Well, it’s fall in Jacksonville with the return of Meet the Pioneers on the hill overlooking Jacksonville where many of the stories we have featured over the years took place. The program which was first presented in 2006 has shared the rich history of Jacksonville, the Rogue Valley and Southern Oregon in approximately one-hundred and twenty stories wonderfully presented by our Players, a number of whom have been with us from the very beginning. They, along with all our other dedicated volunteers serving as tour guides, ticket sellers, directing traffic, helping to setup and cleanup have made this program a continued success. The program has helped to bring visitors into town during what, at the time, was a very slow season. Since then, more and more activities have made their appearance in the fall and help to keep our local restaurants and shops busy. It has been a team effort, our volunteers, Pioneer Village, the Jacksonville Review, the City and our dedicated audience that have made this program so much fun to present and a rewarding experience for the FOJHC and Jacksonville. Thank you to Whit Parker and Peggy Dover for the special feature article in this month’s Jacksonville Review. I sincerely hope you can attend and support our organization and the work we do and that you enjoy this year’s Meet the Pioneers.

Upcoming Events

THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT! Meet the Pioneers, Friday, October 7 and Saturday, October 8, Tours begin at 4pm—Our first tour will depart at 4pm, then every 15 minutes until the last tour departs at 6:30pm. Each tour takes approximately one hour to complete. Tours will depart from the D Street parking lot and return to that location following the tour. We ask that you arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your scheduled tour time to allow for parking and if necessary to pick up your tickets at our Will-Call desk also located in the D Street parking lot.

Remaining tickets will be available online at friendsjvillecemetery.org or by calling 541-826-9939 or at our Ticket Booth located by the Jacksonville Post Office between the hours of 10am and 1pm. Any unsold tickets will be sold at the event but on a first-come, first-served basis only. As this event normally sells-out we encourage you to purchase tickets early.

Tickets cost $18 for adults, $6 for children 12 and under, $40 for a family of 2 adults and up to 3 children. Cash or checks only please. Checks may be made payable to the Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery or simply FOJHC. All proceeds from the event after expenses go toward ongoing restoration projects in the cemetery as well as educational programs that we offer.

I look forward to welcoming you to the Silent City on the Hill and this year’s Meet the Pioneers.

Community Clean-up Day, Saturday, October 29 9am-12 noon—Join the Friends and community volunteers in a clean-up of the cemetery grounds as we prepare for winter. Bring gloves to wear, leaf rakes, gas/battery operated blowers, pruners and ear and eye protection. Thank you for your consideration.

Featured image: Steve and Mary Ann Carlson sharing the story of Jason and Alpha Hartman at our 2011 program. Photo by Mike Tupper.