Mary Hanley a descendant of three of Southern Oregon's first families; the Hanley's, the Love's and the Harris'. Mary was orphaned after the death of her father in 1901 and her mother in 1904. Miss Hanley was taken in by her uncle, Michael Hanley II and spent her early life on the family's 4,000 acre Bute Creek Ranch. Mary and her two sisters all played important roles in the development of the Southern Oregon Historical Society. Mary served as curator of the Jacksonville Museum from 1955 to 1967. As curator she obtained an extensive collection of Peter Britt artifacts such as cameras when they were left to the SOHS by the Britt estate. When Mary's Aunt, Alice Hanley died she left the family farm known both as The Willow (named by Mary's grandmother Martha Mortimere Burnett Hanley) and The Hanley Farm to Mary and her two sisters. They all worked hard to preserve the home and made it a historical place of beauty. Mary felt that it was important that her family farm be a "living museum" dedicated to preserving the heritage of agricultural history in the Rogue Valley. To that end, she donated The Willows to the Southern Oregon Historical Society in 1982. Mary and her sisters were enjoyed gardening. In 1945 Mary bought a greenhouse in Grants Pass and had it moved to the farm. Mary cared very much for the orchids in which she planted in the greenhouse. Source: SOHS Vertical files, SOHS oral interviews.
