Three years ago, a select group of pioneers, lying in peaceful estate at the Jacksonville Cemetery, roused to enjoy the limelight and tell about their lives. Others have waited patiently for their chance to be heard. Now, a handful of residents from the Silent City on the Hill are free to speak, and believe me, they have plenty to say.

Dirk Siedlecki is President of the Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery, and is thrilled to be hosting the popular living history program, Meet the Pioneers, once again. Local characters are set to play historic ones, complete with authentic scripts and costumes. They will welcome their waiting public among the headstones in the history-rich Jacksonville Cemetery.

This all-volunteer community program is the only fundraiser providing funds for the maintenance and restoration of, and programs offered by the Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery.

Dirk has volunteered his time among the markers for an astounding 22 years. He and his wife Mary have devoted countless hours to promoting an appreciation and respect for the rich history represented there. For sixteen years, except for the last two sacrificed to the viral outbreak, he has revived a small congregation in order to share their stories with the land of the living. This year, nine historical accounts have risen, with eight stops planned. Those chosen are well rested and eager to tell their tales.

I recently visited with Dirk and Mary for a sneak preview of who we’ll visit at this year’s Meet the Pioneers. The first stop is a double vignette.

Marian B. Towne (1880-1966) has agreed to pay a visit. She was the first woman elected to the Oregon legislature in 1914 and a leader in expanding opportunities for Oregon women in the early 20th century. Joining her is Mrs. Eliza Elder Tice, mother of Jacksonville pioneer, John Tice. Eliza agreed to a pre-tour interview. Interviewing a spirit was a first for this writer.

“My son, John Rappelyea Tice, like so many others, heard the stories of gold to be found in the west, and wanted to leave our family in the village of Covington, Indiana to strike out on his own. But before he left us, he made his father and me a promise. It was a promise it took him thirty years to keep.”

Carolyn Embry will put on the aspect of Eliza and reveal John’s promise. Carolyn shared a little of why she chose to participate. “When my husband and I moved just northwest of Jacksonville in 2018, one of the first community events we attended was Meet the Pioneers. We were both completely impressed with the production and the stories, and I knew immediately that I wanted to volunteer in any capacity.”

Two narratives will cover historic events. One portrays Oregon becoming a state in 1859. Pioneer, William Green T’Vault, newspaper editor, speaks for the citizens who grew frustrated because the process was taking so long. Becky Durango, an actress with local theater groups, will represent the state as Lady Oregon. David Rowley, another professional, will take on the role of the robust Colonel T’Vault. David tells why he joined the cast.

“I’m involved with Meet the Pioneers because as an actor, MTP requires me to use a different acting muscle, so to speak. To do the scene around a dozen times per day has its own unique challenges. This is my third time acting in MTP, and I’ve really enjoyed it in the past. This year I’m playing Colonel William Green T’Vault. He is a Southerner who had extreme political views for that time. He was the editor of the Oregon Sentinel. He was very outspoken in his views and a political firebrand of sorts.”

Here’s a brief peek into their narrative.

Lady Oregon: “For a man who fled the South and under suspicion of murder and confesses to being an adulterer, a gambler, a hard drinker with little or no scruples, before havin’ “found religion,” you sure think of a lot of yourself!”

The Colonel: “Well, in my time here the good people of Jackson County sure thought a lot of me. I was elected to the Territorial Legislature and Speaker of the House. I tried to live a different life here.”

“The Grounding of the Queen of the Pacific,” is a story involving the near demise of Jacksonville’s first fire truck. It had been ordered and shipped from back East. After making it successfully to the West Coast, the ship transporting the truck ran aground on a sandbar at Clatsop Spit in Astoria, Oregon. Cargo floated around the floundering ship as they tried to lighten her load. Find out what happened to Engine #1.

The tour includes a few individual stories—“The Great Popularity Contest of 1908” introduces us to 13-year-old Laura Neuber, who responded to a subscription promotion by the local newspaper. Top prize was a 1908 REO Roadster worth $1,150. Laura will be enthusiastically represented by Ashland resident, Ann Wilton. Ann owns the Renaissance Rose costume shop in Ashland and has been a part of MTP nearly every year.

Then there were the Ryans, who proved to be a unique couple of their day. Patrick Ryan and Elizabeth (Lizzie) St. Clair Dill Ryan made names for themselves in a couple of ways. He was an Irish immigrant who fared well through land speculation and real estate. They were also known to sunbathe in the altogether. Here’s a snippet from the script.

Patrick: “Ah, Lizzie, darlin,’ that was an invigoratin’ session of heliotherapy! You just can’t get enough sun on your birthday suit can you?”

Lizzie: “Our 3rd story penthouse is the perfect sunning spot, away from the stares of the town folk who view us as a bit strange.”

Michael Sneary, who played Vance Colvig (Bozo the Clown) three years ago, takes on the role of Patrick Ryan, with Lynn Ransford, a twelve time MTP veteran, as his wife, Lizzie. That one may prove chilly in October, and I have to wonder how their secret became known.

Michael shared about his and Leslee’s beginning with MTP. “Leslee and I moved to Jville in 2017. We wrote the Bozo script, and she suggested I take the role. I enjoyed it, but playing someone other than myself was a challenge, as I played ME as a prof at San Jose State University for 27 years. This MTP does look like great fun. I look forward to it!”

Stories of whimsy and woe are woven through the tour as in present day life.

“The Stationmaster’s Wife,” is the sad account of Alice Berry Kane, who is buried in the Masonic section. Dirk explained. “Her husband was a train guy, worked for the railroad—and had two families. Alice found out about it and that ended that. She had a hard life.”

Dirk contacted the folks at Pioneer Village about providing their shuttle bus as before for trips up and down the hill. “I approached them this year, and they came right back and said, ‘Oh, absolutely! We love doing it.’”

POSTED SEPTEMBER 23, 2022, 3:35 P.M. on FOJHC website: ALL TOURS ARE NOW SOLD OUT! See below for more info.

Tours are scheduled for two days—Friday, October 7 and Saturday, October 8. Shuttles will run every fifteen minutes between the evening hours of 4:00 and 6:30 for maximum groups of 18. Visitors are asked to arrive fifteen minutes prior to their tour time and park in the D Street parking lot, next to the cemetery entrance. The tour is approximately one hour in length, including time for exiting and boarding the bus and eight tour stops. Tickets are $18 for adults and $6 for ages twelve and under. $40 family tickets are available for two adults and up to three children. Tickets are sold by cash or checks only and may be purchased through the Friends of Jacksonville Historic Cemetery website (www.friendsjvillecemetery.org), by phoning 541-826-9939, or at the Friends’ special ticket booth located next to the Post Office and Visitor Information Center on Oregon Street. Hours for ticket booth sales are 10am-1pm.
The ticket booth, which opened on weekends in September will continue selling September 30 and October 1, October 7 and 8, or until the program is sold out. Tickets may be available at the event on a first-come-first-served and space available basis. Wear comfortable walking shoes. There are no mask requirements, but visitors are welcome to wear them.

Dirk talked about the incredible amount of prep work involved. “Needless to say, this is a big event requiring a lot of thought and preparation and involves many volunteers helping before, during and after the event. I kind of think of it as turning our Pioneer Cemetery into an outdoor theater for two afternoons. It really is months of work. Once we decide on the stories, the ball starts rolling and keeps rolling until the last tour group comes down off the hill. Our practice over the years has been to form a research committee in late January or early February to start looking at possible stories to present in October. This year, given Covid and the uncertainty of our being able move forward and present the program, we did not get started until May.”

The process begins by gathering research material, which is then turned into a draft script and the players familiarize themselves with their characters. From there, they arrange for ticket and poster designs, costume fittings, round up volunteers to help direct tours and sell tickets, decide on props, and more.

“This is really an expensive event to put on,” Dirk confided. “Between the printing, costumes, supplies, filling the tank on the shuttle bus, it’s not cheap. But when you look at the price of theater tickets, it’s really a good deal.”

Dirk has come to revere the cemetery and its community over the course of his service. “When I first started volunteering in the cemetery in 2000 when we moved to Southern Oregon, I’d walk the grounds and see all these names on the monuments and headstones, and they really didn’t have any meaning. It was just a name. But now they’re all old friends because I know their names, and I know their stories.”

Come learn about a few of Jacksonville’s mostly silent neighbors and the early slice of Americana they represent. Samples of previous MTP and other cemetery events may be viewed on YouTube. Search on Oregon History Tales, click on the covered wagon, then click videos to view individual selections and past performances, um . . . visitations.

The unique aspect is well worth the price of admission. I mean, when have you wrangled eight or ten specters together to take direction and cooperate in an orderly fashion? I tell you, it’s an evening you don’t want to miss.

POSTED SEPTEMBER 23, 2022, 3:35 P.M. on FOJHC website:

ALL TOURS ARE NOW SOLD OUT

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST AND UNDERSTANDING

Please direct questions with regard to ticket sales and the tours to info@friendsjvillecemetery.org ​or by calling 541 826-9939

http://www.friendsjvillecemetery.org/purchase-tickets—meet-the-pioneers.html