The Continuing History of Jackson County by Carl Bondinell
An acocunt of the events and people that contributed to the history of Jackson County in thirteen chapters. Part One: The Geology,
Part 2 of 13: "The Indians" of 3 major language groups: Shasta, Athapasca, Takelma
Part 3 of 13: "The White Man Comes" 1826-1848; governor of the company = George Simpson, Dr. John McLoughlin, chief factor; assistant Peter Skene Ogden (who favored extermination of all Indians) and Alexander McLeod with botanist David Douglas who named the fir tree that bears his name today (douglas fir) , scouting party led by Michel Laframboise, Miss J. Allen of Willamette Valley, Kelawatset Indians killed 14 whites in unguarded camp, Jedediah Smith 1828 trapper and explorer survived, Hudson Bay Company sent brigades into Rogue Valley, John Work led brigade, Hall J. Kelly (New England schoolteacher)joined Ewing Young guided Kelly to settle and start ranch, 1837 Naval Lt. William Slacum sent to investigate and advise. First Willamette Cattle Company formed 2/10/1837 with John Turner, Dr. Bailey and John Gay with Young.
Part 4 of 13: Gold miners, Jacksonville and the first war with the Indians. John Ross, Lindsey Applegate, Peter Burnett. gambler Brown shot miner named Pike--Brown jury found him guilty and he was hanged from oak tree near Presbyterian Church and buried him under another oak tree. Sims and Sprenger, Daniel Kenny represented Sprenger in court try, Payne Page Prim = lawyer, young lawyer Jacobs later became Chief Justice for Washington, Elisha Steele led band of volunteers to find Indians who murdered miner on Scott River in California
Part 5 of 13: 1853: through the eyes of pioneer woman Mrs. America Butler, hysteria of whites against Indians including hanging a boy , Lt. Bradford Alden w/10 soldiers and 80 volunteers from Yreka, William Rose and John Harding were killed (by Indians), p.50: Peter Britt's first photo printed on paper of "Half-Breed Trapper"
Part 6 of 13: the final Indian wars in the Rogue Valley: struggle among the various groups living in the valley: militant whites, mostly miners, settlers, Indians. Treaty of 1853, agent Alonzo Skinner replaced by Samuel Culver, Culver and Captain A.L. Smith, commander of Fort Lane, persuaded several bands in the Applegate region who had not signed treaty to move to the reservation. bloody flux and intermittent fever struck; estimated one-fifth of Indians on reservation died from sickness, exposure and insufficient food that winter. Joel Palmer, Supt. for Indian Affairs tried to get Indians to return to reservation but Lower Applegate bands under headman "John" and bands of Shastas under Tipsu Tyee, refused. grasshoppers ate everything thru hot dry summer. war of 1855. settlers fled to Jacksonville with 500 joining volunteer militia, 'soldiers couldn't fire the cannon because ammo-carrying mule drowned...', Major James Bruce led troups, volunteers under Alcorn and Rice, Palmer moved Takelma from Table Rock to the Grande Ronde Reservation on the Yamhill River: 32 days over 300 miles in cold hard march, many became sick and 8 died.
Part 7 of 13: Communities and place names--how they got their names: Jacksonville, Jump Off Joe Creek for Joe McLaughlin (son of John McLaughlin), Birdseye Creek for David Birdseye, Colman Creek for M.H. Coleman, Criffin Creek for Captain B.B. Griffin, Wagner Creek for Jacob Wagner, Lane Creek for an old man of that name who was murdered there, Keene Creek for Granville Keene killed 9/1/1855 in Indian Wars, Savage Creek for James Savage, Sardine Creek named by some miners working a claim there and whose rations were reduced to a carton of canned sardines (they acquired a strong distaste for), Humbug Creek for dispute between two miners over a gold claim that turned out to be worthless, Fourbit Creek for an eating place located on its banks and had good meals for 50cents, Dead Indian Creek for dead bodies of two Indians found by settlers in abandoned houses, Whiskey Creek for bootlegger taking a load of whiskey from Jacksonville to Forth Klamath. Roxy Ann was first known as "Skinner's Butte after Alonzo Skinner, the first Indian Agent; packers in 1854 honored Roxana Baker, an early settler, instead. Pilot Rock was "Emmons Peak" for Lt. George Emmons with travellers using it as a guide and giving it the popular name. Siskiyou Mountains (only name in Jackson County that comes from Indian language) Cree word SISIKIYAWATIM meaning bob-tailed horse--a favored horse of Alexander McLeod that was lost in a snowstorm, Green Springs Mountain for springs that enabled plants to stay green most of year, Chinquapin Mountain for Western Chinquapin tree (golden-leaved chestnut) that grows on the mountain, Tallow Box Mountain named for 1880 event when extra tallow was fastened in a box high in a tree (but then didn't salvage), Nigger Ben Mountain for black who operated blacksmith near Applegate and name changed to Negro Ben Mountain", Persist named by William Willets, Climax, Beagle for William Beagle, Kubli for Jacob Kubli, Rch for C.M. Ruch, Colestine for Rufus Cole, Tolo an error form of originally petitioned name Yolo, Prospect was originally called Deskins after Harvey Deskins but people picked name for their optimism, Talent assigned by postal authorities for A.P. Talent, Steamboat represents a mining term, Butte Falls for the falls on Big Butte Creek, Brownsboo for Henry R. Brown, city of Rogue River was one of earliest fords on the Rogue River (where Davis Evans ran his ferry), Tailholt name for when people held onto tails of horses as they swam across river instead of paying ferry toll, then postmaster renamed town Woodville by postmaster John Woods, Phoenix (laid out by Samuel Colver), Fort Baker established as recruiting base when Civil War broke out in 1861 and named after Senator E.D. Baker who had been killed in battle of Ball's Bluff, Central Point, Eagle Point-John Mathews named it for nesting place of American Bald Eagles (3 men sold it to James Fryer. John Daley Sr and Eben Emery built "Snowy Butte Flour Mill"), Medford named by David Loring for his hometown of M., Mass., C.C. Beekman-Ira Phipps-C.Mingus-C.W. Brobeck put up $ to have RR tracks run through their land on Bear Creek, Jacksonville, Table Rock Sentinel = 1st newspaper in southern Oregon in Jacksonville founded by Colonel William G. T-Vault, with W.J. Robinson-->paper changed to Oregon Sentinel, but bankrupt before Civil War as deemed "pro-Southern" and Pro-Union Republicans refused to buy it. Henry Delenger and editor Orange Jacobs were pro-Union and their paper survived. smallpox epidemic 2 months killing 40 people including William T-Vault, President Rutherford B. Hayes visited Jacksonville, Ashland--James Tolman plus Abel Hellman, Eben Emery, D.A. Cardwell and Robert Hargadine with Thomas brothers building Eagle Mill flour mill plus another called Ashland Mill for Hellman's hometown of Ashland, Ohio--bought by Jacob Wagner, Ashland Woolen Manufacturing Company, A.G. Walling part of town that dropped Mill from its name = Ashland.
Part 8 of 13: Politics and prejudice in Jackson County 1854-1890. Democratic Party founded in 1851 by Asahel Bush, owner of Oregon Statesman paper, nucleus of party called "the Salem Clique" by its enemies, included Bush, Supreme Court judge Matthew Deady, James Nesmith and Joe Lane. opponents of the Kansas-Nebraska Act joined together to form a new Republican Party to give Congress the right to outlaw slavery in the territories, 'Hawaiians left when denied benefits of Donation land Act' (one of first minorities to come, also called kanakas), Chinese immigrants in too great a number to be ignored so legislation gave them some protection
Part 9 of 13: The economic development of Jackson County, 1860-1890: railroads, public morality and the press. mining and farming the major economic entities of Jackson County with new gold mine strikes wildly exaggerated/farming grew, Jacksonvilled wooed railroad but lost, Jackson County newspapers were fanatically political: Oregon Sentinel rabid Democratic, radical Pro-Southern orgen til taken over by two Rebublicans benjamin F. Dowell and ___, Democratic Times competing paper of Democratic party and strongly anti-black, anti-Chines,, pro-Southern with early issues defending Ku Klux Klan, 1876 Ashland Tidings tried to maintain non-partisan position dealing with local issues of social and cultural importance
Part 10 of 13: The orchard boom in the Rogue Valley with fruit growing and packing. Colonel J.P. Moore advised Arthur Weeks to plan a commercial orchard-->apple, peach and prune trees near Medford, seeds for Black Walnut and pears brought in by Billings family, Bartlett pears planted by Henry Barneburg in 1855, 1865 = Anjoy pears, J.H. Stewart and J.D. Whitman planted commercial orchard of apple and pear trees next to Stewart Avenue in Medford, apples especially prominent with Yellow Newtown and Spitzenberg, pears were Bartlett, Winter Nellis, Anjoy and Bosc with Comice not until 1897.1892 Reverend J.S. Smith formed Chautauqua for southern Oregon with G.F. Billings trying to get Smith to bring from Central Point to Ashland (Roper's Grove). Chautauqua musical groups: Chicago Operatic Company, classical ensembles and choral groups to cornet bands, Swiss Yodelers, bell ringers, and Ciricillo's Italian Band; plus magicians, jugglers, and "Bronte" a trained Collie; plus classes in P.E., nature study, elocutin, literature history, Bible study and WCTemperanceU methods.Jesse Winburn, 1920 developing Ashland with syndicated columnist Bert Moses' "Sap and Salt column promoting. H.W. Hartman brought scale model of machine he said could extract oil from shale--small town called Shale City; many invested in new company but machine always broke down or needed adjusting--Hartman left town and was never seen again.Rogue River Valley Railroad of W.S. Barnum operated, even at a deficit.Southern Oregon Traction Company, 1913 owned by S.s. Bullis was an electrified line in downton Medford, but returns never paid costs of electrification.
Part 11 of 13: Crusading editor fights the KuKluxKlan. George Putnam and Medford Tribune. KKK protectiong 100percent Americanism, womanhood, white supremacy and secrecy, public morality, suppression of Roman Catholic Church, aliens, drug addicts, bootlegging, graft nightclubs and illicit sex. 1921 "King Kleagle" Luther Powell signed up more than 100 members.KKK harsh stories include George Burr no thanks to jailer Bert Mose, J.F. Hale driven to Table Rock for a lynching for Hale had brought civil suit agains klansman H.B. Bunnell who owed him money; on 3rd lynch try, Hale became unconscious, but refused to leave Medford and walked around with a a loaded rifle to protect himself.young black man Samuel Johnson strung up with toes barely touching ground, but KKK released him with threats.Governor Ben Olcott fought bigotry. Mayor C.E. Gates denied being Klan member. Colonel E.E. Kelly resigned from Medford Legion Post as anti-Klan action. Klan infected state politics, e.g. governor race: Olcott vs. Walter Pierce with Jesse Winburn . Jovell Bray, Howard Hill and James Hittson charged in "night-riding" and rioting in connection with hanging of J.P. Hale with jury deciding men were not guilty, so noted that KKK could not be convicted in Oregon. Hold up of Southern Pacific Railroad Train No. 13 at Tunnel 13 near Siskiyou, Jackson County.
Part 12 of 13: The infamous Siskiyou robbery (part two) poster of reward for arrest and conviction of Roy DeAutremont and Ray DeAutremont. the brothers admired the exploits of Roy Gardiner. terrified by thought of being hanged, brothers accepted offer of sentence of life imprisonment in return for a confession, along with 3rd brother. brothers were model inmates in the Oregon State Prison. Ray took up reading and painting. Hugh revived defunct prison newspaper. Roy was always joking around, but went berserk with six guards needing 15 minutes to subdue him-->diagnosed as advanced schizophrenic and given pre-frontal lobotomy so he was a borderline vegetable.
Part 13 of 13: 1929 to 1933 The Stock market crash, the depression, and a plot to take over the country. Good Government Congress: Henrietta Martin, president, C.H. Brown (her father) secretary, C.J. Conners vice president and chairman of the secret membership committee. Llewelyn A. Banks, orchardist and editor of pro-Rossevelt MEdford Daily News, defeated in run for U.S. Senator, felt he had been thwarted and vicitmized by the power structure, so identified himself with poor and discontented, using his paper to criticize and attack political and judicial system of the county; American Legion accused him of vicious propaganda and inciting mob violence.Banks involved in lawsuits yielding his own financial trouble
final chapter: Takeover plot concluded, the depression and World War II, and the post-war years. Mason and William Sexton would not testify. ballots stolen from vault while Banks was stirring up people with his oration making it too loud to hear breaking into vault: 1 carload went to 80-year-old woman's home and burned, 2nd carload drove to BeBee Bridge and dumped pouches into the Rogue River. Breechan said there still were too many ballots left, needed to steel at or 20 more pouches. When Breechan didn't return after an hour, the brothers nervously burned pouches in the boiler room furnace. Arrests made, except Judge Fehl who hid until suddenly appearing in his courtroom; District Attorney Codding they had to serve warrant; City Constable George Prescott and state police officer James O'Brien went to courthouse to arrest Fehl; they filled pickets with tear gas cannisters in case Fehl cupports tried to prevent the arrest; warrant read to the judge but he hesitated; Fehl finally submiteed and left peacefully. Llewelyn A Banks charged with first-degree murder of Officer George Prescott. Prescott, officer O'Brien and 2 other officers went to Banks' home to deliver warrant, Mrs. Banks only opened door as wide as night chain would permit, Prescott said they had warrant for Banks' arrest, Banks aimed rifle at crack in door and fired--hitting Prescott in the heart, O'Brien stood up and pointed his revolver at Banks who held his fire and jumped behind colonade, reinforcements surrounded house with Banks calling chief of state police, Lee Brown and said he'd only surrender to him and Banks came out to surrender to Brown with prison sentences finishing Bank's organization. Harry and David part of Jackson County economic boom
printed as supplement to The Morning News, February - June 1979, with special thanks to John Mustard, Editor for permission to reprint this material; School District 6 Central Point, 1982
photos, descriptions and Index