Historical Jacksonville

Today we went to Jacksonville with Hoyt's family for a trolley tour, but the tour started at 11:00 and we had a hour to burn before the tour started. We decided to go and see the Jacksonville cemetery. The cemetery was really neat and a little creepy. After our walk through the cemetery we had our tour through Jacksonville. More than 100 individual buildings are on the National Register or Historic Places. In 1966, the entire town of Jacksonville was designated a National Register of Historic landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior. There are historic Inns and Bed and Breakfast Inns (most are actual historic landmarks that reflect the mystery and elegance of an earlier era.) In the early years Gold was discovered in the Oregon territory at Rich Gulch in 1851. Miners flocked to the Rogue Valley from everywhere to seek their fortune. Within months, thousands were scoring the hills hoping to stake a claim. A thriving mining camp emerged along the gold-lined creek beds and before long, the bustling camp was transformed into a town named "Jacksonville".The gold rush fever brought prosperity very quickly to Jacksonville and by the winter of 1852, saloons and gambling halls were springing up to coax the gold from the hands of the eager prospectors. Makeshift shops, supply stores, a bank and all sorts of enterprising businesses suddenly began to appear on the scene.During these early "boom" years, Jacksonville became the hub of commerce in Southern Oregon and the county seat of government. In 1884, when the railroad decided to bypass Jacksonville and choose the new town of Medford as the primary link between north and south, many residents and businesses moved away. A few wealthy merchants built grand mansions and the new County Court House was completed in 1884. By the -1890's agriculture had replaced mining as the main industry in the Valley.For the next 50 years, Jacksonville remained relatively unchanged as surrounding communities continued to grow. The county seat was finally moved to Medford in 1927. Depression years and World War II left a serious impact on the local community. But these turning points for Jacksonville had actually helped to preserve it's historic legacy. It was a neat tour and we enjoyed learning a little about Jacksonville's history.