Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1906-02-23
HISTORICAL SKETCH
OF GRANTS PASS
Interesting Facts of Early Days as
Told by a Formsr Editor
of the Courier.

In 1888 tine ". & ". IL. IL. 20. De-
gan to build rapidly from Roseburg to
Ashland. and and late in that year or
very early in 'S4 1T arrived at Grants
Pass and located the present townsite,
which is one mile south Of the old
overland stage station of that name
kept SO long by the late Eb Dimick
and where J. @. Campbell conducted
a stock of general merchandise.
The first glimpse I got of the town
was in May. 'S4, on my way from
Portland in the company of a young
lady cousin. We got off there at 10 a.
m. for breakfast, the train having
been delayed several hours in the
Cow creek canyon by caved-in tun-
mel. There was an apology for a
hotel where the old Commercial after
ward stood. At that time the block
bounded by Fifth and Sixth, Front
and H streets was covered with
houses, cheaply built. tents and tall
swinging bull pine trees. The land
lady had bread on the table which no
human being could eat if he was
where he could run from it. We were
fearfully hungry but we could not eat
this petrified mummy. So after eat
ing a dollars worth of other food
/ asked the waiter If she wouldn t
please take that bread away and get
some that was better; she blushed and
said she would do her best. She went
out the back door, which was in plain
sight, and went among those tents and
trees to borrow bread In 10 minutes
she came back with the same bread
saying it was impossible to do better,
but that as soon as they could bake
she would have some good bread
The rickety railroad from Roseburg
to Grants Pass was built upon stills
and was sight to look upon. l
imagined that the little engines and
cars looked tired and was half tempted
to suggest that we let them rest while
the landlady baked the promised bread.
There being no conveyance from
Giants Pass to Waldo we were COM
PEELED to 90 TO Waldo via Medford and
Jacksonville.
Soon the town began to grow and
among the pioneers we're Campbell q
Tufts, George W. Riddle and ]. W.
Howard, general merchandise. Mr..
Howard being first. Mrs. @. M.
Stone, drugs. came early also. Mrs.
Mcknight millinery; Pigney & Cook,
blacksmiths; G. Davis, shoe and boot
repairing; Geo. Gliessman, bakery ;
James Jordan, Commercial hotel; j.
r. Jennings, Pioneer hotel; O. l..
Gray and NJ. V. Loving, jewellers; ].
M. Chiles and ]. b. Marshall & Son,
grocers; Edwin Smith, A. ]. Sedge
and G. O. Farr, house builders, Geo.
W. Merrill, real estate; Robert Przy,
barber; Green & Son, gunsmiths ;
j. B. Hutch and L. l.. Jennings.
saloons; Spears & Treasure, j. S.
Flannary and j. B. Schaffer,
painters; Volney Colvig and G. X.
Chanslor, notaries Soloman q Ahlf,
butchers; Sam White, S. U. Mitchell
and Davis Brewer. attorneys at law
d. W. Keith, ferry; o. Fl. Starr,
timer; G. W. Beacon, dentist; Hott
& Hardin, brick burners; Drs. W. f.
Kremer and f. W. Van DYKE, whose
card in the Courier says German
and English spoken" DR.. W. II.
Flanagan was also here early. L. S.
Smith, livery stable; @. +. Messerve,
meat market.
For the year ending December 81,
's6, the Courier summary shows the
erection Of 60 residences and four i'm
movements; 33 business structures,
which includes Rogue River bridge
costing complete s975O; S. P. D. &
L. Co. IS factory, ss2, 500; County Jail.