Medford, Ore., commemorated the 100th anniversary of its federal courthouse in May. Historian Ben Truwe’s keynote speech said that the three-story brick building had been used to house not only the court, but also mail, coal and chicken eggs.
The U.S. Post Office occupied the first floor when the building opened on May 8, 1916. The second floor housed the courtroom and related offices. The building also contained U.S. Forest Service and Crater Lake National Park offices. The post office left in 1966. The U.S. District Court occupies the building today, serving Jackson, Josephine, Curry, Klamath and Lake counties.
Truwe said the postmaster got the patriotic idea of raising chickens during World War I and installed an incubator for 5,000 eggs. Soon, thousands of baby chicks were sharing basement space with the winter coal supply.
During World War II black-out shades hid the windows and a canvas covered the skylight.
The building, named after Oregon District Senior Judge James A. Redden, received a $1.6 million restoration in 1996. Redden was a Medford lawyer and career Democratic politician before being named judge.
The building has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979.
Sources: Boom, Tony. "Century of service." Daily Tidings 9 May 2016 [Ashland, Ore.] : A8. Print; "Federal Building - U.S.Courthouse." National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service - U.S. Department of the Interior, 30 Apr. 1979. Web. 18 May 2016.
