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Jackson County, OR
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 Established:
Jan. 12, 1852
Population: 189,100 (2003)
Elev. at Medford: 1,382'
Area: 2,801 sq. mi.
Average Temp.: January 37.6°, July 72.5°
Assessed Value: $12,332,932,674
Real Market Value: $20,017,569,271
Annual Precipitation: 19.84"
Economy: Medical, retail, tourism, agriculture, manufacturing
and forest products.
Incorporated Cities: Ashland | Butte Falls | Central Point |
Eagle Point | Gold Hill | Jacksonville | Medford | Phoenix |
Rogue River | Shady Cove | Talent
Points of Interest: Mt. Ashland Ski Resort, Historic
Jacksonville, Shakespearean Festival, Peter Britt Music
Festival, Southern Oregon University, pear orchards, Howard
Prairie Lake, Emigrant Lake, Hyatt Lake, Fish Lake, Rogue River,
Lithia Park, Lost Creek Dam, Butte Creek Mill, Crater Lake
Highway.
General Information: Named for President Andrew Jackson, Jackson
County was formed in 1852 from Lane County and the unorganized
area south of Douglas and Umpqua Counties. It included lands
which now lie in Coos, Curry, Josephine, Klamath and Lake
Counties. The discovery of gold near Jacksonville in 1852 and
completion of a wagon road, which joined the county with
California to the south and Douglas County to the north, brought
many pioneers.
County Officials: Commissioners—Dave Gilmore (D) 2007, C.W.
Smith (R) 2009, Jack Walker (R) 2007; Dist. Atty. Mark D.
Huddleston (NP) 2009; Assess. Dan Ross (NP) 2009; Clerk Kathy
Beckett (NP) 2007; Justices of the Peace Joe Charter (NP) 2011,
Robert King Jr. (NP) 2009; Sheriff Michael Winters; Surv. Roger
Roberts (NP) 2009; Treas. Gary Cadle; Co. Admin. Susan E. Slack.
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County History |
The Territorial Legislature created Jackson County on
January 12, 1852, from the southwestern portion of Lane County
and the unorganized area south of Douglas and Umpqua Counties.
The county was named after President Andrew Jackson.
Jackson County's borders originally ran south to California,
west to the Pacific Ocean, east to Lane County, and north to
Umpqua and Douglas Counties. Over the years, the boundaries of
the county were changed reflecting the creation of Coos, Curry,
Josephine, Klamath, Lake, and Wasco Counties. Currently, Jackson
County includes 2,801 square miles and its boundaries extend to
California in the south, Josephine County in the west, Douglas
County in the north, and Klamath County in the east.
Modoc, Shasta, Rogue River, and Umpqua Indian tribes lived
within the present boundaries of Jackson County. Moreover, in
the early 1850s, both the Klickitats from the north and the
Deschutes from the south raided and settled the area. Gold
discoveries in the Rogue and Illinois River valleys in the 1850s
and completion of a wagon road connecting the county with
California to the south and Douglas County to the north led to
an influx of non-native settlers. Conflict between the Americans
and Indians led to war in 1856 resulting in hundreds of
casualties and the removal of the Rogue River tribe to the
Siletz Reservation. During the next two years, several small
bands of Indians were transferred to the Grande Ronde
Reservation west of Salem.
Jacksonville was designated as the first county seat in 1853.
However, the city declined due to diminishing returns in the
local goldfields and the construction in the 1880s of the Oregon
and California Railroad, which bypassed the city. Medford,
located five miles east of Jacksonville, benefited from the
location of the railroad and the accompanying commerce and
development. Jacksonville fended off suggestions to move the
county seat until 1927 when Medford was finally selected as the
county seat.
The first county courthouse was a white two story frame
structure built in 1854 in Jacksonville. In 1883 a two-story red
brick building was built and served as the courthouse until the
county government moved to Medford in 1927. A new courthouse was
dedicated in 1932 and continues to house county offices in
Medford. In 1978 the current three-story courthouse was
constructed.
The first county officials were appointed in March, 1853. These
officers included three county commissioners, a county clerk, a
sheriff, a prosecuting attorney, and a treasurer. An assessor
and surveyor were added later.
The voters of Jackson County approved a home rule charter at the
general election, November 7, 1978. The primary organizational
change was a governing body consisting of a board of three
commissioners, which continues to constitute the legislative and
principal policy making agency of the county. The board of
commissioners also oversees the administration of the affairs of
the county. The elected officials included the county
commissioners, the sheriff, the assessor, the treasurer, the
clerk and the surveyor. The treasurer's duties were assumed by
the finance director as a result of a 1999 charter amendment.
Jackson County's 2000 population of 181,269 represented a 23.83%
increase over 1990.
The county's principal industries are lumber, agriculture,
manufacturing, and recreation. Its major points of interest
include the Shakespearean Festival, Historic Jacksonville,
Southern Oregon State College, the Peter Britt Music Festival,
the Rogue River, Lithia Park, and the Crater Lake Highway. |
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