The 2018 Windows in Time lecture series begins its 10th year of making local history come alive! During this time these popular monthly talks, co-sponsored by the Jackson County Library Services and Southern Oregon Historical Society, have provided a pathway into a world that otherwise might well have been forgotten. “There’s no better way to feel a part of our community than by attending these fascinating lectures on our history,” notes Patty Duggan, a regular attendee.
In selecting speakers, the event coordinators seek to find a broad canvas of topics and areas. Committee member and historian Dennis Powers explains, “We try to find those nuggets of interesting subjects that bridge the past to the present, are fresh and original, and delivered by engaging speakers.”
Many of the numerous attendees to the hour-long presentations held at the Medford Branch Library on the first Wednesday of each month and the Ashland Branch Library on the second Wednesday, have been coming for years. “The impact of these talks is so powerful,” says Clayton Gordon,” I wouldn’t miss one.”
The series benefits from remarkable archival collections housed at the Southern Oregon Historical Society, the Jackson County Genealogical Society, and Southern Oregon University’s Hannon Library, all of which have made the Rogue Valley a magnet for historians. These sizeable collections of manuscripts and photographs have made possible over 100 Windows in Time lectures on topics ranging from flu epidemics, standout writers, and national faith healers to gold mining, the Ashland Forensics lab, and heritage trees.
Personalities, also, feature prominently in these presentations. “This region,” notes local historian Larry Mullaly, “has produced an abundance of notable historic figures, some of whom have achieved national prominence.” Among the figures highlighted this coming year are Indian Rights Activist John Beeson, photographer Peter Britt, and the three Charley brothers, prominent Brownsboro ranchers.
Paul Fattig, a retired journalist and author whose paternal grandparents homesteaded in the upper Applegate Valley, has long been a booster of these talks. “Whether your ancestral roots run deep or you just pulled off Interstate 5,” Fattig explains, “Windows In Time is a gold mine for all who treasure regional history. Even after a decade, each new monthly program continues to produce shiny nuggets in the form of fascinating tales about our unique area. We are so fortunate to have this program.”
The complete 2018 schedule is available on-line at SOHS.org and at jcls.org. For more information please call 541-774-6996.
