It’s History Trivia Tuesday!

Historic Jacksonville shares tidbits from Jacksonville history every Tuesday on our Facebook and Instagram pages. “Like” us on Facebook at Historic Jacksonville (historicjville) or “follow” us on Instagram (historicjacksonville) and enjoy our tales and stories of the people and places that made Jacksonville the major hub of southern Oregon in the late 1800s.  And visit the Southern Oregon Historical Society Library and Archives for access to the historical images included in our posts.

Current wild fires are on everyone’s mind, but fire has been a significant  hazard in Jacksonville since its founding.  Settlers built with the materials at hand, and in Southern Oregon, that material was wood.  Major fires destroyed portions of the town in 1867, 1873, 1874, 1884, and 1888. 

Fire was the impetus for most of the brick construction that now comprises Jacksonville’s historic commercial district.  Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say “fire insurance.”  The City Fathers did not mandate brick commercial buildings until 1878.  However, very early on, insurance companies penalized owners of wooden structures—and buildings adjacent to wooden structures—with higher insurance rates!