Southern Oregon Historical Society Information

“To make history come alive by collecting, preserving, and sharing the stories and artifacts of our common heritage.” In the past 64 years we have collected and preserved almost a million artifacts and their accompanying stories. And we have shared them with thousands of children and adults who have visited our museums and programs. Our Collection represents the pride and the pain of people who have lived in the Rogue Valley. We have baskets from the Native American tribes who no longer exist. We have letters and journals from the first families who arrived in wagons and on foot. We have the tools they used to dig their gardens, and the clothing they wore when they did it. We have treasures that range from the tiniest of fleas to the fanciest of firetrucks. Our historical properties include a 37-acre Century Farm that still plows the fields with draft horses; the History Center, an art deco revival 1940s "ocean liner" shaped building; and five properties located in Jacksonville and owned by Jackson County: the old Jacksonville Courthouse, the old jail, the Catholic Rectory, the Beekman House, and the Beekman Bank. And, in our Research Library, we have photos of the miners and loggers, socialites and visionaries who believed that Jackson County was worth whatever sacrifices they had made to live here.