Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1906-03-30
HISTORICAL SKETCH
OF GRANTS PASS
Interesting Facts OF EaIly Days as
Told by Form.r Editor
OF the Courier.

the Courier in my possession, find
that in August, 1886, the first bridge
across Rogue river at Grants Pass was
completed. The main span was l75
feet, length over all $40 feet; cost,
complete, 1880 1t was built by
state appropriation, the sum given
Josephine county by the state being
SO, 900. The county showed its ap'
probation and honor by returning TO
the state treasurer the remaining $3.50.
Dear old Judge P. p. Prim of Jack
sonville voted in the legislature for
the appropriation and through the
Courier received the thanks Of the
citizens of Grants Pass.
August, 1886, Hon. A. A. Booth
resigned as editor Of the Drain Echo,
taking up his residence in Grants
Pass in the employ of the Sugar Pine
Door and Lumber Co.
Dec. 1886, at public meeting by
special call of II. b. Miller and ). U.
Mitchell, resolution was passed "a
to II favoring the incorporation Of
the town. s. U. Mitchell was elected
chairman and II. L. Benson secretary.
On motion the chair appointed the
following committee to frame the first
charter for Grants Pass: H.B. Miller,
Sam White, the attorney, Fl. l.. Ben
son, W. j. Winner and Chas. X.
CLanslor, county clerk. On motion
of MIR. Miller, S. U. Mitchell was
made chairman of the committee.
The incorporation bill was bitterly
fought in the legislature by some of
our best citizens. Messrs. Sol Abra-
ham Of Roseburg, Jonathan Bourne OF
Portland, Davis Brow'r and George
W. Riddle were prominent men op-
posed. Several petitions were sent to
Salem against it bat it passed and re-
came law with but few dissenting
votes The bone Of contention was
the water bond clause. Many suppos-
ed that the charter if adopted would
carry with il bonded Indebtedness
OF $40, 600. The committee was di-
vided on that issue; three were in
favor of framing the charter so that
il would carry the bonded indebted
ness while three were opposed to 1t.
Davis Brewer refused to attend the
open meetings Of the committee and
yet openly declared that the ch rteI
as framed would fasten this debt upon
the people. He prepared long article
for publication in the Courier il
which he denounced the charter com
mittee as corrupt and betraying th'
trust reposed in it. When l refused il
, space because of its language ant
falsehoods contained he went abon
I and said that the Courier had refused
their side hearing. The Couriei
demanded that the town be incor
porated and cleaned up; the dsngerou
stove pipes, of which there wer,
8 about two dozen in the block bounde,
Il by Front and II and Fifth and Sixtl
streets, removed and the hogs penne,
up.
On March I, 1887, the charte
election was held. 1t was perhap
the bitterest election fight the cit.
has ever had. Every voter and vot
y. were watched and counted as the.
~ passed their ballots in at the cour
house window. The vote stood 10
for and 10 against; whole number o
votes cast 1871. The ayes were YER
jubilant, some OF whom made quite
demonstration that night Those or
posed were resigned to their fate an
soon heartily took up with the ne'
order of things.
The larger portion of all this strif
was caused by Davis Brewer. At firs
he was strongly in favor Of incorpoi
alton but later opposed ii and denie
y that he ever did favor it, At one {
our public meetings +, W Va
= Dyke, with that frank courage S
natural to him, arose aud sddrassin
the chairman stated that Mr.. Browt
had been very outspoken in favor {
,r Incorporation and that he had Z
stated TO several Of our citizens NJ
Brewer jumped to his feet and denie
l., the assertion as false aud demanded tn,
the Mr., Van Dyke produce the person
who ever heard him say 80. At tn
= juucture Mr. Van Dyke oooly turne
TO the audinece and pointing ou
named half dozen prominent me
present TO whom Mr.. Brewer had
N expressed himself Some OF the,
: gentlemen were opposed to incorpo
action but all OF them gave evidon,
by their silence that Mr.. Brewer hs
c. so stated 10 them. This blow NJ
Van Dyke lowered the prestige OF Il
NJ shifty Brewer several degrees. I'll
:. Courier in its remarks upon the resu
OF the incorporate election, rvers,
his name saying IL was his ward {,
his valiant services which made hi
n very mad. Immediately after inoo