In 1952, Jacksonville, Ore., celebrated a Gold Rush Jubilee to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of gold in the town.
The town distributed a pamphlet that provided a brief history of Jacksonville and the Rogue River Valley.
The two-day celebration, held on the second and third days of August, offered a parade that awarded a prize to the most authentic 100-year-old costume for a man, woman or child, treasure hunts for real gold buried at strategic locations, and a burro derby recognizing the importance of the pack animal to miners. It also featured harness races and a contest involving the securing of a load on a burro with diamond-hitch lashing. Other activities included archery and pistol contests, log bucking, an Old Fiddlers’ Contest, barbershop quartets, old songs played on a museum organ and evening dances. An art exhibit celebrated the works of photographer/artist Peter Britt and other Southern Oregon artists.
The town invited everyone to enjoy Old West activities from 100 years ago.
The Jacksonville Miner newspaper declared, “Yes, Sir! A Gold Rush Jubilee is a ‘natural’ in Jacksonville.”
Sources: Your Invitation to Historical Jacksonville and the Rogue River Valley. 1952, pp. 1-37; "Jacksonville, Oregon." Wikipedia, Wikipedia, 14 June 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacksonville,_Oregon. Accessed 23 June 2017.
