Jacksonville Review – July 2026

FOLLOWING a much needed and successful Cemetery Cleanup on May 2, the Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery (FOJHC) hosted our first History Saturday talk and tour of the season, one week later on May 9: “The German-Speaking Settlers of Pioneer Jacksonville.” Presented by Carolyn Kingsnorth and Steve Corelis on a beautiful spring morning, we were surprised to learn that German was the second most-frequently-heard language in late 19th-century Jacksonville, and that German and Swiss immigrants were the dominant ethnic element in Southern Oregon at that time!

Like many others, German/Swiss immigrants often came here for the gold, but most soon found more lucrative opportunities as packers, farmers or ranchers, or as merchants. They enthusiastically embraced their new homeland, joining lodges such as the Masons, Odd Fellows, and especially the Improved Order of Red Men, and nearly two-thirds eventually became naturalized US citizens.

Carolyn and Steve profiled many of our Swiss/German pioneers highlighting their involvement and successes in a variety of commercial, social, and governmental endeavors. The railroad’s arrival, however, shifted opportunities elsewhere, and many of these ambitious pioneers moved on to Medford, San Francisco and other metropolitan areas. This was a thorough and fascinating look at Jacksonville’s history, and we thank Carolyn and Steve for sharing the story and telling it so well!

May also saw our first Marker Cleaning Workshop of the season. Workshop leader, Butch Frost, welcomed a small but dedicated group of volunteers who cleaned and restored the appearance of twenty headstones and markers in the Odd Fellows section of the cemetery. Butch got this year’s program off to a great start despite less-than-ideal weather and is looking forward to accomplishing even more on future “third Saturday” marker-cleaning weekends through September.

With Memorial Day approaching, our volunteers once again placed flags at the gravesites of the four hundred and nineteen veterans at rest In the Jacksonville Historic Cemetery. The Flags for Our Veterans event this year was made easier by a revamping of the maps used by volunteers to locate veterans’ gravesites. We thank Mary Siedlecki, Bev Smith, and Eric Rogers for this excellent work!

History Saturday in the Cemetery, July 11, 10-11:30am, “Fire! The History of Fires in Pioneer Jacksonville”—No advance registration is required. May not be suitable for the very young. Please dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. There is no fee for the tour, however donations supporting our programs are greatly appreciated.

Marker Cleaning Workshop, Saturday, July 18, 9am-noon—Come learn the latest techniques to safely clean and preserve the grave markers in our cemetery. This is a hands-on workshop, so dress accordingly. Bring a stool to sit on, plus sunscreen and a hat.

All Events—Meet at the Sexton’s Tool House, top of Cemetery Road. Parking within the cemetery.

Please check our website— at friendsjvillecemetery.org for future events and programs.

Featured image: Cemetery cleaned-up and ready for summer visitors. Photo: Dick Meyers