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 Medford
is located on Interstate 5, just 27 miles north of the
California-Oregon border. It is about 26 miles south of
Grants Pass. Medford is situated in the heart of Southern
Oregon's beautiful Rogue River Valley. Pear orchards bloom
profusely in the spring, surrounded by snow-capped peaks
still white with the last snows of winter. The summers are
very warm and fall colors are beautiful.
Few places in Oregon combine scenic beauty, outdoor
recreation, historical, and cultural attractions more
successfully than Southern Oregon. The best way to see it
all is to visit Medford. Medford, the county seat of Jackson
County, is the industrial, retail, and professional center
of Southern Oregon and Northern California.
Years ago the Rogue River Valley was home to the Shasta,
Takilma, and Athabascan Indians. Then gold was discovered in
1852 - and miners thronged to the valley in search of a
fortune in nuggets, followed by farmers lured to the valley
by the fertile soil and favorable growing conditions. Small
towns seemingly sprang up overnight, and as the
California-Oregon Stage Road grew dusty with increasing
loads of goods and supplies, the communities of Ashland,
Talent, Phoenix, Jacksonville, and Central Point grew
prosperous as trading centers.
It wasn't until 1883 that the Oregon & California Railroad
reached Southern Oregon. Jacksonville, the county seat at
the time, expected to be the next station between Portland
and Sacramento. But when the railroad company requested a
$25,000 "bonus" for the privilege, Jacksonville refused to
pay and the railroad built a station at Middle Ford on Bear
Creek. A proposed town site was plotted at Middle Ford and
the name was shortened to Medford. Medford grew rapidly both
in size and importance. By 1896, it had a population of
2,500 and had established itself as a major shipping and
railway center.
Today, Medford, with a population of nearly 80,000, is still
the business, commercial, and professional center of Jackson
County. Visitors and residents can enjoy the changing of the
four seasons and overall mild climate. Elevation is 1380
feet above sea level; rainfall average is 19 inches;
temperatures vary from average lows of 31-41° to average
highs of 88-100°. The timber industry, agriculture, and
tourism are basic to the economy.
 Table
Rock (shown right) is located near central Point area.
Other nearby cities in Jackson County include Jacksonville,
Ashland, Talent, Phoenix, White City, Eagle Point, Gold
Hill, Rogue River and others. Josephine County includes:
Grants Pass, Merlin, Hugo, Sunny Valley, Wolf Creek, and others. Illinois Valley area includes: Selma, Cave
Junction, Wonder and others.
Southern Oregon, with its warm summers and mild climate is
an excellent place to garden. The Rogue Valley is still
known as "pear country," and you can see trees from the old
orchards around town. The climate is also conducive to
growing grapes, and there are local wineries. Southern
Oregon is known for its mild climate. Average annual maximum
temperature is 68.0, annual minimum 40.9. Average annual
precipitation is 29.5 inches. Snowfall is minimal - 2.3
inches per year and in many years is non-existent. Ashland
offers a ski resort in the winter, and there are three other
distinctive seasons.
Southern Oregon abounds with modern campgrounds and RV
facilities, many with boat ramps and riverside campsites and has an extensive system of parks, and many
of these are on the Rogue River. As far as overnight
accommodations, you will find everything from motels to
elegant bed and breakfast inns.
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Grants Pass is located in southern Oregon about 60
miles north of the California border. It is a town filled
with beauty, history and scenic attractions. Downtown Grants
Pass recently earned the distinction of a National Historic
District because of its historic buildings and homes.
