1859 Sept | Oct 2012_opt

Around Oregon road reconsidered
G
238 Special
Oregon’s Highway in Gold Country
ON A RECENT HISTORIC TROLLEY TOUR IN JACKSONVILLE, the conductor melodiously chattered about filigreed
families and their gingerbread homes, resolute people and the allure of gold. It was the gold, after all, that lured a lot of people
to Jacksonville in the 1850s.
Jacksonville sits astride Highway 238 at about milepost 34. Founded after the discovery of gold in 1851, it soon became a
magnet for 49ers who turned north from the precious metal discoveries in California. It wasn’t just Caucasians who came
north, but also Chinese immigrants who moved north from San Francisco. In fact, discoveries in 2004 confirmed Jacksonville
was home to the earliest Chinese settlements in Oregon.
Gold drove the early economy until it waned. The railroad bypassed the young town, adding to its misfortune, and then
fires took their toll. The C.C. Beekman House, however, survived these curses from the 1870s. Cornelius C. Beekman, a pioneer
banker, built it and moved in his family. His is the only clan ever to call it home. It’s said that in the late 1880s, folks knew
this to be one of the fine homes on “millionaires row,” but its frugal architecture belies the owners’ opulence from his success
as a banker. Every so often the Beekman House is used for living history activities put on by the Jacksonville Heritage Society.
Today, Jacksonville has risen from the ashes. The town’s decision to construct its buildings from brick left us a legacy of
early miners that you can see along Highway 238 in Jacksonville today. Those brick buildings make up the bulk of what’s now
a National Historic Landmark. The district includes many wooden structures that still stand within the oversight
of the Jacksonville Fire Department.
by Peter Murphy
ABOVE Applegate River
near Applegate Bridge.
4 1859 oregon's mAgAzine SEPT OCT 2012