Saturday, May 9, 2015 is Jacksonville History Saturday! Visitors, residents, historians, and the generally “curious” can learn about Victorian Etiquette in Jacksonville’s pioneer cemetery, go behind the counter of the second oldest bank in the Pacific Northwest, and learn about popular literature and music in the late 1800s when the Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery (FOJHC) and Historic Jacksonville, Inc. bring the history of Jacksonville and Southern Oregon to life through the stories of the pioneers who settled the region following the discovery of gold.
History Saturday begins at 10 a.m. at the Interpretive Center of Jacksonville’s Pioneer Cemetery, located at the end of West E Street (Cemetery Road) with a 90 minute talk and tour on Victorian Etiquette. Talk and tour are free, but donations are encouraged to help support on-going cemetery preservation and restoration work.
Then visitors and residents will have a rare opportunity to visit the interior of Jacksonville’s historic 1863 Beekman Bank. The Beekman Bank, located at the corner of California and North 3rd streets in Jacksonville, is the second oldest bank in the Pacific Northwest. Over $40 million in gold crossed the bank’s counters during Jacksonville’s heyday in the second half of the 19th Century. The bank has been preserved as a museum since Cornelius Beekman closed the doors in 1915.
“For years, people have been peering through the security glass trying to see into this time capsule,” says Carolyn Kingsnorth, President of Historic Jacksonville, Inc. “Now they will be able to actually view bank records, see the gold scales, and inspect the bank’s walk-in safe.”
Thirty minute “behind the counter” tours will begin at 11:15 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 1:15 p.m., and 2:15 p.m. Tours will begin at the bank’s back door. Admission is free, but a suggested $2 donation benefits Jacksonville’s historic preservation.
History Saturday concludes with “Victorian Literature & Music” at Jacksonville’s 1873 Cornelius Beekman House, located at 470 E. California Street. From 12 noon to 4 p.m., costumed docents will offer tours every 20 minutes that explore popular literature and music of the late 1800s as experienced by Jacksonville and the town’s most prominent pioneer family.
“Victorian Era authors produced major literary works that we still enjoy today,” Kingsnorth points out. “Think about Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland; Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield; Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women; Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer. And music saw evolution in classical styles, music hall ditties, the popularity of African-American themes, Sousa marches, and Gilbert and Sullivan operettas like Pirates of Penzance.”
The Jacksonville Friends of the Library will be hosting a book sale on the Beekman House lawn, with proceeds going towards extended hours for the Jacksonville Library. “We’ll be offering a contemporary contrast,” observes Gus Hughbanks, JFOL Treasurer, “and we will have a special selection of vintage titles in keeping with the house tour theme.”
Beekman House Victorian Victorian Literature & Music tour admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and students (6-12). Proceeds benefit Jacksonville historic preservation. Admission to the lawn book sale is free, with proceeds going towards extended hours for the Jacksonville Library.
“Visit the pioneer cemetery, tour the Beekman Bank, hear about local book clubs, libraries, bands, and dances—and have lunch at one of Jacksonville’s great restaurants along the way—it’s a fun way to learn about our history,” says Kingsnorth. “And you’ll be surprised at how relevant history is to today!”
For additional information about Jacksonville History Saturday, contact Historic Jacksonville, Inc., 541-245-3650; info@historicjacksonville.org.