A more picturesque place has scarcely ever been my fortune to behold, Jacksonville is nestled in a cove at the foot of the hills in enchanting landscape. (J.F. DAVIS - 1885)
Moderate and unobtrusive, half crowning a low range of hills, half hidden in the edge of the valley, at its southwestern extremity; people wonder why Jacksonville was built in an apparently isolated location, but the story is simple. In the early days the whisper of a marvelously rich gold discovery was heard; it passed from mouth to mouth till it was told across the Siskiyous, in Northern California, and in the settlements of the Willamette.
Soon the silent hills and gulches were touched as if by the wand of an enchanter, and whitened with the tents of thousands of eager hunters; the luxuriant grass and wild flowers that had sheltered the timid deer and antelope, or had yielded only to the stealthy moccasin, were trampled into dust by the heavier feet of the stronger race; the lordly pines and oaks were stricken down; the hills and gulches seamed and scarred by the miner's pick; the town site itself burrowed and honeycombed with drifts and tunnels, and the oppressive silence of nature changed, in a few months, to a scene of restless activity.
Time has healed the ugly scars; nearly every trace of the ephemeral city is gone; but the Jacksonville of today, with its pleasant surroundings, thrift and culture, is the substantial outgrowth of the chaos and social fever engendered by an industrial avalanche, so common in the mining regions. - (A.G. Walling, 1884)
The Role of the Jacksonville Woodlands Association
The Jacksonville Woodlands Association was founded in 1989 by a group of local residents wanting to preserve, in its natural state, the 22 acre Beekman Woods which extends up the hill to your left. Because of strong local and regional support, the JWA soon expanded its mission to include public protection for a band of natural woodlands and hiking trails surrounding Jacksonville.
The Jacksonville Woodlands Historic Natural Park and Trail System is protecting the heritage, and historic landscapes that define our town, thus preserving our quality of life for future generations.
The Beekman Native Plant Garden spread out in front of you is a cooperative project between the Jacksonville Woodlands Association and the City of Jacksonville.
Cornelius, Julia, Benjamin, Carrie
C.C. Beekman arrived in town during the height of the Jacksonville gold rush. In 1853, Cornelius began carrying "express" (gold dust, parcels, and letters) between Jacksonville and surrounding towns. Beekman soon began his own express business and became the Jacksonville agent for WELLS FARGO EXPRESS in 1863, a position he held until 1905. Beekman's express business grew into a banking house as he began buying miners' gold and shipping it to the U.S. Mint. The Beekman Bank (California & Third streets) was the second bank to be established in Oregon. As prosperity smiled upon his business endeavors, "Beek" bought the surrounding 23 acres of forested land and built the fine home, to your right, in about 1873. The property was owned by the Beekman family until 1960, at which time it passed to the University of Oregon.
Jackson County purchased the Beekman House in 1966 and contracted with the Southern Oregon Historical Society to operate the House as a Living History Museum. The Jacksonville Woodlands Association, with the assistance of the City of Jacksonville, purchased the remaining 22 acres of the Beekman Woods in 1990. The Jacksonville Woodlands Association has constructed a one mile loop trail ringing the Beekman Canyon.
The Beekmans enjoyed the bounty of their vegetable garden which was once located in front of you, now occupied by the Beekman Native Plant Arboretum. Cornelius Beekman had a fondness for "new laid eggs and genuine milk". Beekman wrote to his brother, "My cow is giving 5 gallons of milk per day (selling for $1.42 per gallon). And we are living on strawberries, cherries, green peas, green beans, young potatoes, spring chickens, etc. etc. I have sold five dozen eggs at twenty-seven and a half for a dozen. Have plenty left."
Beekman's rules for good living included: "Live temperately, don't gamble or speculate, avoid fast living, save your money, deal honestly, attend to your business, live so that you inspire the respect and esteem of your fellow man."