. Ample water for all needs, if not wasted, is available, according to Olen Arnspiger, general manager of the Medford and Talent irrigation districts.
    Picking of Royal Anne and Bing cherries in the Medford district has been completed. The Lambert crop will be harvested this week. Cherry harvesting in the Ashland district is now at its peak.
    From the present outlook the apricot crop will be ready for harvesting the week of July 18, according to Horticulturist Cordy.
The Chicago Packer, July 17, 1937, page 10


A National Pear Week Is Planned.
    Medford, Ore., July 23.--Adoption of National Pear Week, the approval of a $50,000 budget for the promotion of late varieties of Pacific Coast pears and the inclusion of California in the Oregon-Washington Pear Bureau were highlights of a meeting of the executive committee of the bureau in Medford last week.
    The name of the bureau will be changed to the Oregon-Washington-California Pear Bureau, and the enlarged budget adopted will provide for the largest advertising and promotional campaign ever put back of Pacific Coast winter pears. About 80 percent of the pear crop of the three Pacific Coast states will be included in the bureau. The advertising program will include the use of newspapers, radio and subway cards in the larger eastern cities.
    National Pear Week will be held each year during the seven-day period preceding Thanksgiving week in accordance with the schedule recently adopted by the National Grocers Retail Association. Officials of the bureau believe much can be accomplished for the pear industry through the cooperation of the 200,000 stores throughout the country which will participate in the program featuring the fruit.
The Chicago Packer, July 24, 1937, page 15


Rogue River Valley Pear Crop.
    Medford, Ore., Aug. 13.--The Rogue River Valley pear crop will be less than last year, according to the estimate of the Rogue River Valley Traffic Association. The crop is placed at approximately 1,623,000 boxes. The estimate by varieties follows: Bartlett, 440,000 boxes; Comice, 80,000 boxes; Winter Nelis, 140,000 boxes; Bosc, 500,000 boxes; d'Anjous, 440,000 boxes, Seckels, 10,000 boxes; Howells, 18,000 boxes.
The Chicago Packer, August 14, 1937, page 8


Medford Pear Account for C. H. Robinson Co.
    Chicago, Aug. 27.--The C. H. Robinson Company has been appointed sole Chicago distributors for the coming season for the Bear Creek Orchards, Medford, Ore., shippers of the well-known "Bear Creek" and "Cub " brands of pears, it was announced this week by R. M. Steinberg, manager of the company's offices here.
    Bear Creek Orchards have specialized for a number of years in pears and with the aid of modern facilities and scientific methods have built up a fine demand for these brands. "Bear Creek" and "Cub" brands have consistently topped all auction terminal auctions and also have received good support from foreign exporters, according to Mr. Steinberg.
    Mr. Rosenberg of the Bear Creek Orchards has advised the company that they will continue their policy of placing a high quality pack of pears on the market. The C. H. Robinson Company will have supplies available at all times either for shipment, track or rolling, starting shortly with Bartletts, Mr. Steinberg says, and from the demand which has already made itself evident indications are that a satisfactory volume of these pears will move through the Chicago territory.
The Chicago Packer, August 28, 1937, page 2


    Mountain Springs. Ser. No. 396,806. Published November 16, 1937 to Crystal Springs Packing Company, Inc., Medford, Ore. For fresh pears and apples. Claims use since July 29, 1937.
"Trade-Mark Department," The Chicago Packer, November 27, 1937, page 11
 

Sale of Gift Boxes of Pears a Growing Business.
    Medford, Ore., Dec. 10.--The sale of special "gift boxes" of Rogue River pears, sponsored by a number of the major packing concerns, is rapidly being developed into a special field of its own.
    These gift boxes, specially packed in Christmas tinsel and excelsior, may be secured in two sizes and can be sent to any part of the United States. The small boxes contain between 12 and 14 large pears while the large boxes bear from 24 to 30 pears. Originally pioneered in 1931, this field has been growing by leaps and bounds and is rapidly spreading throughout the state.
The Chicago Packer, December 11, 1937, page 18



MEDFORD, ORE. NEWS NOTES
    "Definite results" was the term applied by A. H. Banwell, manager of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, here this week, concerning the development of the "gift box" phase of local packing concerns' sales program. Mr. Banwell stated that the Chamber was receiving orders daily from out-of-town sections.
----
    Mr. and Mrs. Robert Norris of Medford left recently for an extended trip through the Panama Canal Zone. They were accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. C. G. Smith, also of Medford. Mr. Norris is affiliated with the Pinnacle Packing Company. 
The Chicago Packer, December 18, 1937, page 14


Rogue River Valley Pear Pack 1,699,462 Boxes..
    Medford, Ore., Dec. 17.--The pack of pears as reported by F. Kramer Deuel, secretary of the Rogue River Valley Traffic Association, show total figures as 1,699,462 boxes. A trifle more than 917,000 boxes have been sold to date, with Golden Boscs leading the field. Detailed figures are: Cannery Bartletts, 4,932 tons; packed Bartletts, 364,200; Howells, 16,551; Boscs, 218,129; Comice, 36,482; Anjous, 151,720; Winter Nelis, 18,537; Newtown apples, 97,559 and Seckels, 9,410.
    Total number of boxes sold and shipped on export orders is 200,334; total sold and shipped on domestic orders, 618,636. Eastern storage points have been emptied of both export and domestic consignments while western points are holding 72,801 boxes for export and 22,381 boxes for domestic markets.
    At the present time there is a total of 771,950 boxes unsold, comprising Howells, 3,823; Bosc, 236,978; Comice, 17,021; Anjous, 338,041; Winter Nelis, 107,459; Newtowns, 78,098 and Seckels, 530. Total rolling unsold are 66,245 boxes.
The Chicago Packer, December 18, 1937, page 14



Southern Oregon Pear and Apple Shipments.
    Medford, Ore., Dec. 24.--A movement of 49,199 boxes of southern Oregon pears and apples has been recorded for the week ending December 11, according to the Rogue River Valley Traffic Association and F. Kramer Deuel, secretary.
    Three hundred and ninety-nine boxes of Howells were sold last week, 23,370 boxes of Boscs, 1,074 Comice, 12,542 Anjous, 100 Winter Nelis and 11,723 Newtown apples.
    At present there is a total of 732,742 boxes still unsold, comprising 15,947 Comice, 3,424 Howells, 213,608 Boscs, 325,499 Anjous, 107,359 Winter Nelis, 66,375 Newtowns, and 530 boxes of Seckels.
The Chicago Packer, December 25, 1937, page 20




Last revised April 17, 2024