Jacksonville, Oregon, about an hour and half drive north of Mount Shasta, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966. More than 80 individual buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places. It began as a mining camp in 1851 and continued to prosper and grow until it was the center of commerce in southern Oregon and the county seat of Jackson county. Two significant events occurred in 1884: First, the railroad chose a route that took it through the small town of Medford rather than Jacksonville. Second, the handsome new brick county court house was completed. Jacksonville continued as the county seat until 1927 when county government was moved to the then much larger and more prosperous Medford. At the time of course this was seen as a disaster for the town, but in hind sight it was what preserved the Victorian look and feel of the community. No 1860's buildings were torn down to make room for shopping malls or parking lots. Jacksonville looks today much as it did in during the Civil War and many of the historic buildings date from that period.
While tourists visit Jacksonville at all times of the year. There are two special periods: In the summer the Britt Music Festival (named for pioneer and city photographer Peter Britt) draws large numbers of visitors. In December the homes, churches, and business establishments are decorated with greenery, red sashes, and candles as they must have been when Lincoln was president. The city fathers unfurl banners across the main street proclaiming it a Victorian Christmas. Jennie and I decided to make our first visit on December 17, 1999 and were completely taken by this delightful place. Below I've linked some photos that attempt to capture the look and feel of historic Jacksonville.
