In my column a couple months back, I mentioned that volunteer John McGlothlin and I came across some small headstones and decorative pieces while cleaning out the storage cabinets in the Sexton’s Tool House. One of those headstones, along with its base, belonged to little Beatrice Breitbarth, who died on January 12, 1869 at the […]
This summer you can again experience the world of 19th Century banking when you step behind the counter of the oldest bank in the Pacific Northwest, preserved intact since its proprietor’s death in 1915. Established by Cornelius C. Beekman as a gold dust office in 1856 and moved to its current […]
Anyone who has been to the Britt Music and Arts Festival knows that it offers an experience like no other. Throughout the region there are different outdoor music venues for both the young and old to attend, which seems to suggest something. Going to outdoor music venues gives us […]
We all know that the Britt hill is steeped in history. As such, every time construction projects are planned, archaeology is an important first step. I had a conversation with Jeff Applen of Sore Foot Archaeology, who served as the archaeologist for the Britt Festivals’ most recent project. After the planning […]
Despite occasional downpours, we had a terrific turnout at our annual Heritage Plant Sale. Intrepid gardeners arrived early each day to find that perfect piece of history to add to their landscape. There were as many as 50 different varieties of plants to choose from, including purple and lavender […]
Frequent visitors to Jacksonville’s Forest Park have been excited by two recent trail improvements: Rail Trail’s rehabilitation and a new Rattlesnake Gulch Trail. Spring is a great time to explore these parts of the park with their endemic wildflowers waxing and waning through their respective seasons. Hot days will soon be […]
If you suffer from allergies, the thought of breathing is challenging as the sneezing and itchy eyes, and scratchy throat… make you feel miserable. Some of us with pulmonary issues can experience more severe manifestations, like asthma.
Here are a few helpful suggestions inspired by Ayerveda, which is the yogic approach to […]
Pouring cream into coffee is a tradition borrowed from the Europeans. Before coffee makers succeeded in separating the grounds from the water, coffee was often too strong or bitter. A bit of sugar and a splash of cream smoothed-away the bitterness, making a more enjoyable hot drink. Cream and sugar […]
With spring in full swing, you may be thinking about buying a home but are not sure where to start. Here’s a list of the main items that typically occur when purchasing a home.
A visitor stopped by my office the other day to discuss a dream she has. That dream is to one day see a world where everyone who is handicapped and wheelchair-bound will have the freedom of movement to go where others go who take it for granted. […]
The Gold Diggers are a mainstay of the Southern Oregon Historical Society. Doug McGeary says it best, “The Society would not be the same without them! The quality of the programs is owed to these remarkable women.” In April, the Gold Diggers celebrated their 40th year of service, and […]
Before telling you about what the Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery has planned this spring, I would like to thank the volunteers who were able to help with our Community Clean-up of the Cemetery grounds on March 31. Fifteen volunteers filled 82 large trash bags with leaves and made a number of piles of branches […]
Our readers may have noticed that we have an affinity for dogs. This doesn’t mean we automatically adore any movie featuring a canine (some are dogs, and we don’t mean that in a good way), but it does suggest we’ll make the effort to spend an afternoon at a matinee. […]
An art lover will often say to an artist, “If you ever make a print of that painting, I would love to buy it.” Not encouraging words for one who earns their living by creating original works…
The definition of art is “that which evokes an emotion,” and painters do not take this lightly, generously pouring […]
In early 2016, we sent out a survey to 2,600 constituents asking for extensive input from our community. First, we determined how often the respondent attends concerts and for how many years they have been attending. By determining previous involvement, we were able to gauge their familiarity with our […]
Finding Spring on our woodland trails starts simply with a step onto the path that leads away from all things urbane. Here, in our little village nestled in a corner of the valley, we find these paths with little trouble and at every opportunity. So, what’s new on the trails?
Folks have […]
For thousands of years, people of India and Asian countries have known the benefits of drinking water from Copper Vessels because of its many health benefits, especially its antibacterial property. I learned this practice from a teacher who was an Ayurvedic doctor. Ayurveda medicine is an integrative approach to health that […]
Jerry and Nell Mathern have lived in their 5th Street Jacksonville home for 46 years and, in those years, have endeared themselves to many of us who call Jacksonville home. Jerry’s life started in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on June 22, 1939. Jerry’s father tried his hand at a number of […]
The wearing of a hat is as old as civilization. A head covering is worn for protection against all types of weather, ceremonial and religious mandates, modesty, safety, and as a fashion accessory.
Hats were a symbol of social status or class. A Top-hat in the 19th century was worn as […]
There’s a lively and colorful movement growing here in Southern Oregon, and it embodies beauty and environmental stewardship with an intention to reverse pollinator decline.
It’s the Rogue Buzzway project sponsored by Pollinator Project Rogue Valley (PPRV), and you can bee a part of it. The Buzzway is a map of […]
Retaining walls can be functional and also just enhance your landscape. There are many options for style, color, texture, material and cost.
Function and necessity are usually the reasons for the installation of a retaining wall but in many situations retaining walls add depth and character to a sloped or steeply-graded […]
As a real estate broker, I spend a lot of my time looking at homes and conducting research. One of the things I do most often is preparation of a comparative market analysis (CMA), which is a document that helps determine the selling price range of a home […]
Often, we get asked how to increase the value of a home before selling it. Sometimes the answer is simple, and sometimes the answer is more complicated, especially if the seller is interested in investing a little time or money. There are some improvements that increase the value of […]
Cemetery Restoration and Preservation Work—In my March 2018 column, I shared the story of cleaning-out the cabinets in the Sexton’s Tool House and finding various pieces of damaged headstones and monuments, along with a few small headstones. One of the pieces of Margaret Zumwalt’s headstone was happily returned to the Eugene Pioneer Cemetery where it […]
A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L’Engle’s award-winning 1962 novel, is beloved by generations of readers. It is “science fantasy”—too fanciful to be considered science fiction, but brimming with science-y theories on traveling through space without a spaceship. And, as with the most memorable children’s tales, it stresses the power of […]
The artist membership of Art Presence Art Center is now 28 strong. We value them highly for the wonderful diversity of style, variety of technique in their respective mediums, and the unique and individual approach to creating art each artist brings to the gallery and our community.
The Poet’s Palette Continues… Art Presence invites you to […]
Though it was half a century ago, it seems as fresh to me now as the day it happened. I was what they called a Data Processing Manager in those days. One of those fellows who ran all of the business computer systems which included Operations, Systems […]
We aren’t enamored of streaming services.
We don’t object to them. We just haven’t felt the need to sign up for “additional services.” We like network TV—free TV—although we know its future is shaky. So we tried to delay the inevitable…
…At least, until last fall, when we signed up for CBS […]
One question has come up recently that I would like to address. Many patrons are asking, “Is Britt going to announce the 2018 season in thirds?” Logically, since Britt is now announcing the 2018 Season in February, March and April, patrons might assume that it makes sense to break […]
The Poet’s Palette—Art Presence Art Center is delighted with the works of art that have been submitted for our March-April 2018 exhibition, “The Poet’s Palette,” and we’re sure you will be, too! The show opens Friday, March 2, with a reception on Saturday, March 3 from 1:00-3:00pm, running through Sunday, April 29.
Art Gala Featuring Delores […]
So, the rains came. And the creeks rose. Water flowed into the old reservoir and mallards returned, quacking with delight at the prospects of dining in the newly opened establishment. After so many arid days under sweltering skies, here was blessed respite. Now the turtles came forth from their […]
As we approach spring, it is a perfect time for spring-cleaning your body. The less obvious place to start is in your mouth. Specifically, your tongue, which plays a very obscure but important role in your overall well-being. The tongue is perhaps one of the most underrated and neglected organs in […]
When my wife and I moved to Jacksonville six years ago, we met numerous fine Jacksonville citizens and in so doing several names were frequently mentioned; among them were Pete Dahl, Lee Lewis, John Braislin and Jerry Ferronato. Unfortunately, I missed out on the opportunity to meet Pete, Lee and John […]
Kitchen utensils are an everyday item that one rarely spends any time thinking about, until you can’t find the one you are looking for.
Kitchen drawers all over America are over-filled with tools one doesn’t necessarily need. I call these “vanity tools.” Do you really need a pincer to remove a […]
“It standeth north-north-east
and by east from the west corner of thy curious- knotted garden:
there did I see that low-spirited
swain, that base minnow of thy mirth…”
~William Shakespeare’s Love’s Labor’s Lost, Act I, Scene 1
In this scene, the fantastical Spaniard, Don Adriano de Armado, inserts himself into the Bard’s romantic comedy before […]
Clients repeatedly ask me about Zillow. For those who aren’t familiar with Zillow, it’s a website offering an opinion of a home’s value called a “Zestimate” and it is prominently displayed on each property’s listing page.
While that information is helpful for buyers and sellers, Zillow’s Zestimate can be […]
My background in investments had been my 401K and my personal stock portfolio. Thirty five years of my life was spent in the High Tech industry so that became the majority of my stock portfolio. I have seen my high tech stocks double, triple and then crash! It wasn’t […]
Last May, the Southern Oregon Historical Society accepted the donation of Ashland’s “Amphibious Fire Engine” from a Medford family. The engine acquired its curious nickname in the 1948 Ashland flood. As it prepared “to pump out the basement of Weitzel’s department store on the Ashland Plaza, a bridge collapsed […]
A Happy Ending, But the Mystery Remains—In November 2017, volunteer John Mcglothlin and I decided that it was a good time to tackle a long-overdue project and empty the storage cabinets in the Sexton’s Tool House. We knew they had not been touched in years and were aware they contained some decorative pieces such as […]
Dozens of clay tobacco pipes have been recovered by the Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) from archaeological sites in Jacksonville and throughout Southern Oregon. These have included stemmed and reed-stem pipes (with a replaceable stem that is inserted into the shank) that are either plain, decorated, or anthropomorphic shapes. […]
With women today finding their voices and power by sharing their experiences, organizing, marching, demonstrating, and seeking political office, a look at some powerful pioneer women seems in order.
A woman’s role was considerably different in the 19th Century. It was a “man’s world.” But while subject to male dominance, women usually […]
In celebration of the 2018 “Year of the Dog,” the Southern Oregon Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) is proud to present an educational pamphlet on the history of early Jacksonville’s Chinese Community! Archaeological study of Jacksonville’s “Chinese Quarter” revealed there was little information about Jacksonville’s early-day Chinese population. […]
Science now shows us that there is more to a healthy heart than just diet and exercise. A study led by author and cardiologist Ilan Wittstein, M.D showed that, “sudden emotional stress can also result in severe but reversible heart muscle weakness that mimics a classic heart attack.” The challenge is […]
This “Sensational Seniors” article features the engaging personality of Paul Parker, who celebrated his 95th birthday on December 21, 2017. Paul resides in Pioneer Village and is a Jacksonville treasure, and is one of our few surviving World War II veterans. Paul has a story to tell, beginning with his birth […]
Coffee is a beverage which the whole world consumes. Roasting, grinding, and serving are subjects that could be discussed at length, but I want to focus on grinding.
When coffee was introduced as a beverage in the 1200’s by the Arabians, small amounts of beans were roasted at meal times and […]
February is when many people start to wonder if it’s time to put their house up for sale. It’s not a bad idea to start thinking this way, as spring marks the beginning of the busiest home-selling and home-buying season in most areas. With warmer weather, more daylight, […]
Happy New Year! 2017 was a great year for Jackson County real estate. The median sales price for existing single-family residences climbed 10.3 percent last year to $264,700 following a 6.6 percent increase to $239,900 in 2016. The median also surpassed the previous high of $259,000 from before the […]
I’d like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year and thank all who volunteered and contributed to our efforts in 2017.
2017 was another good year for our organization. Despite heat, smoke, and high fire danger, our events and activities were well attended and a lot of work was completed.
Our volunteers donated 141 hours and […]
This year, Hanley Farm will again host the ever-popular Heritage Plant Sale, second Annual Hanley Farm Music Festival, Haunted Fields/Scarecrow Festival, and Living History Days – and this summer, Hanley Farm will be open every weekend, with a variety of new events, including Hanley House tours. So plan to […]
Naked Art—No Mats, No Frames, Big Savings!-—Our fourth annual Naked Art show exhibit continues this month, featuring unmounted, unframed works of fine art at prices that would entice any art lover to become a collector. Take your art finds home when you purchase them. The bonus: you can use the money you’ve saved to frame […]