“It’s been a great experience.” Lorraine Akin welcomed me inside and began sharing about her great little fashion boutique, Jacksonville Company, located at 155 California Street. As the third woman owner, Lorraine assumed ownership of Jacksonville Company in 1998. Long-time residents may recall it as Jacksonville Shoes. “It’s evolved over the years,” Lorraine said. “Originally it was shoes, but we needed more things.” Now, Jacksonville Company offers high fashion clothing, accessories, designer handbags, and footwear.
I couldn’t help noticing her appreciation for accessories. The right accessories make an outfit stand out from the crowd. They can elevate jeans and a simple tank top to casual chic, perfect for wineries and Britt concerts, or lift an upscale look to a fresh and unique style. Lorraine specializes in a well-known line—Jacksonville Company is the only store in Jackson County to carry Brighton Collectibles.
“We have a lot of Brighton, and that is a very popular product that goes from jewelry, to sunglasses, wallets, handbags, perfume. It’s very large. I think my best selling product is Brighton, for sure. It’s well-known and they have a great reputation. If you travel, you’ll see their stores in every major airport.”
We sat among her elegant offerings to chat and get to know a little bit about the face behind the fashion. I asked Lorraine if owning her own store had been a life-long dream.
“I originally worked in advertising for a couple of newspapers. I lived in Eugene and worked at The Register Guard, and then I worked at The Courier when my husband, Jack, got an engineering job in Grants Pass. Then, my husband opened his own business and I did the bookkeeping. My degree is in business. I did that for him for quite a while, and then I wanted to change. So, this just kind of opened up for me.”
The previous owner was a good friend of hers, who needed to relocate.
“She said, ‘you know, Lorraine, I really think God wants you to have this store.’ And I said well…I don’t think I have the money for that. But I ended up getting a women’s small business loan. It’s how I bought my store, which I hope they still do, because it’s a great way for women to get in if they want to open a small business.”
I asked what drew her to the area.
“I grew up in the Bay Area. I was born in Oakland. And my parents moved us to Vacaville where I went to high school. My childhood sweetheart and I were married, and we lived in California. He died in a hunting/drowning accident. I had three little boys. I didn’t want to stay in anything that looked familiar. And that’s what got me to move to Oregon. I had a girlfriend that lived in Eugene with her husband, and I said, yeah, I just need fresh eyes, fresh ground.”
Hers is an inspiring story of emotional survival coupled with business fortitude. Some may have let the grief swallow them whole and prevent forward motion.
“I’m a Christian, and I really feel like God helped me. Because it was so tragic and so sudden. You’re bare. So, I just did a lot of soul-searching, a lot of what should I do?
“It’s funny when you look back at your life how you see the direction of the Lord but when you’re in it, not so much. Eugene was a good move for me. Two years later, I met my husband, Jack, through a friend and his wife. My friend was a pastor of a little church I went to. They’d known Jack for a long time, so we got married.” Lorraine and Jack have been happily married for 41 years.
Last year’s lockdown forced Lorraine to close the doors for two and a half months during the beginning of their busy season. “On Mother’s Day I thought, I really need to open, and I did. We have very loyal customers that got us through the tough times. A lot of people reached out to me and wanted to buy stuff just to help me survive. And that was invaluable, for morale as well as money. I have many friends I’ve met through just being here. Women are very open, generally.”
Not all her customers are local.
“I have a lot customers from out of town these days, and all of them want to buy in Jacksonville because they think it’s cute and it’s so friendly. We’re a unique little town.”
Visit Lorraine and her associates at Jacksonville Company—“where style meets elegance.”
Editor’s Note: Shortly after this feature was complete, Lorraine made the decision to retire. As such, the store is now listed for sale and ready to pass on to a lucky new owner who’ll carry on the tradition of retail excellence she built.