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Paving
Medford Streets Why did Medford wait till 1908? Because there's always something else
that has to be done first. Refer also to the page on Medford
Streets.
MEDFORD PREPARING TO
PAVE
Southern Pacific Agrees to Assist City in Enterprise.
MEDFORD,
Or., Dec. 12.--(Special.)--At a special meeting, held this afternoon,
the City Council ordered cast iron pipe for the distributing laterals
of the water system, the pipe to be laid at once to enable the work of
paving of Seventh Street, Medford's main thoroughfare, to begin at an
early date. The Southern Pacific Company at the same meeting agreed to
pave the entire distance of its holdings at a cost of $15,000. The City
Recorder has made a call for sale of bonds on January 10, to the amount
of $25,000.
Morning Oregonian, Portland, December 13, 1907, page 5 Have To Move Poles.
The
handling of a million-dollar job is no sinecure. Few there are who
realize the hard work, the worries and the troubles which beset "the
boss" on every side, or the immense amount of vitality and driving
power that is required to keep things moving. It is not job for a
whiner, and appears to me as an incessant game of football; a straight
dash to the goal would be a happy incident--touchdowns are seldom made
in one sprint--it takes six feet of pluck as well as two feet of speed
to hammer and batter through the opposition. And yet today in Medford
there is a young man, barely past 30, who is successfully handling a
million-dollar job. And he will win out, but there will be no hue and
cry about it. He realizes that it would be fatal to cry for help, and
he is too busy doing big things to pay any attention to the comments of
the crowd.
The
city engineer is after the telephone and electric companies with his
"big stick," and as a consequence the companies will commence within a
very short time to remove all of their poles in Seventh Street and
other unimproved streets so that they will not stand in the gutter and
obstruct the flow of storm water. The poles are to be reset inside of
the curbing. At present the poles are in the gutter, and aside from the
fact that they do not add anything to the beauty of the street, they
are the cause of obstruction of the gutters, which is a serious matter
after a heavy rain storm. At present a glance up or down Seventh Street
shows the poles in a very irregular line. When they are placed inside
of the curbing and in a straight line they will look some better at any
rate. The reason that the engineer took up the matter is that Seventh
Street is soon to be paved, and the poles must be out of the way prior
to that work. The companies have both signified their intention to move
the poles as soon as they can do so.
Medford Mail, April 24, 1908, page 1 ROAD NEARING COMPLETION
It
will not be a great while until the city will be in a position to place
crushed rock from their quarry on the other side of Jacksonville upon
the streets of Medford. The grading of the spur line from the terminus
of the Rogue Rive Railroad Company's tracks has been almost completed,
and all that remains to be done is the ordering of the materials for
the track. President Barnum of the road will leave some time during the
present week for Portland, where he will purchase the rails and other
material.
About ten days ago the city engineer left for Jacksonville to survey the route for the spur, and the work has been rushed since so that the grade and embankment is nearly completed. A large force of men have been doing the grading, and the watchword was "rush." S. Sandry is to have charge of the quarry for the city, and he will begin the work of opening the quarry within a short time. There is considerable development work to be done before the proper quality of rock is available. The development work will be finished, however, by the time the track is laid and the cars obtained for the hauling of the rock. It is probable that the first crushed rock brought to Medford will be used on Seventh Street prior to making that street ready for pavement. Medford Mail, March 22, 1908, page 1  A Warren Construction Co. pavement medallion, circa 1915, on display at the National Museum of American History, Washington, D.C. Street Work Begun. (From Thursday's Daily)
Today
a start will be made towards the improving of Seventh Street, when the
Medford Cement Company will put on a force of men to put in the cement
curbing on the street. The Medford Cement Company is to handle all of
the cement work, a contract having been let to them by the Warren
Construction Company, which holds the contract for the paving of
Seventh Street.
WORK OF PAVING SEVENTH STREET TO
START SOONThere is probably no public improvement contemplated by this city which is of greater interest to the citizens of Medford than this one. For many months has the paving of the street been discussed. Each successive step from the day the matter was first agitated has been closely watched. During the spring there was nothing more discussed than the paving of Seventh Street. Therefore the news that the work is actually to start will prove a source of much gratification to many. Yesterday the work of laying the steel on the spur line from Jacksonville to the city's quarry was begun. It is thought that the work will be completed within four days, as all of the timber is laid, and all that remains to be done is the spiking of the rails and the ballasting of the roadbed. It is from this quarry that the crushed rock for the work on Seventh Street is to be obtained. The city engineer is at the present time having the two rock crushers of the city overhauled. These will be installed as soon as possible, and then the rock will be available. Within a few months the main streets of this city will be covered with a bitulithic pavement, and it is well. Medford Mail, July 10, 1908, page 5 What with dust and rocks and upheaved crossings, cement mixers and other offensive things too many for enumeration, a part of Seventh Street is just now anything but an ideal place. But there is always something objectionable in the exchange of old streets for new. Medford Mail, July 24, 1908, page 4 CITY ENGINEER BUSY.
All
street work and other city improvements are being pushed along as fast
as it is possible to do so. Engineer Osgood is as busy as a whole covey
of bird dogs. He is in about 17 different places at one time, setting
grade stakes and establishing grades.
The Jacobsen-Bade Company is at work on the sewer in district six. The Seventh Street curbing is about completed, and this little job itself keeps Mr. Osgood busy dodging epithets not altogether complimentary, which are hurled at him by those property owners whose sidewalks do not conform to curb levels. Then there are the crushed rock bunkers to be built. These the Southern Pacific officials, when here a few days ago, gave permission to have built between the Medford-Jacksonville railroad track and the Iowa Lumber & Box Company's retail sheds, near Sixth Street. These bunkers will be put in at a height sufficient to permit a carload of rock to be pushed up and dumped into them, and also permit the rock to again be dumped into wagons to be hauled to the to-be-paved streets. Now, don't laugh or crack any jokes right here, because Mr. Osgood has said that this incline will be of sufficient length to permit the Medford-Jacksonville short line engine to push a car up it without taking a run and a jump. Mr. Chitman, who is the cement street man here, has said that within fifteen days from the time the paving work proper is started it will be completed. Pedestrians and horses traveling Seventh Street have all gotten pretty well in the habit of jumping chasms, and a little further inconvenience will not be noticeable. Medford Mail, August 14, 1908, page 1 The bunkers may not have been built near the Iowa Box Co., due to objections over having the crushers' steam engines so close to the lumber piles. The putting in of the curbing for the Seventh Street paving is nearly all in, and many of the sidewalks have been extended to their full width of 14 feet. The paving of this street is expected to start in about 10 days. In this work several colored men will be employed, and the reason for this is that the material used must be applied while hot, and the colored man is the lad upon whom this intense heat has but little effect. "Improvements Are Many," Medford Mail, August 14, 1908, page 4 MR. HAFER OBJECTS.
We
all have our troubles--and then some of us have more troubles--but it
is up to the Medford councilmen to have the most troubles. This body of
men haven't gotten "squared away" on city water matters yet; as a
matter of fact, they are not fairly started, but here comes another
brew of trouble. However, there is some little satisfaction in
variety--and the councilmen have all kinds.
Yesterday morning engineer Osgood brought a gang of city workmen over from the quarries at Jacksonville and was making ready to put them to work erecting the rock bins in which it was intended to dump the crushed rock when biff! went something, and there wasn't a thing doing. The bins were to have been put in on the Southern Pacific right of way, near the Iowa Lumber Company's lumber yard [northeast corner Sixth and Fir], and near the stock yards [northwest corner Fifth and Evergreen]. Permission had been secured from the Southern Pacific for this purpose, but manager Hafer, who is also a councilman, interposed objections, alleging that the dust from this crushed rock would injure his lumber, and the sparks from the engine pushing the cars up the incline to these bins would endanger his company's lumber and buildings. Some telegraph messages passed between Mr. Hafer and superintendent Fields in Portland--and it terminated in Mr. Fields' asking the councilmen to look elsewhere for their bin site--and then it is said there was an exchange of courtesies between Mr. Hafer and other members of the council which were more emphatic than complimentary, and the councilmen started out to find--another bin site--which they didn't find by a ding sight, or by any other site. They endeavored to figure out, with the assistance of engineer Osgood, whether or not these bins could be put in south of the Barnum depot [northwest corner Sixth and Evergreen]. Here they encountered Mr. Osenbrugge's machinery shed [southeast corner Sixth and Fir], and it would be necessary to crop off about 30 feet of the west [?] end of this building, and this cropping process would set the taxpayers back $250 a crop--this The Morning Mail understands was the price paid on the damage to Mr. Osenbrugge by Mr. Hafer. Other persons farther down the line interposed objections to putting in the track and bins here because that they would narrow the street too much, which was already too narrow for use in their business. And that is where the matter of paving Seventh Street stood at 6 o'clock last night. The work on this street could begin within ten days from now, but it is right here blocked because that no site for the track and rock bins can be found. My, but we are having an awful time at our house--and the improvements go ahead with a velocity calculated to make one forget where he's at--or if he's anywhere. Dr. Ray has offered to sell a tract of land out west of the city for the use of this track and bins at $500 per acre, but it would be a big expense hauling the rock to town from this point. Medford Mail, September 11, 1908, page 1 WORK NIGHT AND DAY.
Official of the Warren Bros. Paving Company in Medford Yesterday.
W.
B. Warren, the vice-president of the paving firm of Warren Bros.
company, of Boston, was in Medford yesterday looking after matters in
connection with the paving of Seventh and cross streets. The real work
of putting in the paving is done by the Warren Construction Company,
with headquarters in Portland, but the Warren Bros. supervise all the
work and look after the financial part.
In conversation with a Morning Mail reporter Mr. Warren stated that the plant was now on the way here from Vancouver, Wash., and that it would be here in about one week from now. In the meantime the other work will be rushed. Electric lights will be put in where the rock crushing work will be done, so that operations can go on at night as well as in the daytime. Medford Mail, October 16, 1908, page 1 WILL START TODAY.
Rain or Shine, the Paving Work Will Start Today.
Had
there not more rain fallen Sunday night work on the street excavation,
preparatory to putting down pavement, would have been commenced
yesterday. However, the work, we understand, will commence this
morning, rain or shine.
The work will start at the west end of the proposed street improvements. The paving plant proper is not here yet, but the excavating will no longer be delayed. Medford Mail, October 23, 1908, page 2 Several more carloads of machinery for the street paving plant arrived yesterday. Several teams and 20 or more men are now at work excavating out near the west school building, and actual paving work will commence next week. "Local and Personal," Medford Mail, October 29, 1908, page 2 READY TO COMMENCE.
The Paving Plant Is Now Ready To Begin Work.
The
street paving plant, or rather the plant for preparing the material for
street paving, is now practically in readiness to commence operations,
and by tomorrow the actual work is expected to commence. The rock
bunkers are completed, the switch leading to them is in, and yesterday
the first load of crushed rock was dumped into the bunkers.
The work of excavating on the street is being pushed with all possible vigor. Great quantities of crushed rock is being hauled onto the excavated and rolled portion of the streets, and if this good weather continues it will not be many days until a portion, at least, of the pavement is down and in use. Medford Mail, November 5, 1908, page 1 Mr. Barnum has the connections made with his main line and was yesterday laying the iron on the spur track at the rock bunkers in West Medford. "Local and Personal," Medford Mail, November 5, 1908, page 2 Aside from the new water system the most important improvement going on in Medford at present is the bitulithic paving of the streets by the Warren Construction Company. On West Seventh Street, where the company have a large crew of men at work at present, it presents a busy scene, and is the chief attraction for the crowds daily passing to and fro along that popular thoroughfare. The company are doing excellent work and are putting in a good paving product that will undoubtedly give excellent satisfaction for years to come. Up to last night they had completed the first course of the block lying between I and J streets, and had the entire block laid over with crushed rock. It necessitates running day and night crews on the rock-crushing plant in order to keep up with the paving work, which will be continued today and every Sunday in order to push the work to as steady completion as possible. "Medford the Beautiful," Medford Mail, November 13, 1908, page 2 Street paving work took a rest yesterday, owing to the fact that the supply of fine rock for use in the top dressing was temporarily exhausted. The contractors have had all kinds of hard luck in getting out rock at the quarry. The opening of a new quarry is always a slow and tedious job, and not even at this time has the company gotten it in shape so that sufficient room is given for both crushers to work advantageously. Another cause of delay was the breaking of one of the crushers. This, however, is now at work, and with the two crushers working night and day it is expected there will be but little delay in the progress of the work--if the weather keeps good. Workmen are busy putting in the water connections on Central Avenue before the paving starts on that street. "Local and Personal," Medford Mail, November 13, 1908, page 5 Mr. Barnum is putting in a new sidetrack in the railroad yards here for use in handling rock cars. "Local and Personal," Medford Mail, November 20, 1908, page 2 HIGH-CLASS PAVING.
Some of the Rock Used for Paving the Streets Contains Gold.
Paving
the streets with gold-bearing
rock! Now, what do you know about that?
But that is just what is being done in Medford right now.
Of course it isn't $100 rock or anything like that, but there is gold in it, just the same. A few days ago some of the employees of the paving company "panned" some of the fine rock which is used for the pavement, and in every pan they found several colors--three or four to the pan. Medford Mail, November 27, 1908, page 3  A street roller in Hillsboro, Oregon in 1908. THE MACHINE WAS SOBER.
But the Engineer of the Street Roller Was Very Much Otherwise.
People
watching the work of the street paving yesterday afternoon were at a
loss to understand the peculiar actions of the street roller. First it
would head toward one side of the street and then make a dash in the
opposite direction. Finally it failed to make the turn quick enough and
ran into the curb.
The manager of the work soon discovered that what was wrong was with the engineer of the machine, and assisted him out in quick shape before any more damage was done. A sober engineer was brought from the rock-crushing plant until another one could be got here from Portland. Medford Mail, December 11, 1908, page 1 PROGRESS OF PAVING.
Work Completed Down Street to Railroad Tracks.
Well,
what do you think of this? Seventh Street is paved from the West Side
School to the railroad track--and the weather continues good, and
because of this fact the work will continue.
Yesterday was a bumper day with the street paving gang. Every man on the job, from Mr. Chipman down to "Jimmie" with coal oil sack, buckled down to business, and a good-sized chunk of muddy street was transformed into a seemingly good, solid pavement. West Seventh Street was cement-tied to Barnum's railroad track, and that was what the company has been hoping to be able to do--and the weather has acted splendidly. This morning the gang will commence doing business on the east side of the track and will continue right on east to the Bear Creek bridge if the weather keeps good. Then if the weather continues good, the gang will back up and put in the pavement across the railroad track. There is a lot of puttering work around the four tracks, and the company did not want to consume all this fine weather on such slow work. There are some bad spots in the pavement put down during the last couple of days, caused by the earth underneath being soft, but these the company says will be taken out and replaced with a more substantial article. Medford Mail, December 11, 1908, page 1 AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT.
R.
W. Jones was driving an automobile down 7th Street Sunday and when
about opposite the Hotel Moore he attempted to make a short turn, but
evidently he misjudged his speed, for instead of clearing the walk he
struck the curb and a telephone pole at the same time, smashing a
spring and lamp and otherwise breaking the front of his machine. He was
able to get away after some slight repairs. He will probably learn not
to travel so fast on paved streets.
Medford Mail, December 11, 1908, page 5 Paving Matters.
The
Warren Construction Company have a sufficient amount of crushed rock
now on hand and in Medford to complete their present paving contract,
which consists of about three blocks on Main Street and one block north
and south from Main on Central Avenue.
Paving is contemplated on a number of other streets, and if the people living on these streets expect to petition to have this work done next season they should prepare and circulate the petitions at once, so the city council can act upon them at an early meeting. There is talk of paving Oakdale Avenue and J Street, West Seventh Street and north and south on Central Avenue. Medford Mail, January 29, 1909, page 2 CONNECT WITH MAINS
I.
L. Hamilton will have a force of men laying the cast-iron pipe to
connect the reservoir of the new gravity water system with the city
distributing system at Riverside Avenue in a week or ten days, and the
work will be rushed to completion.
It had been contemplated to have this work done later, when Bear Creek had receded. The reason that the work is undertaken now is the fact that the contractors wish to accommodate the residents of East Main Street, which is to be paved, and by doing this work early, it will give ample time for the ground to settle before the paving is put down. Excerpt, Medford Mail, March 26, 1909, page 1 The Medford Cement Company yesterday commenced the work of putting in cement curbing on South Central Avenue, between Main and Eighth streets. As soon as this curbing is in and set the Warren Construction Company expect to resume paving operations. The company have of their unfinished contract yet to do two blocks on Central Avenue, one and a half blocks on East Main Street and one block on West Main. "Local and Personal," Medford Mail, March 26, 1909, page 2 THE HIGHWAY AND THE AUTOMOBILE
A serious problem which grows in importance every year is that of the
relation of the automobile to the public highways. That the automobile
is the most active of all agents in the breaking down of macadamized
roads is a fact that has been long recognized by our State Engineers,
and of late it has become so evident that not even the most
enthusiastic automobilist can deny that great damage is done. When a
new stretch of macadamized roadway is thrown open to the public, it
offers such strong attraction to automobile owners that, even in cases
where its use involves a considerable detour as compared with shorter
routes over roads of inferior quality, it is certain to become so
popular with the rubber-tired vehicles that they will frequently
constitute the majority of the traffic. The initial breaking down of
the carefully prepared surface is almost immediate. The so-called
"suction" of the swiftly revolving rubber tires picks up the finely
crushed binding material of the surface, and throws it to the rear,
exposing the broken edges of the top course of macadam. These in their
turn are broken down, ground into dust, picked up by the passing
wheels, and carried by the wind into adjoining fields, or sifted upon
the lawns and buildings of adjacent property. The process of
disintegration goes on at a speed proportionate to the density of the
traffic, until finally the heavy underlying foundation rock of the
macadam is exposed. When this condition has been reached there is
nothing for it but to practically rebuild the roadway, or at least the
upper half of it. The destructive action of automobile traffic has been
greatly intensified in recent years by the introduction of chains and
other non-skidding devices, which are undoubtedly active agents in
breaking down and pulverizing the surface dressing the upper,
broken-stone layers of a macadamized road.(Scientific American) There are but two courses open in dealing with this perplexing and very serious problem. Either the automobile traffic must be restricted, or new and improved methods of road construction must be used. No one who seriously considers the matter believes, for a moment, that fines, heavy licenses, and restrictions as to speed, travel, or the use of non-skidding devices will fully meet the problem. Legislative restriction may modify the evil, but they cannot possibly eradicate it; and this for the reason that, as we have shown above, the destructive effects of the automobile are inherent in that very feature of its construction--the pneumatic tire--which has made the automobile a possibility. A vehicle weighing from 1,200 to 3,000 pounds, running at speeds of from 20 to 30 miles an hour on pneumatic tires, will break down, and very quickly break down the type of macadamized road of which we are building thousands of miles throughout this country. This is an indisputable fact; and no amount of legislative control can get rid of it. Evidently, then, the only solution of the problem lies in constructing our highways with a view to meeting the exacting conditions of traffic which have arisen within the past ten years. We must build automobile highways; and since the automobile is by far the most frequent user of the state roads, this will be a perfectly logical thing to do. It is pretty well agreed that if some binding material can be found, which will shed the surface water of the winter, and prevent the surface dressing from grinding up into an impalpable dust in the summer, a long step will have been taken in securing a perfect road. The solution of the problem will be found, probably, in the use of some form of tar; although our experience in this country has shown that the mere coating of the surface with this material, unless the road itself has the proper strength and consistency, is not sufficient. In many cases the disintegration of the road still goes on, and because of the soiling offset of the tar, the dust and mud become even more objectional than before. The material for the upper layers of the macadam road should be selected for its strength and binding qualities; should be carefully broken to size, and thoroughly rolled in. Too often the finished surface is not given sufficient crown to ensure a quick shedding of the surface water. This is a feature that should be most carefully attended to. In tarring the finished road, care should be taken to give the tar sufficient time to get thoroughly set before the road is thrown open to traffic. This may be hastened by giving the tarred surface a thin coating of sand. Finally, as we have frequently pointed out in this journal, our whole system of maintenance needs to be thoroughly revised. Our present methods of allowing a road to go to ruin, and then spreading a layer of so-called top dressing upon it, and calling this procedure a repair job, is simply barbarous. Eternal vigilance is as necessary in the upkeep of a modern highway as it is in that of a steam railroad track. Local indications of subsidence or wear should be immediately repaired. The constant day-by-day attention of a repair gang, scattered at wide intervals over a stretch of state highway, will keep the surface in first-class condition for many years. They will do successfully, and for far less cost, what the periodic and spasmodic repairs under our present systems of maintenance fail utterly to accomplish. Jacksonville Post, April 3, 1909, page 4 PAVING RESUMED
Work on Main Street Has Again Been Put in Motion
Street
paving operations were resumed in this city Monday. Such work on Main
Street and on Central Avenue as was delayed by stormy weather and other
circumstances will be taken up with renewed vigor, and the Warren
Construction Company, which has the work in charge, expects to finish
the paving already contracted for as soon as conditions will permit.
Only the lack of the necessary labor or an unexpected change in weather
conditions will prevent the company from putting the streets in fine
condition in record time.
Excerpt, Medford Mail, April 16, 1909, page 1 Last week a goodly number of the citizens living in East Medford, becoming disgusted with the wretched condition of some of the streets on the north side of Main, hired, at their own expense, teams and men and set them to work smoothing up and grading so that now they have some of the best roads adjoining the city, for which said citizens deserve much credit. "Local and Personal," Medford Mail, April 16, 1909, page 2 MANY MEN EMPLOYED
Public and Private Work Gives Work for a Little Army
That
Medford is an exceedingly busy town and growing, as becomes it as the
metropolis of Rogue River Valley, is proven by the great extent of
work, both public and individual, that is being done this spring.
As one instance of the hustle of this busy little city is the fact that there were 78 men by actual count at work on Oakdale Avenue Friday, and 76 men yesterday. These men embraced crews that were employed in laying cement sidewalk, cement curbing, laying sewer connections, putting in water connections, the city engineer's force and the men stringing the new cable for the improvement to the telephone system of that part of the city. All this work is to prepare the street for bitulithic paving, which will be put down within the next two weeks. In several other parts of the city are crews of men engaged in putting down cement sidewalks and cement curbs, making water and sewer connections, extending water mains and sewers and in making other public improvements. And to add to this list of workers is the 50 men that the Warren Construction Company has in its street-paving crew. And Medford's growth is only begun, and it will continue, steady and permanent, until this city ranks in population and wealth with the best cities of the Pacific coast, for it has the backing of resources that will make of it a city in fact as well as in name. Medford Mail, May 14, 1909, page 5 The Warren Construction Company will commence spreading the top pavement dressing on Front Street North this morning. There is quite an amount of this work now ahead of the company, and the crew will undoubtedly be kept busy for a couple or three weeks without an intermission. "Local and Personal," Medford Mail, May 28, 1909, page 2 Six new dump wagons and a rock crusher for the Warren Construction Company were being unloaded from the cars in this city yesterday. "Local and Personal," Medford Mail, June 18, 1909, page 2 When the paving on Oakdale Avenue is completed the paving company expects to move its plant to Ashland, where there is a contract awaiting them for putting in 21,000 yards of paving. West Main Street in Medford is still waiting to be paved. It ought to have been included in the Oakdale Avenue contract--but was not, and now the chances are not very favorable for getting it paved this season. The Ashland contact will keep the company busy until early fall, after which the outfit will return to Medford and pave West Main Street--if the contract is awarded. Should this bring the paving work into the wet season, there will be a vigorous protest made. Wet weather paving is not good paving--and it is expensive, both to the company and the city; still something must be done to improve West Main Street before another winter. Medford Mail, June 18, 1909, page 4 B. C. Copeland, superintendent for the Warren Construction Company, is authority for the statement that the work of grading for paving work on West Main Street will commence next week, and that by September 1 paving work will commence and will be completed 12 days later. "Local and Personal," Medford Mail, July 30, 1909, page 5 PAVING WORK DELAYED.
New Main Will Have To Be Put In Before West Main Street Is Paved.
Work
of grading West Main Street has been temporarily held up because of the
fact that when the work was to have commenced yesterday it was
discovered that the old water mains were laid too close to the surface
to permit the necessary grading for the paving which is to be put in. A
contract has already been let for a new main on this street, but it
will probably be two weeks before the pipe for this will reach Medford.
Medford Mail, August 13, 1909, page 6 RESUME PAVING
Work Started Last Week on West End of Seventh Street (From Friday's Daily.)
It
will no doubt be good news to the residents of West Main Street in
particular and to the citizens of Medford in general to learn that work
on the paving of that thoroughfare will commence this morning, and the
company which has the contract for the work claims that it will be done
as fast as it is possible to do so.
The work to be started this morning will be the grading, and this will begin at the extreme west end of the street. The only thing which is likely to delay the work will be the laying of the water pipes along the whole length of the part of the street to be paved. Delay the Work.
Yesterday Walter Burgess Warren of Boston, Mass., the vice-president of
the Warren Brothers Company, arrived in Medford to see how the work was
progressing here in the paving line. To a representative of the Morning Mail he
stated that as soon as the grading was finished on West Main Street
that the paving plant would be here with the men to do the work, and
that there would be no delay on the part of the paving company.
Mr. Warren and B. C. Copeland, the superintendent of the Warren Construction Company for the work of paving in Ashland and Medford, went to Ashland yesterday afternoon to see how the work there was going on. Mr. Copeland before leaving stated that they would have all the teams and men necessary to do both the grading and the paving work. Central Avenue Also.
It is also
understood that after
the paving of West Main Street is completed that the work on East Main
Street will begin. In the meantime everything on that part of the
street will be gotten in readiness. In addition to that, a petition is
being circulated among the people residing on North Central Avenue
asking that the street be paved from the end of the present pavement at
Sixth Street to the northerly city limits.Medford Mail, August 20, 1909, page 2
As
soon as all connections with the sewer on West Main Street are made the
work of paving will begin. The Warren Construction Company are moving
their machinery here, having completed the work at Ashland, and in a
short time it will be up and ready for operation. The work of paving
will begin at the east end of the part to be paved, and the work will
be pushed with all possible dispatch, in order to get as much done as
possible before the bad weather sets in. Mayor Canon went over the
ground Friday in company with Engineer Foster.
Handling a Million-Dollar JobSouthern Oregonian, October 27, 1909, page 7 The work of paving Main Street west from the Washington School to the city limits will commence this week and will be pushed as rapidly thereafter as the weather will permit. This morning the machinery for the mixing plant was taken out to the operating grounds on the Rogue River Valley Railroad, and it will be in a position to commence work in a few days. "Social and Personal," Medford Mail Tribune, November 2, 1909, page 5 PAVING WORK TO START ON EAST SIDE
NEXT WEEK
Clark-Henery Company Will Be Ready to Start Excavation Work Soon-- Council Soon to Sign Contract--Work on West Main.
Next
week the Clark-Henery Construction Company will probably start work on
the paving of ten miles of the city's streets, as they expect their
excavating machinery to arrive soon. The council within a day or two
will sign the contract and then work will be under way in earnest.
The first work to be done will be on East Main Street. Although the water has not dried far from the surface, it is thought that by the time the excavation is completed that it will be ready for the cement binder. The work of paving West Main is under way, but the contractors are having more or less trouble with soft spots. However, by May 1 this street should be completed. Medford Mail Tribune, April 4, 1910, page 1 The Warren Construction Company are operating their mixing plant on West Eighth Street preparing the material for the paving of Main Street, for which the company has the contract. Work commenced on the paving Monday, and the company will push it to a finish. "Social and Personal," Medford Mail Tribune, April 12, 1910, page 5 364 CARLOADS OF CEMENT FOR STREET
PAVING
Big Pines Lumber Company Has Contracted with Clark-Henery Company for Delivery of 40,000 Barrels of Cement for Street Paving. PAVING COMPANY WILL FAVOR LOCAL FIRMS Sixteen Thousand Additional Barrels Will Be Needed in Medford for Other Work During the Year--Much Building in Sight.
The
Big Pines Lumber Company has contracted with the Clark-Henery company,
paving contractors, for the delivery of 40,000 barrels of standard
Portland cement for the use of the Clark-Henery people in the filling
of their contract with the city.
This order alone will fill approximately 364 cars. Contrary to the usual procedure of large contracting firms in cities of Medford's size, the Clark-Henery company are inclined to give the local dealers in supplies they may need the benefit of the trade. The cement, lumber, etc. needed in their work has been ordered through local dealers whenever possible. This one cement order, however, does not comprise all the cement which will be used this year. Orders now filed with and to come to the Big Pines Company will aggregate 16,000 barrels more within the next eight months. When one stops to figure the brick, lumber, hardware and labor necessary to use up this amount of cement, and the fact that these figures are from one firm only, it is a case of give up the job of computing the building in store for 1910. Medford Mail Tribune, April 17, 1910, page 1 Residence District Paved.
MEDFORD, Or., May 11.--(Special.)--Grading and paving on East Main
Street and Queen Anne Avenue are practically completed, and the people
on these streets are using the dirt thrown out by the excavating to
level up their property and will soon plant lawns. The work is under
contract to the Clark-Henery Company.Morning Oregonian, Portland, May 12, 1910, page 3 MAY NOT PAVE EAST MAIN NOW
The city council, the mayor and the city
engineer spent this morning investigating the water pipe proposition on
East Main Street. The question involved is whether it will be better to
postpone the paving of the street until iron pipe would be laid,
involving an additional expense of some $15,000, or by laying a tile
beneath the leaking wood pipe, surrounded by rocks, to carry the
leakage to the sewers at different street crossings, thus keeping the
leakage from reaching the surface and weakening the foundation of the
pavement after it had been laid above the pipe. Water Pipe Proposition Is Worrying Council and City Engineer-- Cannot Lay Pavement Over Wooden Main Without Drain. The people of the east side are extremely anxious to have the street paved and are willing to do almost anything rather than wade through the mud as they have been doing. Medford Mail Tribune, May 18, 1910, page 1 PAVING W. 10TH NOW COMPLETED
Medford Mail Tribune, July 15, 1910, page 1Clarke-Henery Company Have Finished First Stage of Work-- The Work Highly Pleasing to Property Owners.
West Tenth Street was visited by many interested citizens Wednesday
afternoon to investigate the finished product of the pavement being put
down by the Clarke-Henery company, and the verdict was unanimously
favorable.
The paving company is working every plan to expedite the work of laying the pavement, and the rapidity with which they have been accomplishing things augurs well for the future. South Holly is now ready for the top dressing, and Central Avenue is being brought to grade in preparation for the cement foundation. Altogether the work of the Clarke-Henery company has been very satisfactory. MEDFORD PAVES STREETS
MEDFORD,
Or., July 15.--Work is being rushed on Medford's paving, of which more
than 16 miles has been ordered and the contracts for which have been
executed. Ten miles of this paving will be completed this year, while
the remainder will be done next season.Sixteen Miles of Hard Surfacing Ordered by Enterprising Town. It is believed by the Medford officers that the city is getting its paving done more cheaply than any other town outside of Portland, the price paid here being $1.76 per yard. The paving company pays out $20,000 a month to its men. of whom it employs 320. It is estimated that 90 percent of that sum is spent in Medford. Two thousand tons of asphalt and 20,000 barrels of cement will be used in this year's operations. One mile of cement walks have been laid in Medford each month of the present year and that ratio will keep up for the remainder of the season. Six miles of water mains are being laid this year and four and a half miles of sewer. Morning Oregonian, Portland, July 16, 1910, page 3 From a Layman's Point of View It was my good fortune to be allowed to spend a half day "on the job" with "the boss." Ordinarily he is too busy to be burdened with a sightseer, especially one who knows nothing but the asking of questions. Yet I found that he was never too busy to tell of the work, for he is mightily interested. I approached him on a friendship basis, and he did not know that I intended to tell the story of how he was handling a million-dollar job to the readers of the Mail Tribune. Indeed, I dared not ask him questions about himself, for I knew that friendship or no friendship, he would soon find some excuse for getting rid of me, for he is too busy to talk of himself. His job is another matter. Regarding it and all of its details, he is willing to talk--and he is enthusiastic over its possibilities. When the Clark & Henery Construction Company last winter secured a contract for paving in this city totaling $500,000 the men who direct the destinies of the firm, which has handled some of the largest construction jobs outside of railroad building on the coast, began to look around for a man they could put in Medford. They decided upon Arthur W. Clark, a young member of the firm, who had done a great deal of work and who had handled some fairly large-sized jobs in a satisfactory manner. The firm realized that the letting of a contract in Medford for $500,000 was but a starter--that a great many more streets would be added to the original contract. They knew that the contract would nearly double, and their faith will in all probability be justified, for already $200,000 worth of work additional has been ordered, and petitions are out for more streets. So Arthur W. Clark, a young man of barely 30 years, but old in responsibility, full of driving force and initiative, was sent to direct the work. Mr. Clark was given but one brief order: "You go to Medford, do a good job and come home." Mr. Clark came to Medford; he is doing a good job (I quote the city engineer); and he will probably go home in a year or two, only to be given a still larger job. For no man can stay on the job with him half a day and fail to see that he is making a success of his work. Few of Medford's residents realize the immensity of the work now going on in Medford. In order that they may grasp this in a concise manner, here are a few facts and figures: Two hundred and fifty men are employed, all, for the most part, being expert workmen. One hundred and eighty horses are owned by the company, and they are constantly trying to obtain more. Fourteen carloads of material arrives and is used each day on the streets. The largest size of any asphalt paving plant is in operation. A rock screen is in operation which loads 400 wagons daily, scooping the material from the creek bed. Three steam rollers are in constant operation. One large grader is in use, which plows up the streets and loads the dirt onto patent dump wagons. Eighty patent dump wagons are in use. Ten thousand sacks of cement are piled about on the streets of the city. Fifteen thousand sacks are held as a reserve force in the warehouse in case a freight tie-up should occur, so that the work need not be delayed. Three barges are stationed at Gold Ray and are used for pumping sand from the river bed onto cars. From $10,000 to $15,000 is paid monthly to the Southern Pacific company for freight charges. Fifteen thousand dollars is the average monthly payroll, or over $600 a day. A large concrete mixer and a second ordered. The company has already completed the paving of West Tenth Street, Genessee Street and East Main Street. By the first of August the company will have completed South Riverside, South Holly and South Central. On these three streets the concrete base is already laid and is ready for asphalt surface. The concrete base is now being laid on South Central. Curbs and gutters have been placed on Laurel, Eighth and North Riverside and curb is now being laid on North Central. So great will be the amount of cement used in the city that Mr. Clark estimates that the sacks which he will return and on which he is allowed 10 cents each will amount to $20,000. In other words, 200,000 sacks of cement will be used on Medford's streets. These are the figures which will give you some idea of what it means to handle a million-dollar paving job. A second large concrete mixer has been ordered, for the pavers are crowding the cement gang too closely. Mr. Clark's office is in his automobile. From one part of the city to another he is constantly traveling, seeing that all parts of the work is progressing as it should. East side, west side, north and south I was hurled in his auto Friday afternoon, until I began to think that there was not a street in the city that had not some part of his crew upon it. So long has Mr. Clark been driving over torn-up streets that he thinks nothing of hurtling sewer trenches, plowing through heaps of gravel and dodging heavy wagons and telegraph poles. It is an education for a man to ride with him, although it seems at times as if your education would be brought to an abrupt end. As he drives his auto he is driving a big job with all of the vim and vitality that six feet of brawn at 30 can master. First we shot down North Central to where the huge grader, operating like a huge harvester, was tearing up the roadbed and piling the dirt onto dump wagons. Fifty men are at work in this crew, and they are tearing up the streets in fast shape. After a word or two there with the foreman Mr. Clark hurried me down to North Riverside, where a large gang was engaged in putting in the concrete curb and gutter. This gang is spread out for some distance and comprises 120 men. Next we visited the concrete layers on South Central, and there we found 25 men employed. These men are all experts with the exception of a few muckers. A small rail track runs up an incline to the top of a huge mixer, run by a large gasoline engine. Up this track are hauled cars of material, which is dumped into the mixer. From the mixer it passes into large carts especially constructed and is hauled off to where it is being laid on the streets. Here is a crew of six men, who are experts at spreading the concrete so that a uniform grade is maintained. This is put down rapidly. Then in three or four days the crew handling the binder follows. From the concrete mixers we went to the south end of Central, where the large paving plant is in operation. Here is a plant that represents the latest ideas in the art of paving. Huge vats of boiling asphalt are seen as well as great ovens in which the material with which the asphalt is mixed is heated. There is a vast amount of noise and great clouds of dust. Men grimy with dirt peer at you from all parts of the huge plant, and it is with relief that one completes a tour of inspection and gets out into the sunlight again. Crude oil is burned and is kept in a huge concrete tank beneath the plant. There is nothing of a temporary or a makeshift order to be see here. The asphalt wearing surface is put down by a gang of 15 men, all of them burly negroes. This gang is one of the most expert in the employ of the company and has been with them for a number of years. They spread the material and do the finishing. One could write columns about the big job--of the stables, of the blacksmith shops, of the oil room, of buying axle grease by the barrel, of the fire department, of the thousand and one countless details which are included in this huge job. That Mr. Clark is prepared for an emergency of nearly every kind is shown by the fact that he has even erected a tank at the plant in which he keeps several thousand gallons of water for use in case the city supply should fail. It would be something entirely unexpected indeed that would catch him napping. So thorough is the system to which the work is reduced that if a foreman should stop a man for a half hour from hauling gravel in order that he might haul a bit of lumber the office force would know it that evening. System is the keynote of the whole affair. Every man is timed on his trips between the plant and the street, and every load of material is checked up. There are no leaks. It is a big job that Mr. Clark has on his hands--a job that many a man would fall down on. But he will drive it to the last ditch, for he is full of the optimism of youth and is not afraid of hard work. HIX. Medford Mail Tribune, July 24, 1910, page B1 September first finds Medford with over ten miles of bitulithic and asphalt paved streets. New contracts totaling over 280,000 square yards of pavement, with curving and guttering, amounting to over a million dollars, the largest contract ever made on the coast, is but forty percent completed. When completed, Medford will be the best-paved city of its size anywhere. "What September Finds in Medford," Medford Mail Tribune, September 1, 1910, page 4 Paved Street Is Mile Long.
MEDFORD,
Or., Sept. 29.--(Special.)--Medford now boasts of a single stretch of
pavement one mile in length. Main Street, running through the business
section across from one end of town to the other, has been laid with
asphalt. No other in the state, besides Portland, has an equal or
greater length of pavement.
Morning Oregonian, September 30, 1910, page 7 18
PERCENT OF MEDFORD STREETS ARE NOW PAVED
City Engineer Compiles Figures Giving Total Amount of Paving in the City-- Sidewalks and Total Length of Streets Also in Report.
According to
figures compiled by City Engineer Foster for his annual report to the
city council, which is as yet incomplete, 18 percent of the streets of
Medford, or nearly one-fifth, have been paved and the pavement accepted.
ANOTHER
STREET IS AFTER IMPROVEMENTSAccording to the report, Medford streets total 45.43 miles. Of this distance, 8.42 are paved, or 18 percent. Another eight miles have been ordered paved. The city now has 20.30 miles of cement sidewalks and 8.46 miles of board walks. In the city 1075 houses have been numbered. According to the report, the city has 157.024 square yards of pavement, which cost $377.615.08. Medford Mail Tribune, December 18, 1910, page 1
The property
holders on Geneva Avenue filed a petition with City Recorder Robert W.
Telfer yesterday afternoon requesting that the city proceed to have
that portion of their street running between Main Street and Sherman
Avenue paved with asphalt at an early date.
The street in question was only very recently opened up, but sewer and water mains have already been laid along it. Medford Mail Tribune weekly, February 2, 1911, page 2 BRICKOLITHIC MAY GO ON GENEVA
RESIDENTS FEAR CLARK-HENERY CAN'T GET IT Near Bottom of the List and May Be Left Out of the Regular Work
Residents
along Geneva Street are contemplating having the street paved with
brickolithic paving. This same kind of material will be used on Reddy
Avenue.
A resident of Geneva Street yesterday said: "Our street was one of the last to be approved for paving, and consequently it will be left till the latter part of the year to be improved. It is quite possible that if things went wrong that we would not be paved at all this year. Therefore we thought that since the Clark-Henery Company had its hands full we would make sure to have our street paved this season. "The Company handling the brickolithic is a good one, and I have received favorable reports regarding their method of paving. "We feel that we should safeguard ourselves against mud of another winter, hence our decision to use brickolithic." Medford Sun, February 25, 1911, page 1 The following sewer, water and other ordinances were passed by the council at their meeting Wednesday afternoon: Paving.
North Bartlett from Sixth to Jackson.Riverside from Jackson to the north city limits. Grape from Sixth to the south city limits. Jackson from Riverside to Columbia. South Orange from Main to Tenth. Sixth from Riverside to D'Anjou. West Eighth from Fir to Oakdale. Ivy from West Main to Sixth. West Second from Holly to west city limits. Oakdale Avenue from Fourth to Palm. D'Anjou from Sixth to Jackson. West Fourth from Oakdale to west city limits. Queen Anne Avenue from Roosevelt to Oregon Terrace. Resolutions declaring the intention of the council to pave the following streets were adopted: Geneva, from East Main to Sherman, with brickolithic paving. Minnesota, from Roosevelt to Geneva, with brickolithic. West Sixth, from Oakdale to the Southern Pacific right-of-way, with asphalt. "Pass Many Bills, Improvements," Medford Mail Tribune, March 9, 1911, page 2 HOW THE STREETS WERE DRAGGED
A
resident of the southern portion of the city yesterday called at the Sun office to
make mention of a statement he had seen in the Evening Apologist [the
Mail Tribune]
during the past week, to the effect that all the unpaved streets of the
city had been "dragged" by the Honorable W. P. Baker, street
commissioner-in-chief of Medford, and were now in first-class condition.CITIZEN GROWS SARCASTIC OVER APOLOGIST'S SWELLUP Says Same Amount of Good Is Done As If Street Commissioner Had Been Used As Harrow "My street was one of the ones dragged," said the Sun's patron, "and if it is not a fright I don't know what you would call it. About as much impression has been made on its surface by the 'dragging' as if instead of the drag the Honorable W. P. himself had been drawn over it. "Just come out in front and look at your own street, which must have been one of those dragged by the Honorable W. P. It is one of the unpaved ones, so the Apologist must have meant to include Grape Street in the number." "We have heard that Grape Street was dragged," said the Sun man. "In fact, we saw a cloud of dust there one morning and think we heard Mr. Baker's voice issuing from the center or sidelines of the cloud." "Well, that gives you an idea," said the caller, "But it is not half as bad as my street. If he is going to repair the streets, why doesn't he do so? Why doesn't he take a scraper instead of a drag, or a number of them and level down the hummocks and mounds and heaps of dirt in the middle and sides. "No, you can't see where any dragging has been done on your street, and if the Honorable W. P. had been dragged over it you would see the same amount of change in it as the way it has been done. "If that isn't a hot one of the Apologist to claim so much glory for the Honorable W. P., then I miss my guess. Did you ever hear or see anything like it? Did you ever hear of a thing calling itself a newspaper to swell itself and its city administration up over that equaled this for gall? It must take the people of Medford for damn fools--that's all I've got to say." Medford Sun, March 12, 1911, page 1 THREE BLOCKS OF GENESSEE STREET
Three
blocks on Genessee Street have now been finished with concrete
pavement,
and gives a surface as hard as iron, or harder, and is supposed to last
as long as the Egyptian Pyramids, or longer.NOW PAVED WITH CONCRETE Such is the method of paving on this popular residence street, and it is one of a few in the country. Horses will have a sure footing on this pavement, as a result of crisscross lines, or checks. Vehicles will roll over it with ease, though it is not adapted to comfortable speeding, as a tremor will result to passengers in horse-drawn vehicles or autos. There are to be six or seven blocks finished with concrete. There is a move afoot to have Central Avenue paved from the present terminus to the Whitman addition. Medford Sun, April 2, 1911, page 3  Paving Geneva Street, March 1911 PAVING COMPLETE ON TWO STREETS
GENEVA AND REDDY COVERED WITH BRICKOLITHIC Bise and Foss Started Only Last Monday--One Hundred Men Are Employed
Two
streets on the east side, Geneva and Reddy, have been paved this spring
by Bise and Foss, the brickolithic paving contractors. Geneva will be
finished by tonight and Reddy is already finished.
The paving work on these streets started only Monday. The whole paving material is put down at one time, and when through with a section it is done. The grading started several weeks ago, but all has been done this spring. The distance paved on the two streets is 1400 feet or four blocks in length. The firm employ 100 men. Medford Sun, April 4, 1911, page 1 PREPARING
TO PAVE EAST MAIN
Tearing up the planking on East Main Street beyond the end of the
paving began yesterday. It is understood that the first work to be done
afterward will be to replace the wooden water pipe with steel, after
which the street will be paved.
Medford Sun, April 5, 1911, page 2 TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND YARD
PAVING CONTRACT IS AWARDED Price Is One Dollar and Seventy-One Cents--All Asphalt Material-- May Change in Thirty Days
A
contract for approximately 200,000 yards of pavement was awarded
yesterday afternoon at an executive session of the city council to the
Clark and Henery Construction Company, at a contract price of $1.71 per
square yard. The city reserves the right to select one of two different
grades of paving, one being higher and the other lower in price,
providing such change is made within thirty days.
The kind of paving contracted for differs somewhat from that of last year and that which is at the present time under contract. It is an all-asphalt pavement. That is to say, the base is of asphalt and is put down hot and rolled instead of the former concrete base, upon which the asphalt is placed. Being put down hot, it is left to cool and to set, after which a second coat of asphalt, heated to somewhat over 200 degrees, is placed over this and again rolled. This causes the two to coalesce and form into a crust of all asphalt for the entire depth of the pavement. It has a thickness of about one and one-half inches less than that with the concrete base. The cost is five cents less, the [asphalt with a] concrete base being $1.75 per square yard. Before determining whether or not the all-asphalt at $1.71 shall be adopted or that with the concrete base at a higher price or another at a lower cost, the mayor and two or three representatives of the city will take a trip to Sacramento and inspect the three different kinds of pavement which have been put down by the Clark and Henery Company. The trip must be made before the thirty days are up, or the construction company will proceed to lay the all-asphalt pavement. Excerpt, Medford Sun, April 20, 1911, page 1 BAKER'S DRAG AT WORK
The
famous drag of the Honorable W. P. Baker, the esteemed street
commissioner of Medford, is again in action. It has revolutionized the
earth in the Medford road districts just outside of the city limits on
that particular part, parcel and piece of road that connects Roosevelt
Avenue with the county thoroughfare. The old harrow has been doing
great work over there and has caused the somewhat aesthetic owners of
automobiles to remark that the road is not according to their ideas of
high-class art. Be that as it may, the Honorable W. P. is busy with the
harrow, and the people will be able to find out where the road is.
The Honorable W. P. is also being mentioned casually in connection with the section of road which is in the Medford road district, lying between the pavement at the end of West Main and the Jacksonville macadamized road, which is something like fifty rods distant. The road was advertised last year as being macadamized by the city, and the Honorable W. P. had charge of the work. At that time there were great clouds of dust in that direction, and the people thought that the great feat was being performed, but since the dust has settled down proof is abundant that the sand, crushed rock and boulders were in readiness and are still in readiness but that there is no macadam there to hide them from the noonday sun. Cranky autoists are kicking about this as they generally do and state that they would like to have at least a narrow strip of macadam covering this missing link, although the width may not be so great as to be measured by metes and bounds. Medford Sun, April 20, 1911, page 2 WATT BACK FROM INSPECTION TRIP
Other City Dads, However, Continue Their Journey Southwards Inspecting Fire Apparatus and Pavements of Various Makes.
Councilman
J. E. Watt returned to Medford [omission] evening from Sacramento,
where he, in company with Mayor W. H. Canon and Councilman V. J.
Emerick and H. G. Wortman, went to investigate the paving in that city.
A thorough investigation was conducted by this committee in Sacramento,
San Mateo and Stockton, and the pavements there [were] found to be
excellent and capable of supporting heavy traffic.
The difference between the pavements previously laid in Medford and that proposed is as follows. The old style with the wearing surface by a 1½-inch binder, while the proposed pavement consists of a 5½-inch asphaltic base, upon which the wearing surface is poured and rolled without necessitating the binder. This makes the pavement thinner and therefore less costly. Several well-known engineers as well as property owners were consulted, and all spoke well of the Clark & Henery Construction Company and of the quality of their work. Mayor Canon and Messrs. Wortman and Emerick continued their journey to Los Angeles[and] Santa Barbara, where they will investigate the automobile fire apparatus used there. They are expected home the beginning of next week. Medford Mail Tribune, April 30, 1911, page 8 MAKING MEDFORD THE BEST-PAVED
CITY IN AMERICA
The
time is close at hand when Medford will be known as the best-paved city
of its size in America. Three hundred men, modern machinery and nearly
150 head of horses are employed in transforming her streets, which
heretofore in midwinter have been but streaks of mire, into boulevards
open to traffic the year around. To date nearly 300,000 square yards of
pavement has been laid while a contract for an additional 300,000
square yards has just been let. When completed Medford will have nearly
24 miles of paved streets, costing nearly $1,000,000, a tremendous
amount considering the population, now estimated at 10,500.
Three years ago there was not a single square yard of paving in the state south of Salem. Then it was that Medford, an ambitious little city of 5000 souls, started an agitation for better streets. Each winter found her thoroughfares impassable. The agitation grew, and a contract was let for 35,000 yards. This was laid on the principal street of the city, and so obvious were its benefits that the following season an additional contract was let. This season this has been supplemented by a contract as great as the first two together. Others towns in southern Oregon have profited by Medford's example and now are having their streets surfaced. The county court, recognizing the benefits to be derived from good roads, have also called for the laying of an asphalt macadam road between this city and Central Point. Medford pointed the way. The gigantic task of making Medford the best-paved city in America is in the hands of the Clark & Henery Construction Company of Sacramento and Stockton, Cal. That they are doing a good job and are laying a superior pavement is evidenced by the fact that they have just been awarded the second contract after laying six or seven miles of their asphalt pavement in the city. They now have more work than they can complete this season, which will extend until the rainy season sets in, but they are making great efforts to get as much of the work done as possible. They will complete their original contract late in July and then will start on the work of laying the additional 300,000 yards of pavement. It may be that a third contract will be given them next season, but even if this is not done Medford, for its size, will be the best-paved city in the United States. The Clark & Henery Construction Company is a California corporation, in which W. R. Clark and Samuel Henery are the principal and controlling stockholders. In charge of the work being done in this city is Arthur W. Clark, who is making a record for himself and the company by the manner in which he is handling the job. The company is one of the largest contracting firms on the Pacific coast and now has paving plants at Roseburg, Stockton, Sacramento, Ukiah, San Mateo, San Jose, Oakland and Burlingame. The fact that all of the cities in which they have worked speak highly of their pavement and the manner in which it is laid shows that the company can be depended upon to do a splendid job in Medford. Before letting the recent contract the members of the Medford city council visited several of these cities and gained information first hand in regard to the company and on their return immediately entered into the new contract. But let us take the field and see how this company goes about the handling of a large contract such as is under way in Medford. First a few figures regarding the immensity of the job and then we will go for a ride with Arthur W. Clark, "the boss." Few of Medford's residents realize the immensity of the work now going on in Medford. In order that they may grasp this in a concise manner here are a few facts and figures: Three hundred are employed, all, for the most part, being expert workmen. One hundred and fifty horses are owned by the company, and they are constantly trying to obtain more. Twenty carloads of material arrives and is used each day on the streets. The largest size of any asphalt paving plant is in operation. A rock screen is in operation which loads 400 wagons daily, scooping the material from the creek bed. Three steam rollers are in constant operation. One grader is in use, which plows up the streets and loads the dirt onto patent dump wagons. Eighty patent dump wagons are in use. Ten thousand sacks of cement are piled about on the streets of the city. Fifteen thousand sacks are held as a reserve force in the warehouse in case a freight tieup should occur so that the work need not be delayed. Two large concrete mixers, each capable of turning out 1800 square yards of concrete base a day, are in use. The monthly payroll exceeds $30,000. Twelve hundred barrels of crude oil are burned daily. Three hundred and fifty barrels of asphalt are used each day. One hundred and eighty cubic yards of sand and gravel passes through the plant daily. So great is the amount of cement used in the city that Mr. Clark estimates that the sacks, which he will return and on which he is allowed 10 cents each, will amount to $40,000. In other words, 400,000 sacks of cement will be used on Medford's streets. Twenty thousand dollars is paid monthly to the Southern Pacific for freight charges. Mr. Clark's office is in his automobile. From one part of the city to another he is constantly traveling, seeing that all parts of the work is progressing as it should. East side, west side, north and south, one is hurled in his auto until you begin to think that there is not a street in the city that has not some part of his crew upon it. So long has Mr. Clark been driving over torn-up streets that he thinks nothing of hurdling sewer trenches, plowing through heaps of gravel and dodging heavy wagons and telegraph poles. It is an education for a man to ride with him, although it seems at times as if your education would be brought to an abrupt end. As he drives his auto he is driving a big job. On the afternoon I was out with him, we went first to where the huge grader, operating like a harvester, was tearing up the roadbed and piling the dirt onto dump wagons. Fifty men are at work in this crew, and they are tearing up the streets in fast shape. After a word or two there with the foreman Mr. Clark hurried me down to where a large gang was engaged in putting in the concrete curb and gutter. This gang is spread out for some distance and contains over 100 men. Now we visited the concrete layers, where 25 men are employed. These men are all experts, with the exception of a few muckers. A small rail track runs up an incline to the top of a huge mixer, run by a large gasoline engine. Up this track are hauled cars of material, which is dumped into the mixer. From the mixer it passes into large carts especially constructed and is hauled off to where it is being laid on the streets. Here is a crew of six men who are experts at spreading the concrete so that a uniform grade is maintained. This is put down rapidly. Then in three or four days the crew handling the binder follows. From the concrete mixers we went to the south end of Central, where the large paving plant is in operation. Here is a plant that represents the latest ideas in the art of paving. Huge vats of boiling asphalt are seen as well as great ovens in which the material with which the asphalt is mixed is heated. There is a vast amount of noise and great clouds of dust. Men grimy with dirt peer at you from all parts of the huge plant, and it is with relief that one completes a tour of inspection and gets out into the sunlight again. Crude oil is burned and is kept in a huge concrete tank beneath the plant. There is nothing of a temporary or of a makeshift order to be seen here. The asphalt wearing surface is put down by a gang of 15 men, all of them burly Negroes. This gang of men is one of the most expert men in this line of work on the Pacific coast. They spread the material and do the finishing. One could write columns about the big job--of the stables, of the blacksmith shops, of the oil room, of buying axle grease by the barrel, of the fire department, of the thousand and one countless details which are included in this huge job. That Mr. Clark is prepared for an emergency of nearly every kind is shown by the fact that he has even erected a tank at the plant in which he keeps several thousand gallons of water for use in case the city supply should fail. It would be something entirely unexpected indeed that would catch him napping. So thorough is the system to which the work is reduced that if a foreman should stop a man for a half hour from hauling gravel in order that he might haul a bit of lumber the office force would know it that evening. System is the keynote of the whole affair. Every man is timed on his trips between the plant and the street, and every load of material is checked up. There are no leaks. It is a big job handled in a big way. Someday get out of your rut and go out and watch it. It is well worthwhile. The company lays an asphalt pavement which is shown to be very successful wherever it has been laid. First they lay a concrete base some five inches in thickness, then a binder course an inch thick and on top of this is laid the wearing surface two inches in thickness. The new contract call for the laying of an asphaltic concrete base, the pavement being lighter. It was adopted owing to the splendid showing it has made in California cities. Medford is well satisfied with the pavement being laid in the city, for she feels that she is getting a "square deal." And, after all, that is the one big essential. H. Medford Mail Tribune, June 18, 1911, page B1 A considerably condensed version of this text was printed in the Sunday Oregonian, June 25, 1911, page 58. BEST-PAVED CITY OF ITS SIZE IN NORTHWEST City Council Orders Hundred Thousand Square Yards of Additional Hard Surface Pavement at its Regular Monthly Meeting Friday. TOTAL PAVED STREETS TO EXCEED 24 MILES Million Dollars Is Approximate Cost of Paving Medford Streets--Work Is Being Pushed. Best-Paved City.
The time is close at hand when Medford will be known as the best-paved
city of its size in America. Three hundred men, modern machinery and
nearly 150 head of horses are employed in transforming her streets,
which heretofore in midwinter have been but streaks of mire, into
boulevards open to traffic the year around. To date nearly 300,000
square yards of pavement has been laid while contracts for similar
quantity has just been let. When completed Medford will have nearly
twenty-four miles of paved streets, costing nearly $1,000,000, a
tremendous amount considering the population now estimated at 10,500.Three years ago there was not a single square yard of paving in the state south of Eugene. Then it was that Medford, an ambitious little city of 5000 souls, started an agitation for better streets. Each winter found her thoroughfares impassable. The agitation grew and a contract was let for 35,000 yards. This was laid on the principal street of the city, and so obvious were its benefits that the following season an additional contract was let. This season this has been supplemented by a contract as great as the first two together. Other towns in Southern Oregon have profited by Medford's example and now are having their streets surfaced. The county court, recognizing the benefits to be derived from good roads, have also called for the laying of an asphalt macadam road between this city and Central Point. Medford pointed the way. Who Is Doing It?
The gigantic task of making Medford the best-paved city in America is
in the hands of the Clark & Henery Construction Company of
Sacramento and Stockton, Cal. That they are doing a good job and are
laying a superior pavement is evidenced by the fact that they have just
been awarded the second contract after laying six or seven miles of
their asphalt pavement in the city. They now have more work than they
can complete this season, which will extend until the rainy season sets
in, but they are making great efforts to get as much of the work done
as possible. They will complete their original contract late in July
and then will start on the work of laying the additional 300,000 yards
of pavement. It may be that a third contract will be given them next
season, but even if this is not done Medford, for its size, will be the
best-paved city in the United States.Medford Mail Tribune, July 9, 1911, page B1REPAIRING MAIN STREET PAVEMENT
Street Commissioner Baker has a gang of men at work cutting down the
approach to the East Main Street paving. The paved street grade leading
up to this point is about five feet lower than the road from that point
on east on Siskiyou Heights, and it is this approach which Mr. Baker is
now working on. The earth to be excavated will be from 300 to 400 feet
in length and will vary in depth from three to five feet. Some of the
excavating can be done with plows and scrapers, but the deepest of it
Mr. Baker will tunnel and blow out with dynamite.Warren Construction Company Starts Work Under Maintenance Contract with City-- Much Repair Work Should Be Done.
The
Warren Construction Company has started work under their maintenance
contract with the city to repair the bitulithic pavement laid by them
three years ago on Main Street. All of those portions of the pavement
which show wear or signs of giving way are to be replaced. The city has
a maintenance contract with the company, the terms of which provide
that the Warren company shall keep the pavement in repair for ten years
for a yearly payment of 2½ cents a square yard per year.
IMPROVING END OF EAST MAINUnder the terms of a similar contract between the company and Eugene the company was forced to lay an entire new wearing surface on a large amount of work in that city which did not stand up to the specifications. There has been considerable complaint regarding the pavement on Main Street and it may be that the company will be forced to resurface it. They notified the city recently that they were ready to repair the street as the contract provides, and work started Thursday morning. Medford Mail Tribune, August 24, 1911, page 6 BEST-PAVED CITY OF ITS SIZE IN
NORTHWEST
City Council Orders Hundred Thousand Square Yards Of Additional Hard Surface Pavement at Its Regular Monthly Meeting Friday. TOTAL PAVED STREETS TO EXCEED 24 MILES Million Dollars Is Approximate Cost of Paving Medford Streets-- Work Is Being Pushed.
Nearly
100,000 square yards of asphalt paving was ordered by the city council
Friday evening. Those streets which will be paved are North Grape from
Sixth to Vermont; South Ivy from Eighth to Thirteenth; Rose Avenue from
Seventh to Fourth; Beatty from C to Manzanita; Bennett Avenue from
Howard to Roosevelt; Tenth Street west from Oakdale to Holly;
Washington from Genessee to Roosevelt; Hamilton from Oakdale to Oleson;
Oleson from Second to Fourth; Third from D'Anjou to Apple; Mistletoe
from Main to Tenth; South Peach from Seventh to Tenth; Bartlett from
Eighth to Ninth; Orange from Tenth to Eleventh; Minnesota Avenue from
Geneva to Roosevelt; alley of block 2, Central Avenue, running north
and south; alley through block 21 from East Seventh to Sixth, and alley
from Eighth to point seventy-five feet from Seventh.
Best-Paved City.
The time
is close at hand when
Medford will be known as the best-paved city of its size in America.
Three hundred men, modern machinery and nearly 150 feet of horses are
employed in transforming her streets, which heretofore in mid-winter
have been but streaks of mire into boulevards open to traffic the year
around. To date nearly 300,000 square yards of pavement has been laid
while contracts for similar quantity has just been let. When completed
Medford will have nearly twenty-four miles of paved streets, costing
nearly $1,000,000, a tremendous amount considering the population now
estimated at 10,500.Three years ago there was not a single square yard of paving in the state south of Eugene. Then it was that Medford, an ambitious little city of 5000 souls, started an agitation for better streets. Each winter found her thoroughfares impassable. The agitation grew, and a contract was let for 35,000 yards. This was laid on the principal street of the city, and so obvious were its benefits that the following season an additional contract was let. This season this has been supplemented by a contract as great as the first two together. Other towns in southern Oregon have profited by Medford's example and now are having their streets surfaced. The county court, recognizing the benefits to be derived from good roads, have also called for the laying of an asphalt macadam road between this city and Central Point. Medford pointed the way. Who Is Doing It?
The
gigantic task of making
Medford the best-paved city in America is in the hands of the Clark
& Henery Construction Company of Sacramento and Stockton, Cal.
That
they are doing a good job and are laying a superior pavement is
evidenced by the fact that they have just been awarded the second
contract after laying six or seven miles of their asphalt pavement in
the city. They now have more work than they can complete this season,
which will extend until the rainy season sets in, but they are making
great efforts to get as much of the work done as possible. They will
complete their original contract late in July and then will start on
the work of laying the additional 300,000 yards of pavement. It may be
that a third contract will be given them next season, but even if this
is not done Medford, for its size, will be the best-paved city in the
United States.Medford Mail Tribune, July 9, 1911, page B1 Street Commissioner Baker Cutting Down Embankment Leading to Siskiyou Heights-- Improvement is Very Much Needed Medford Mail Tribune, October 7, 1911, page 3  January 1, 1912 Medford Mail Tribune  Clark & Henery Company stables.  Asphalt plant at the south end of Central.  The concrete gang on an unidentified Medford street.  The binder gang on North Bartlett.  Loading at the concrete mixer on West Ninth.  The surfacing gang.  The gutter crew.  A tighter cropping of the curb and gutter crew photo, from the June 25, 1911 Sunday Oregonian Medford, Oregon
Pavement, 9.17 miles, cost $434,536.23; sewers, $55,377.92; water
mains, $77,399.86; concrete walks, $16,187.15; miscellaneous,
$1,328.21; street lighting, 52 clusters on Main Street. Estimate for
1912: Paving, 50,000 square yards; cement walks, five miles; sewers,
four miles; water mains, three miles; fire department, auto fire
engine, cost $5,500.--O. Arnspiger, city engineer.
"Engineering Works in 1911," Pacific Builder and Engineer, Seattle, February 24, 1912, page 167 Medford, Or., Paving: The city council has decided to pave five streets the coming season. "Municipal," Pacific Builder and Engineer, Seattle, March 30, 1912, page 273 SHIPPING PAVING PLANT TO EUGENE
The
paving plant of the Clark & Henery construction company which
has
stood for three years at the south end of Central Avenue has been
wrecked and is being shipped to Eugene, where much work is being done.
KING STREET BEING PAVEDThe company has a paving plant on wheels for use on small jobs, and this will be shipped to Medford to complete small jobs in this city and contracts now under way. Medford Mail Tribune, July 23, 1912, page 6 MEDFORD BEST-PAVED CITY FOR SIZE
IN NATION
No city in the world excels Medford in the amount of paving
for its population. The city boasts of 20 miles of hard surface
pavement, all
of which was laid in the past five years. The cost approximates
$1,000,000, the bulk of the pavement in asphalt with concrete base.
"Medford is the best-paved city in the world. Not only has it the most paved streets for its size, but the quality of the pavement is superior to that of any city south of it," said Sam Hill, president of the National Good Roads Association and foremost good roads advocate in the nation, while recently visiting in this city. "I have inspected all the new roads and paving construction under way in both Europe and America, so I feel that I know what I am talking about. Pavement and good hotels have transformed Medford into a most attractive city. Medford and Ashland are far ahead of any cities south to Sacramento." A city of 11,00 inhabitants, it has 389,707 square yards of pavement, or 20.03 lineal miles, or 35 square yards per capita. Medford has more paved streets today than Portland had at the time of the Lewis and Clark Fair in 1905, and Portland at that time was a city of 150,000 inhabitants. Medford Mail Tribune, January
1, 1915, page 7
City Pavement
Medford's
excellent system of paved streets was increased in 1914 by additional
improvements of 3062.80 square yards being laid at a cost of $5130.67,
bringing the total surface pavement to 389,707.76 square yards, or over
20 miles of paved streets. The total cost of Medford's paved streets is
$935,696.13.
Excerpt, Medford Mail Tribune, January 1, 1915, page D8 HOLDS PAVING BONDING SCHEME MOST OUTRAGEOUS
To the Editor:
I consider the proposition to rebond the city the most outrageous proposition that could have been conceived of, for the city to assume a private or individual debt and add it to the present indebtedness will depreciate all property and have a tendency to drive investors away. There is not a man living on the paved streets but what could pay his assessments if he was inclined to do so unless it is some speculator that acquired more property than he had use for, for speculative purpose, who was anxious to have the streets paved in order that he could sell at a profit. But as the reaction set in before he could unload he got caught in his own trap and now he sees bankruptcy staring him in the face. Now in order to save himself he asks the citizens to not only do an unjust act, but a dishonest one, to divide his indebtedness up amongst the people that had nothing to do in contracting it. I have talked to several property owners who live on paved streets. Some that have paid up in full and others that have paid their assessments as they become due who will vote against rebonding as unjust and dishonest, and the disastrous effect it will have on the city to increase the indebtedness. Some claim that it is unjust because some are using the streets that did not help build them. I doubt whether there is a man in the country or in the city that lives off of the paved streets that asked to have the streets paved. If it is unjust as some contend, why wasn't there a protest made at the time it was being done. Some of our citizens will protest on the grounds that it was too high and thought it should be done cheaper, which is no doubt true. But as nine out of every ten are supporting an unjust system they must expect the grafters to get their work in. I claim that all who voluntarily signed up to have the streets paved on which they owned property contracted the debt knowingly, and to be consistent they should pay it just as any other debt. There is some excuse for those who protested against it. Should the proposition to rebond carry, I am of the opinion that it would be difficult to sell the bonds it would have to go through the state courts and most likely the U.S. Supreme Court, and there is a likelihood of someone asking to have a receiver appointed declaring the city bankrupt. I will ask the property owners of Medford, are you willing to have Medford citizens and the city of Medford advertised as bankrupt? If not, vote against rebonding. W. J. DRUMHILL,
Medford Mail Tribune, August 10, 1915, page 2August 9, 1915. Paving Debt Is Debt of City Says Mrs. Poe
To the editor: I noticed in H. F. Wilson's letter to the Tribune my place was mentioned, so I will state to the people my condition for the past five years.
I had two small houses. I rented one and lived in the other. They came to me with a petition to pave the street; I would not sign it. I knew I could not pay for paving, but they paved just the same and said I owed the city about $800 at 6 percent. What could I do? I will tell what I did do. I moved into a tent so I could rent my home. When the wind blew, I was afraid, but I thought that paving must be paid for, over $40.00 a year interest and a payment of nearly $80.00 making over $120.00 a year besides my $20.00 sewer assessment and about $46.00 general tax. Then I went to work in the country at $12.00 per month, or worked at any other kind of work I could get to do. When I was in my tent I drank hot water for tea; if I had coffee I could not afford any cream or milk in it. I did not buy what I needed to eat or wear; I believe I paid about $15.00 for clothes in five years. I had to save every nickel to pay for that street paving. I was worn out with hard work and worry. I saw I could not pay any more. I thought they would take my home and the tears rolled down my cheeks. A lady friend came in; she said: "Stop working out when you are not able; stop worrying over that paving, they cannot take your home." Then I found that wealthy people were not paying and that after I had paid mine they had put 2 mills in my taxes for delinquent interest. I am sixty-nine years of age. Is this justice? There are many flags over our city, the Stars and Stripes are floating in the air, but do I feel I have been living in a free country, to be bowed down with debt for the benefit of the public, for five years, and would have been for five more, if someone had not opened my eyes, but I could no longer pay, for I have nothing to pay with. While I was paying all my money to the city, my houses got out of repair, so I could not rent them, and I am down and out. I did not need the paving, the city at large did need it, and I am willing to pay my part in taxes the same as I do school tax. I do not need the schools. yet I never try to get out of paying my share per dollar for building school houses and keeping up the schools for the public. I am a loyal citizen. I will pay my part of all public tax, but I am not willing to be murdered by inches trying to pay this unjust debt. Mr. Sargent spoke of men with $40,000 having so much tax. One dollar of their property is worth just as much as a dollar of mine; perhaps he thinks John D. Rockefeller ought not to be taxed at all, for surely his tax would be high. I ask the people of Medford to first remember the golden rule, and next remember they use this paving. and their part of the interest on the bonds would only be just their part of the rent of the paving each year, and any man can take his own valuation and figure and will find that the people in common circumstances will not have to pay very heavy tax. However when you get it figured, please compare what you will pay each year with what I have to pay not including taxes, as I pay over $160.00 beside my sewer and water. My valuation is about $1000.00. If I should be drowning in the waters of Rogue River, would you pull me out? Certainly, you would hear my cry, then why not help me out of this drowning condition and pay your own part of the city debt. Look up the law and see what it says about paving, where the paving is more than the valuation, then you will know whether the city is in shape to law it over the people. Does it not look as if some people have a case against the city? Did you read the letter from the Willamette Valley? Do you think any more people from that valley will buy in Medford? If the forefathers of Medford did wrong, the people on the pavement are not to blame; all will have to help right it. Medford is a fine little place to live in, good people, good schools, good business men, good climate and with its lovely flowers and fruit surely it is ideal. It is too bad to let the news go abroad that some of the council want to commence suit on some of Medford's good citizens because they have not got money to pay their own part of the improvements and others too. That kind of news will sail through the air like an airship and people will shun Medford as they would the poison germ of smallpox. Byron said: "Spend money to make peace, not to force trouble." You speak of all wanting paving in front of them if it is paid in taxes. We wish all could have it, but, did you ever see a county or city where they all paved at once? All can use the paving the same as all use the bridge; you don't build a bridge near everyone that lives on Bear Creek. They do not build a paved road out to the Applegate, yet they all pay taxes. People of this city are intelligent and know a city debt is their debt as much as a school debt is mine. MRS. JOSEPHINE POE.
Medford Mail Tribune, October 2, 1915, page 4
The paving at the intersection of Main Street and Central Avenue, under the warm sun, became as soft as mush, affording some discomfort to pedestrians. It is likely the city council will take some action toward having it improved. "Local and Personal," Medford Sun, June 17, 1916, page 2 FINANCIAL PLAN ISSUE
MEDFORD,
Or., Jan.
4.--(Special.)--Interest in the city election January 9 centers largely
in the Medynski plan of refinancing the city, which was defeated a year
ago and has been presented again for acceptance or rejection. This year
there is a competing measure known as the Hanson plan devised by
Colonel Howard Hanson, former assistant corporation counsel of Seattle.MEDFORD ELECTORS TO VOTE ON CHARTER AMENDMENTS. Campaign Waged on Medynski and Hanson Systems of Providing for Obligations of City. The Medynski plan involves the rebonding of the entire pavement debt of approximately $1,000,000 and the refunding of $370,000 already paid into the city treasury by property owners. It provides also that the paving debt should be an obligation of the city instead of the abutting property. The Hanson plan is a complete reorganization of the city finances, including the pavement debt, water debt and general obligations of the city. The present method of collecting paving assessments is retained, relief, however, being given in extension of time during the next 13 years and the tax levy for the next 30 years outlined which would wipe out the city indebtedness without proving to be an excessive burden upon the people. There are two tickets in the field, one led by F. V. Medynski, originator of the plan, for mayor; the other by C. E. Gates, former president of the Commercial Club and a prominent business man, who as mayoralty candidate favors the opposing measure. Morning Oregonian, Portland, January 5, 1917, page 19 HANSEN PLAN ILLEGAL
Salem, Sept. 19.--According to an opinion filed by the supreme court
today in the Medford bonding cases, the Hansen plan of refinancing the
city's paving indebtedness was declared illegal because in conflict
with the Bancroft bonding act, and the present outstanding paving and
improvement indebtedness declared valid and assessments legal, because
contracted in accordance with the Bancroft act.Medford's Vaunted Scheme Knocked Out by Supreme Court The decisions were rendered in the case of C. D. Colby vs. the City of Medford. Colby brought suit to declare the Hansen plan invalid and also to invalidate the outstanding paving indebtedness contracted under the Bancroft act. In the latter contention William Stailey was an intervener. ----
The circuit court of this county had decided in favor of the city and
the matter had been taken to the supreme court on appeal. Frank Newman
represented Colby; and Fred Mears, Evan Reames and Col. Hansen were
attorneys for the city.Jacksonville Post, September 22, 1917, page 2 COMMUNICATION.
The mayor's proclamation, and a long list of names of those on Main
Street and adjacent thereto who have paid their paving assessments or
interest, have attracted my attention. The amount of said paid
assessments amounts to not over five percent of the paving debt. Why
not publish the names of the other 95 percent of those who for various
reasons have not paid? Every one is just as much entitled to a place on
an honor list as the former, but through adverse circumstances and a
policy of persecution from the Medford municipality have been unable to
pay. The city has persistently opposed every measure presented for the
relief of delinquent payees until, with a credit destroyed and
ambitions strangled, it proposes to confiscate and sequester this
property, and at the threshold of a hard winter proposes to set these
unfortunate citizens and their families out on the streets, a close
parallel to the atrocities of Belgium. It reminds us of the saying that "Man's inhumanity to man has caused countless angels to weep."There are several things not clear to my mind. The law says that a person cannot be placed in jeopardy twice for the same offense. We are taxed to pay our paving interest and then assessed directly for the same thing. Will the disciples of Blackstone please explain? What will the city do with the proceeds of this double taxation? Pay Howard Hanson $10,000 for his ill-timed advice? If the money were spent for the relief of the evicted payees it might be all right. It does not matter much to me, although the city proposes to confiscate my property on North Central Avenue near Court Street, that cost me $400, for $600 paving debt. I am immune from the effects of financial misfortune imposed by the city. I am in my 86th year and the first settler in the town of Medford, and thanks to the loyalty and affection of my daughter and her good husband I have as comfortable a home as any person in the United States, John D. Rockefeller or any other person. My every want is anticipated, and I do not have to worry about the price of commodities. According to the inexorable decrees of Father Time I expect soon to be called to that city not made by hands, whose streets are paved with gold and assessments all paid up. In this connection I wish to warn undertakers not to bury any progressive citizens of Medford with picks and shovels, as they might dig up the golden pavement. Speaking of the city officials, Mayor Gates is the most active mayor the city ever had. He is Johnny-on-the-spot on every occasion, and he enjoys issuing proclamations and the people enjoy reading them, but too frequent indulgence might result in their being considered brutum fulmen. Medford Mail Tribune, November 15, 1917, page 4
MORE PAVING IS PROPOSED
Is Jacksonville's case to be like the case of the first locomotive? The
story is like this: The first steam railroad engine was to be tried
out. An old man shook his head doubtfully and remarked: "They'll never
start 'er." After a short time the engine started down the track at
what seemed a terrific rate of speed, and the same man, looking after
it, removed his hat and shouted: "They'll never stop 'er!"SOME OWNERS WANT IT NOW--OTHERS WISH TO WAIT Some of the property owners on California Street east of Fifth Street are advocating pavement for East California Street while paving is being done through the city. Others say that this is not the time for taking up such expensive work, as the owners of abutting property would have to pay the entire expense of grading and paving along the proposed extension of pavement. The paving through the city soon to be done will be done by the state and county, except a strip on each side of about 12 feet, which will have to be paid for by the property owners. The expense of this will not be very great, but where all the grading and paving of a street is paid for by the owners of adjacent property the cost will be much greater. Jacksonville Post, June 20, 1924, page 1 FINDS GOLD ON CALIFORNIA ST.
Wednesday morning where men were digging on California Street,
preparing for the paving, a gold nugget was unearthed which is valued
at $14.75. It looked big to the Post force, being the first we ever saw that had just been "picked."NUGGET UNEARTHED WHILE PREPARING FOR PAVING W. A. Bishop, who was watching the men at work, was the lucky finder. And this only proves again that "every cloud has a silver lining," for if Mr. Bishop had not met with an accident a few days before which made it impossible for him to be at work in his transfer business, he would not have been loafing and therefore would not have been there to spy that shining nugget. This was almost like getting accident insurance. We hope more may be found. The most important news in Jacksonville is that the road builders have reached town, and when the Post reaches its readers the work of paving through town will be well begun. Jacksonville Post, July 25, 1924, page 1
PAVING COMPLETED THIS WEEK
At the time of going to press, the paving is laid up California Street to the post office, and when the Post reaches some of its readers, the pavement in Jacksonville will have been completed.ROAD BUILDERS BEGIN AT RUCH NEXT WEEK After finishing the work here, the road men will begin at Ruch and work toward Jacksonville. It has been suggested that there should be a celebration in honor of the county court when this road is completed. Someone start something. Jacksonville Post, August 1, 1924, page 1 JACKSONVILLE IS NOW PAVED CITY, RUCH WORK STARTS
California Street, Jacksonville, the main thoroughfare of the
county seat around which so much of the pioneer life of this section is
woven, whose mud and dust have been tramped by the hoofs and wheels of
stage coaches and burro trains, circus elephants and limousines, cattle
off the range, and miners from the hills, and down whose length bad men
shot at each other in the old days, is now a full-fledged, full-width
modern paved artery of business, opened to traffic last Saturday as a
link in the Medford-Ruch paved highway.Monday, the S. S. Schell paving crew started moving the equipment to Ruch, near where a rock crushing plant will be erected, and Thursday will start the work of paving the Ruch unit of the highway. The "hot stuff" plant will remain at Jacksonville, the material being hauled to the Ruch end. It is expected that the work will be completed about October 15th. Acceptance of the Medford-Jacksonville unit of the pavement will be made this week by the county court, it is expected. Work on this unit was started May 1st, and finished August 2, no delays being experienced. Medford Mail Tribune, August 5, 1924, page 3 WILL PAVE ROAD TO LOCAL LUMBER
PLANT
An announcement that is hailed with satisfaction by
the Owen-Oregon Lumber Co. in particular and the public in general is
that a decision has been reached to pave the road from the end of the
pavement on North Central Avenue to the office and plant of the
Owen-Oregon Co.
The decision was reached this week at the session of the county [commissioners], and the expense will be shared by the county and city. The contract for the paving has been awarded to C. J. Semon. Jackson County News, February 6, 1925, page 1 PAVING SITUATION VASTLY IMPROVES, ON SOUND BASIS
The chief work of the present city administration in paving matters has
been devoted to bringing suits against Mr. Fehl and others, in
accordance with the promise it had made that they would be made to pay
up. While some of these suits dragged on from one to two years, and
many were brought not only in the local courts but in the federal
courts as well, these have all been terminated in favor of the city,
and the objectors who were fighting the suits have paid up the
assessments.
Audit and Inventory Taken.
One of the first things that the new council did upon going into office
two years ago was to have an audit and appraisal made of the properties
taken over by the city, to see just how much the city had invested in
lots and advanced in tax money, costs, etc. For this purpose they
employed Certified Public Accountant E. M. Wilson, who made the
necessary audit of the city treasurer's and city attorney's books, and
employed the leading real estate firms of Medford to make an inventory
of the property on hand.The result of this audit and inventory showed that at the prices then obtaining for city property the city would realize enough from the sales of the property to which it had title to pay all of the county taxes, expenses of foreclosures, suits to quiet title, and the expenses of the city attorney's office and have over $16,000 to turn back to the general fund. Penalty and Interest Thrown Off.
Finding in the course of its working on the paving problem that there
were some citizens who, on account of the accumulation of interest and
penalty on the assessments, were unable to meet them, the city council
submitted a charter amendment which was voted on by the people, giving
it the authority to throw off penalty and interest for a period of one
year. This time expired the 8th day of this month, and under it
practically all of the people who still had delinquent assessments came
in and either paid up the assessments in cash without extra penalty and
interest or refunded their indebtedness to the city.There are still, however, a number of properties the former owners of which cannot be found, running some 250, on which suits to quiet title will have to be brought by the city, as the city can find no one who owns or who is in charge of these properties. These suits have already been commenced and a number of them carried to a successful conclusion by the city attorney's office, but many more will be required, probably taking a couple of years to finish them. Delinquent Paved Lots Thing of the Past.
So well has the problem gone that the city, while it has a number of
unpaved lots on hand, has no paved lots, except those to which the
title is being perfected from time to time, and the paving problem,
which was once a bugbear and a source of tens and almost hundreds of
suits, is now rapidly becoming a thing of the past.On Sound Footing Again.
A couple of years more of perfecting titles and selling off the
remaining lots will bring to a close what has been one of the most
powerful and disturbing periods through which any western city has
passed. Its handling reflects credit not only upon the past
administrations of Mayors Gates and Gaddis, but is one of the chief
reasons why citizens generally are urging the reelection of Mayor
Alenderfer and the present council rather than Earl Fehl, who until
beaten in his suit by the city last year has always been one of the
chief objectors to paying city assessments.Medford Mail Tribune, November 1, 1926, page 3 MEDFORD BEST PAVED CITY FOR SIZE IN NATION
No city in the world excels Medford in the amount of paving for its
population. The city boats over 20 miles of hard surface pavement, the
bulk of which is asphalt with concrete base."Medford is the best-paved city in the world. Not only has it the most paved streets for its size, but the quality of the pavement is superior to that of any city south of it," said Sam Hill, former president of the National Good Roads Association and foremost good roads advocate in the nation. "I have inspected all the good roads in both Europe and America, so I feel that I know what I am talking about. Pavement, good roads, and good hotels have transformed Medford into a most attractive city." Medford Mail Tribune, January 2, 1927, page E2 NEW PAVING TO START SOON AS 'PLANT' ARRIVES
Last night it looked quite doubtful as to whether the paving of new
streets, the contracts for which were last week let by the city council
to the Medford Concrete Construction Company, would be done this fall,
when C. J. Semon of that company and a Portland expert paving man, Mr.
Arenz, who will have charge of the paving work here for him, appeared
before the city council and stated that there was some danger of
inclement weather coming any time now and preventing a good paving job
being done.
They made it plain that a postponement until spring would ensure a good paving job, and also that they were willing and anxious to start in right now, as they had been planning to do, but felt that they ought to call the city officials' attention to the risk in doing the paving work now, through fear of possible bad weather arriving. When the contracts were advertised for and let, it was understood that there would be enough good weather yet to ensure the work being done before raining and freezing weather set in. Therefore, the statements of the contractor and his assistant last night were rather disconcerting to the city officials, to the most of whom the risk set forth was an unwelcome surprise. It was finally decided, after discussion, to have the council street committee and city engineer meet with Messrs. Semon and Arenz this morning and thresh the matter out, with authority for them jointly to learn the property owners' wishes on the streets to be paved before making final decision. However, when the committee and contractors convened this morning and went over the situation fully with other city officials, an agreement was reached to go ahead with the laying of the new paving at once. Hence the machinery, which has been leased by Mr. Semon from a Portland contracting company for the paving jobs, and is all ready for shipment to this city, was wired for this afternoon, to be rushed at once. The paving work will be started this week. It is understood that the Sixth Street extension and King Street will be the first streets to be paved. Medford Mail Tribune, November 2, 1927, page 6 START WORK ON LOCAL PAVING TO BEGIN AT ONCE
The program of paving a large number of streets lacking paving will be
begun by the Medford Concrete Construction Company the first of this
week, in accordance with the contract recently let by the city council.
The paving machinery to be used on the jobs is expected to arrive from
Portland tomorrow.
The first street to be paved will be the Sixth Street extension. King Street comes next, and the work of paving the other streets will follow in fast order. The contractor will rush all the work as fast as possible in an endeavor to have the jobs completed and in use before freezing weather and the rainy season sets in in earnest. Medford Mail Tribune, November 6, 1927, page 4 PAVING WORK TO START MONDAY
Grading, surfacing and preliminary preparations completed by the
contractors, the first of this year's city paving program will begin on
Monday on Sixth Street from Main to Oakdale, barring inclement weather,
according to A. J. Crose, city councilman.
Materials and machinery are ready and have been placed at the corner of Sixth and Main in readiness for the workers early Monday morning. When this section is completed, concrete will be poured on King Street and the section from Oakdale to Dakota will be paved. Medford Mail Tribune, November 13, 1927, page 3 WILL PROBABLY PAVE ONLY 6TH ST. THIS YEAR
Because of the rainy weather that has existed most of the time since
the contracts were let several weeks ago for the paving of a number of
dirt streets, the outlook is that no further work of paving these
streets will be attempted until next spring, except on Sixth Street,
work on which was begun about three weeks ago and has since been held
up by wet weather.
This will be disappointing news to the residents of these streets, especially the King Street residents who have been ardently laboring for six months or more to have their street paved. Shortly after the preparatory work to pave Sixth Street extension was begun, the paving contractor started to tear up King Street preparatory to paving that street next, but after about one block of the street had been plowed up heavy rains put a stop to the work and left that torn-up block in a deplorably muddy condition. City Engineer Fred Scheffel said this noon that every effort would be made, weather permitting, to finish the paving of Sixth Street extension, before permanent bad weather sets in, and that the remainder of the paving program for this year would probably be abandoned; and that the torn-up part of King Street would be graveled over to last until next spring or early summer when it can be paved. It will be remembered that at the time the contract for paving of the streets was let to the Medford Concrete Construction Company that the contractor pointed out to the city officials that there was danger of bad weather coming and preventing either the laying of the pavement or of a good paving job being done, and put up to the city council the matter of taking a chance and going ahead, or of deferring the paving until next spring. The city officials, after a conference with the contractor, then decided to go ahead, thinking that Sixth Street and King Street, at least, could be paved before bad weather set in. The preparatory work of paving Sixth Street extension is about done, much of the concrete curbing on both sides of the street being laid while the general work has been held up by the weather. The letting up of the rain the past few days enabled the preparatory work to go ahead with enlarged crews of workmen yesterday and today. The paving of the street will be begun first at the Main Street intersection, which will be welcome news to the west side citizens who use that crossing, as it has been torn up for weeks past, and for months before was in bad condition for pedestrians. Medford Mail Tribune, November 21, 1927, page 5 START PAVING ON SIXTH STREET
Much to the delight of west side citizens generally, and to the
contractor and crew, the latter this morning began laying the concrete
pavement on the Sixth Street extension, which work had been held up for
some time past by the rainy weather. A large crew is performing with
motor trucks and machinery, in efforts to rush it to completion before
more heavy rain interferes.
The street is being paved one side at a time, and indications are that the work will be finished without further rain interruption, as the weather forecast is for fair weather tonight and Wednesday. Medford Mail Tribune, November 29, 1927, page 6 FINISH PAVING OF SIXTH STREET: OPENING DELAYED
The long anticipated and much longed-for paving of the Sixth Street
extension between North Oakdale and West Main Street was completed
Friday, and the finishing touches here and there have mostly all been
completed since. However it will probably be several weeks before the
pavement has set or hardened sufficiently to be thrown open for use.
It had been expected by the city council and contractor to immediately pave King Street after the Sixth Street job was done, and work had started on Sixth Street the first of the month, the work of tearing King Street was begun, but ceased when the heavy rains came and knocked the program galley west. However, all efforts were then centered on completing the Sixth Street job, which was finally accomplished between showers of rain. The decision of the city officials and paving contractor on what to do with King Street--whether to now go ahead at paving it, at risk of bad weather intervening, or to smooth over the torn block and cover it with gravel for this winter and do the paving next spring when several other streets will be paved--will be reached tomorrow. Medford Mail Tribune, December 4, 1927, page 3 SIXTH ST. ALL PAVED, OPENED UP FOR TRAFFIC
After many years of agitation for the extension of Sixth Street from
Oakdale to West Main Street, and the final making of the big
improvement, which was used for many months with only a temporary
macadam pavement that was some time ago replaced by concrete paving,
the extension became a full-fledged reality this morning when
barricades were removed at both the Oakdale and West Main Street ends
and the much-desired street thrown open to traffic.
City Superintendent Scheffel had planned to have the job finished by last Saturday evening so as to give the city, and especially west side people, a big Christmas present by throwing it open for traffic last Sunday morning, but the working crew found it impossible to come under the wire in time with the finishing touches. The paving with concrete was begun Nov. 15th last and after encountering a number of delays through bad weather was completed on Nov. 27, since which time the pavement has been drying out or setting and awaiting the finishing touches at the ends. During this time the city also laid a new concrete sidewalk on the north side of the extension, which is now also in use throughout its length. The sawdust which had been spread over the sidewalk to keep it from freezing until the concrete had matured was shoveled off the sidewalk yesterday into the north side gutter, and until it is removed, which will be done late today or tomorrow, its presence backs up the water at the West Main Street intersection, making that place bad for pedestrians during rains. Medford Mail Tribune, December 28, 1927, page 2 CITY PAVING TO START SOON AS WEATHER PERMITS
The work of paving a number of streets and the grading and
graveling of other streets, which was to have been done late last
fall but which, because of bad weather, had to be abandoned and put
over until this spring, is about to get under way again, weather
permitting.George Ahrens, the Portland contractor who will oversee the work for the Medford Concrete Construction Company, which holds the contract to pave, amounting to about $60,000, was expected to arrive in the city today or tomorrow to resume the paving work, which will include the paving of the following streets: King, Ivy, Bartlett, Court and Park. The paving of King Street will be done first. J. C. Compton, McMinnville contractor, who holds the $30,000 contract for grading and graveling streets, will start that work the first of next week. The following streets are to be graded and graveled: South Newtown, Lincoln, West Twelfth, Western Avenue, Haven, Clark, East Jackson, Welch, East Ninth and Edwards. Medford Mail Tribune, March 22, 1928, page 3
MEDFORD PAVING WORK STARTED ON FINAL LAP
Now that nice weather is prevailing, the contractors in charge
of the grading and paving of a number of Medford streets have got
squared away on this work at last, after numerous delays since late
last fall because of bad weather or other matters, and it is
expected that all this work will have been completed within 60 days.The rough grading has been completed on King Street, and when the fine grading has been completed, the laying of the concrete paving will begin. This will take five days. North Ivy Street is now all torn up because of the grading work being done in preparation for paving that thoroughfare, the intersection curbs and like work having been completed. In three weeks the grading and paving of Bartlett Street will be started. The grading of Haven Street has been completed; also that of Lincoln Street, which is now ready for graveling. There are eight other streets to be graded and graveled, and the work of doing so will be undertaken as fast as possible. As fast as one street is completed another will undergo improvements until all the streets under contract will have been finished at the end of 60 days. The city street department is also lowering Crater Lake Avenue on the west side from East Jackson Street to the city limits, preparatory to this stretch being treated with the same type of oil macadam as the state highway department is putting on the Crater Lake Highway between the city limits and the Medford entrance of Crater national park. Medford Mail Tribune, May 8, 1928, page 3
Distributing concrete at the rate of 1,500 yards daily, the Smith paver
operating on King Street is fast surfacing that thoroughfare. The work
was gotten under way Monday by the Medford Concrete Construction
[Company,] which has the paving contract.
Preparations for the paving work started last fall, but was halted on account of the mud caused by the wet weather. As soon as good weather permitted this spring the grading part of the paving operations was begun. With the paving machine fast work may be made of a surfacing job. It keeps eight trucks busy hauling sand for mixing with the cement. The trucks dump loads on a big spoon. This hoists up and allows the material to slide into a mixer. After mixing the mass of sand, water and cement for over a minute the combination is dumped into a big ladle and run out on a crane, and it may be swung about and dumped wherever needed. Medford News, May 23, 1928, page 6
EAST SIDE CLUB TO RAISE FUNDS FOR OILING ROAD
At the meeting of the East Side Improvement Club in the city
council chambers last evening the proposed project was discussed of
having all of the road between the end of East Main Street and the
Medford Golf Club grounds oil-macadamized, which plan a club
committee, after an investigation, reported should be done.
According to this report the cost would be about $1500, of which sum
one-third has been promised by the county court and $300 by the City
of Medford. It is the plan to assess the rest of the cost against
the benefiting property at a cost of about 15 cents a foot front.
Property owners are now being interviewed on the matter.Residents of Vancouver Street complained against the hauling of gravel in trucks from the Medford Concrete Construction Company rock crushing plant over that street, thus injuring the thoroughfare and making it unsightly. The club took no action on this complaint except one of sympathy, as the complaint is now under consideration by the city council. A committee was appointed to confer with city officials and report back to the improvement club at its next meeting, regarding the possibility of a new amusement building that is being built at the west end of the Bear Creek bridge on Main Street, being a flood menace by holding back the stream during high water periods. Medford Mail Tribune, May 24, 1928, page 5  Medford
street crew, probably on the 500 block of South Grape, circa 1925.
EAST SIDE CLUB TO RAISE FUNDS FOR OILING ROAD
At
the meeting of the East Side Improvement Club in the council council
chamber last evening, the proposed project was discussed of having all
of the road between the end of East Main Street and the Medford Golf
Club grounds oil-macadamized, which plan a club committee, after an
investigation, reported should be done. According to this report the
cost would be about $1500, of which sum one-third has been promised by
the county court and $300 by the city of Medford. It is the plan to
assess the rest of the cost against the benefiting property at a cost
of about 15 cents a foot front. Property owners are now being
interviewed on the matter.
Excerpt, Medford Mail Tribune, May 24, 1928, page 5 The concrete has been laid on King Street from Oakdale Avenue to Dakota Avenue. There are six intersections to be filled in with asphaltic pavement requiring about a week or ten days' work. Ivy Street is graded from West Sixth to West Second Street and the contractor will commence the pouring of the concrete on Wednesday morning. "Scheffel Gives Out Reports," Medford Mail Tribune, June 6, 1928, page 10
PAVING WORK OF CITY PROGRESSES
The street paving program of the city administration, because of
the nice weather that has been prevailing for some time past, is
making much progress. The paving of King Street was recently
completed, and two blocks of that thoroughfare beyond Oakdale will
be thrown open for traffic next Thursday.
The paving of Ivy Street, which was on last week, will be completed by next Thursday, and after 21 days of drying out will then be ready for use. The grading of Bartlett Street in preparation for paving, which is now under way, will be finished in 10 days, and the excavation work for the paving of Court Street will begin tomorrow. Medford Mail Tribune, June 17, 1928, page 3
COUNCIL DECIDES TO PAVE A LARGE NUMBER STREETS
The city council at its meeting last Tuesday night, among other
important business transacted, adopted a new street paving and
grading and graveling program, passing ordinances for the paving of
Arcadia, North Holly, Spencer, Almond, Park Avenue, Portland Avenue
from East Main to East Ninth, and Portland Avenue from East Ninth to
East Eleventh Street, and for the grading and graveling of Glen Oak Court and West Holly Avenue.
It had been intended to also pave Tripp Street, as a petition purporting to be signed by a majority of its property owners had been presented to the council some time ago. However, at Tuesday’s meeting several property owners on that street appeared in opposition and claimed that there must be some mistake, as they positively knew that a majority had not signed the petition. The council finally decided to leave out Tripp Street from the new paving program. The paving and grading and graveling of the above-mentioned streets is in addition to the big street improvement program now nearing completion, details of which appear elsewhere in this newspaper, will be completed before fall, and it is understood that the same contractors will perform the new work, as are finishing the present work--the Medford Concrete Construction Company doing the paving, and J. C. Compton, the McMinnville contractor, the grading and graveling work. Medford Mail Tribune, July 5, 1928, page 3 RESIDENTS ASK CITY COUNCIL FOR CONCRETE
Property Owners on Park Avenue Petition Council to Give Them Concrete Instead of Blacktop--Sentiment Declared Unanimous.
In an effort to prevent asphalt paving being used on Park Avenue,
the paving contract for which was recently awarded to an Oregon City
firm, property owners living on Park Avenue will tonight present a
petition to the city council, giving reasons why concrete paving should
be used.
The petition, which is addressed to the mayor and city council, is as follows: "Believing that you gentlemen may wish an expression of opinion as to our preference for the kind of paving to be placed on the above-named street, we, the undersigned owners of property on Park Avenue of this city, hereby wish to go on record with you as preferring a concrete paving to what is known as an asphalt paving. "It is our understanding that you have already passed a resolution of intending to pave Park Avenue with an asphaltic paving, due to the fact that the cost of same is slightly lower than the cost of concrete paving. Giving due consideration to first cost as compared to durability and future upkeep, we prefer the concrete paving as a better investment. "If you have an opportunity to reconsider this matter before entering into a definite final contract with any paving contractor, it would be our wish that the paving contract for our street be closed with the lowest concrete paving bidder of those bids submitted to you for this work." According to members of the committee, the property owners are practically unanimous on this point. Representing the ownership of 26 lots on Park Avenue, the following property owners have signed the petition: R. E. Green, 701 Park Avenue; E. G. Dow, 522 Park Avenue; E. M. Miller, 617 Park Avenue; Mrs. Phil Singleton, 521 Park Avenue; Earl S. Tumy, 705 Park Avenue; Earl H. Fehl, 425, 505 and 509 Park Avenue; Mrs. R. W. Moore, 702 Park Avenue; Mrs. I. M. Gainer; J. M. Dodge, 621 Park Avenue; E. A. Perry, 423 Park Avenue; H. E. Warner, lot 1, block 1, Park Avenue; O. E. G. Myers, 422 Park Avenue; Mrs. M. Stephens, 511 Park Avenue; James W. Young, two lots on Park Avenue. Medford Mail Tribune, August 7, 1928, page 1
BLACKTOP PAVING HALTED FOR TIME BY COURT ORDER
Upon the petition of Earl H. Fehl, a temporary restraining order,
preliminary to a permanent injunction, was signed yesterday by County
Judge W. J. Hartzell prohibiting the City of Medford and the L. O.
Herrold company from the laying of asphalt pavement on Park Avenue. The
order is made returnable Sept. 10. Bonds in the sum of $1000 were
posted by Fehl, for whom George M. Roberts is acting as attorney.
Fehl, in his application for a restraining order, contends that the city acted without its legal rights by granting the paving contract to the L. O. Herrold company, and sets forth that a majority of the property owners on Park Avenue signed a petition against the use of asphalt. The petitioners are listed as: C. T. Baker, Fred J. Fry, E. G. Dow, Jens Jensen, Phil Singleton, I. M. Gainer, J. M. Dodge, Earl S. Tumy, Dr. R. E. Green, J. E. Randles, H. E. Warner, J. A. Young and J. J. Buchter. The main question involved is the legality of the council's action. It is understood that similar restraining orders will be filed by property owners on other streets listed for paving for blacktop. Medford Mail Tribune, August 18, 1928, page 3
TAKE BLACKTOP OR NONE POLICY OF THE COUNCIL
Unless the injunction brought against the city to prevent the
paving of Park Avenue with blacktop asphalt is withdrawn, the
residents on that street can look forward to muddy traveling this
winter, according to a decision reached by the city council at its
meeting last night. The city will fight the suit, which will
probably be several months in settling, making paving activities for
this year impossible.
However, if steps are taken to dissolve the injunction, the city will cooperate in every way to complete the paving as early as possible. According to present reports, many of the Park Street residents are in favor of the dissolution and are anxious for the pavement to be completed before the arrival of fall rains. The injunction was brought against the city by Earl Fehl, who claimed that the contracts for city paving were let in a lump and that no special kind of paving was specified. Fehl is in favor of concrete and has employed attorney George Roberts to fight this case. Attorney Roberts is also said to be the regular counsel for the Beaver-Portland Cement Company of Gold Hill. A petition which was presented to the council two weeks ago by residents of Park Avenue requesting concrete paving was refused. The petition was sponsored by a local concrete construction company. Unable to proceed with work on Park Avenue, the L. O. Herrold company is doing paving work in other sections of the city and is now paving Portland Avenue. Medford Mail Tribune, August 22, 1928, page 3
SCHEFFEL REPORTS PAVING PROGRESS
The report of the progress of the street paving program of the
city up to date was submitted to the city council last night by
City Superintendent Scheffel as follows:
Portland Avenue from East Main to East Eleventh Street is completed with the exception of laying the surface of asphalt, and the street is open to traffic. Almond Street from East Main to East Ninth is completed with the exception of laying the surface coat of asphalt, and is open to traffic. Arcadia Street from Franquette to Spencer Street is complete and open to traffic. Spencer Street from Eads to Mayette Street is complete and open for traffic. North Holly Street from West Second to West Jackson Street is now ready for the asphalt base and pouring expected to start Wednesday noon. Medford Mail Tribune, November 21, 1928, page 7
RESUME PAVING CITY STREETS AFTER 17 YEARS
First Extensive Paving Since 1911 Done Past 12 Months--Over Four Miles of Blacktop and Concrete laid--City Growth Demanded Improvements. New paving in the city of Medford in 1928 aggregated 4.38
miles, and grading and surfacing totaled approximately the same
amount, according to statistics in the office of City Engineer Fred
Scheffel.
This construction marked the first resumption of paving on a large scale in this city since 1911. The coming year promises to equal the 1928 record, as many petitions for paving and grading are on file, subject to favorable action by the city council. The cost of the year's paving and grading will total slightly over $165,000. The first paving operations came in the spring of 1928, with the laying of 24 blocks of concrete paving, at a cost of $70,212.28, all in residential areas. The streets completed were South King, North Bartlett, North Ivy, North Court, North Oakdale and West Third. All were in thickly populated districts, and all were stretches left uncompleted in 1911. Asphalt was laid upon the following streets, at a cost of approximately $60,000: Arcadia and Spencer streets in the southeast portion of the city, Portland Avenue and Almond streets on the east side, and North Holly Street in the vicinity of the senior high school. The total distance asphalted was 18 blocks. More Paving in 1929
South Park Street is being paved, but will not be completed
until next spring, and is the only street on the 1928 building
program unfinished and not open for traffic at the end of the year.
Forty blocks were graded and graveled, all of the work being in the mill district, or on the outlying districts. They were graded to paving grade so if in the future the property owners should desire paving, it can be procured at a minimum of delay and cost. The grading and graveling entailed an expenditure of $35,000. The streets graded and graveled were: Edwards, Newtown, West Twelfth, Welch, Western Avenue, East Jackson, Lincoln, East Ninth, Haven and Clark. 4.5 Miles of New Sewers
Additional sewers built of extended during the year totaled a
distance of 4.5 miles, and cost $43,148.49. All were in new
residential sections facing a rapid growth. The improvements were
made on the following streets: Boardman, Manzanita, Columbus Avenue,
Chestnut, Clark, Bliss, Iowa, Narregan, Cedar, Haven, Hamilton,
Hawthorn, West Holly, King, Lincoln, Newton, Peach, Mary, Marie and
May.
Also, during the year, protective measures and work against Bear Creek floods were taken. This include the widening, deepening, and removal of brush from the banks of the stream, and the building of a dike representing an outlay of $8800. Besides reducing the flood damage peril, the flooding of the sewer system by backwater of the flood is eliminated. Medford Mail Tribune, December 31, 1928, page C6 EAGLE POINT DUST REMEDY IS ASKED OF COUNTY COURT
A delegation of Eagle Point citizens, headed by Royal G. Brown, called
upon the county court this morning and beseeched that body to oil the
Lake Creek road through the center of town and allay the dust which
every summer is an abomination to the housewives, and not exactly a
balm to the menfolks. Members of the delegation said it would not be
safe for the county court, or them, unless relief was afforded. Last
spring a similar appeal was filed and the petitioners were advised to
come this spring, which they did today.The county court was informed that the road was in good condition for oiling, as it was macadamized in 1911. However, it is beginning to show the effects of wear and tear due to heavy traffic, being a route for logging trucks. In the summer, if a light breeze is moving up or down Butte Creek, the dust assumes the pretentiousness of a cloud with the residential area of Eagle Point as the center. The husbands composing the delegation informed the county court that it was impossible to keep anything, indoors or out, free of grime in the summer. After listening to the arguments the county court promised to do what it could about the matter, although the oiling fund was crimped by the depression. The remainder of the session was devoted to routine road matters. Medford Mail Tribune, April 22, 1931, page 12 Last revised May 31, 2024 |
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