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Medford
News: 1896 Below are some news highlights
from Medford's thirteenth year:*
Last
revised October 10, 2009U N D E R C O N S T R U C T I O N Mr.
W. S. Crowell has again become a grandfather, as the following from the
Medford, Oregon Daily Mail
testifies:
"There are four of the Mr. Crowells in this locality--since last
Saturday when another son came to the home of Mr. and Mrs. H. M.
Crowell, at their Mt. Sunset ranch. Here is hoping the young man may
live to good old age and make his life as noble and as well worth
living--to himself and others--as have his parents and grandparents
made theirs."
MEDFORD, Or., May 16.--The Medford
Business College
was gutted by fire tonight. The blaze was started by the overturning of
a lamp in the room of a male student while the young man was arranging
the covers on his bed. The lamp exploded and he had to run for his
life, leaving all of his belongings to the flames. About half of the
furniture in the rooms was saved. The loss exceeds $4000, said to be
fully insured.Democratic Standard, Coshocton, Ohio, January 24, 1896, page 6 Ex-postmaster Howard in his work of taking down and placing to one side the old post office fixtures made the discovery of a curio--Medford's first post office. It is a wooden box twelve inches wide and twenty-two inches high and nine inches deep, and in it are pigeonholes in which was placed both the letters and papers coming through the mails for ALL the inhabitants of the town at that time, which was in 1884. The first registered letter which came to the office was entered upon the register book by Miss Nettie L. Howard, she who is now Mrs. B. S. Webb. This was in April, '84. J. S. Howard was the first postmaster, and it was in '85 that the town was incorporated--and in a cleanup of this week a large ugly-looking knife was unearthed, the same being the weapon with which he defended himself against an attack of Broback, one of the original townsite owners. The attack having been brought upon by Mr. Howard having posted in his store window a telegram from Salem announcing the fact that the incorporation bill had passed the legislature. Broback was opposed to incorporating and Mr. Howard favored it. Mr. Howard states that as now, for the first time in something like twenty years, he is not encumbered by any public office, he will give his attention to mineral surveying and engineering. Medford Mail, February 21, 1896, page 5 Death of Mrs. Hutchinson.
Mrs. D. L. Metsker, of the East End, has received notice of the death
of her only sister, Mrs. F. W. Hutchinson, in Medford, Oregon. Mrs.
Hutchinson, who had been in ill health, went to Oregon two years ago in
hopes of improvement in the climate. Her health was not benefited,
however, and she died after a protracted illness. Mrs. Hutchinson
formerly lived at Denver, Ind., and is well known in Miami and Cass.
She was identified with the Baptist Church all her life and was an
earnest worker. Her remains will be interred in Medford. With her death
Mrs. Metsker is the only survivor of a family of six sisters and one
brother.
Logansport Reporter, Indiana, March 3, 1896, page 3 A Champion Tree Trimmer.
In the Medford, Oregon Daily Mail, we
find the following item, referring a former well-known Coshoctonian:
"Attorney W. S. Crowell is out at his Mt. Sunset ranch this week
assisting his son in tree trimming operations. H. M. Crowell, he who is
the son, is mighty particular who does the browsing 'round among his
trees, and as W. S. quite fits the place the two are accordingly hooked
in team harness each spring--and the reputation of this beautiful and
profitable ranch is preserved."
Democratic Standard, Coshocton, Ohio, March 6, 1896, page 1 MEDFORD COLLEGE BURNED. Fire Started by the Overturning of a Lamp in a Student's Room. The San Francisco Call, May 17, 1896, page 1 KLAMATH FALLS, ORE.--S. Rosenthal has discontinued his clothing and furnishing-goods business here, and his branch in Medford, Ore. "Clothing and Furnishing Notes," The Clothier and Furnisher, November 1896, page 65 BLUFFED THE OFFICERS.
PORTLAND,
Or., Dec. 3.--"Bob" Inman, the outlaw who broke jail at Roseburg about
ten days ago, is still at large. He was heard of in Southern Oregon,
where he is standing off all men sent in pursuit of him. There is no
regular posse following him, but he proves good against any three or
four men attempting his recapture. He has a revolver and plenty of
ammunition, and those acquainted with his desperate character say that
he will explode his last cartridge before surrendering.Inman Coolly Defies Two Men Who Attempt His Arrest. On Tuesday Inman climbed on the southbound freight at a woodpile near Glendale, and taking a position on an oilcar rode as a hobo to Grants Pass, where the trainmen put him off. Fireman Steve Willis recognized him and telegraphed ahead of Medford, warning the officers to be on hand, well armed, when the train arrived there. Inman bought a ticket to Gold Hill, and at the latter place was again put off, but climbed on the oilcar again as the train pulled out of the station. At Medford, when the train arrived, City Marshal Cofer and Constable Woolf, heavily armed, were on hand and covered Inman with their revolvers. Inman paid no attention to the command to throw up his hands, but, jumping to the ground, pistol in hand, declared that if the officers shot he would follow suit. Then he deliberately walked down the track a short distance and turned off through an orchard, striking for the hills. The officers followed for a couple of miles, when Inman finally shouted to them that he was getting tired of their actions, and would hurt someone if they continued to follow him. The Medford officers say they could not have taken Inman without killing him, and they did not care to do that for a paltry $50 reward. The San Francisco Call, December 4, 1896, page 8 *For more complete names of persons identified by initials, see the Index. |
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