Jacksonville History
Jacksonville was founded following discovery of gold deposits in 1851-2. By the Winter of 1852, the rapidly growing Jacksonville had over 2000 residents. With the creation of Jackson county in 1852, Jacksonville became the county seat.
Jacksonville flourished until 1884 when the railroad routed through nearby Medford and bypassed Jacksonville. As mining waned and businesses moved to Medford, Jacksonville assumed its new role as an agricultural center. In 1927 the county seat moved to Medford, dealing Jacksonville yet another blow.
Jacksonville was designated a National Historic District in 1966. The National Register of Historic Places describes Jacksonville:
mid-19th century inland commercial town significant for its magnificent group of surviving unaltered commercial and residential buildings. The town was the principal financial center of southern Oregon until it was bypassed by the railroad.
Today Jacksonville is a popular tourist destination and retirement community.
Oregon Mining Photos
Check out this collection of some of Oregon's best historic mining scenes at A Collection of Oregon Mining Photos.
Oregon Gold
"Where to Find Gold in Oregon" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in Oregon. Read more: Where to Find Gold in Oregon.
