Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1911-09-01
THE TUFTS AND CROW HOUSES
ARE DESTROYED.
RECENTLY REMODELLED
Interesting History Connected With
Pioneer Days of Southern
Oregon Country.

AT 7;45 Friday evening the grand
old home on Tokay Heights known as
the Tufts place, and owned by r. e.
Kroh, was totally destroyed by fire.
Mr.. Kroh had just finished en-
5ellishing the noted old house, and
1t was handsome throughout all of
its eight big rooms. All walls were
tinted, handsome mission doors in
stalled, waterworks put in from a
bold spring in a nook up the hill from
the home, bath fixtures installed and
otherwise made modern to the min
ute.
How the house caught fire is mys-
terry. Mr.. Kroh. states that no in
flammahle material was in any room,
as he had had the place cleaned up
inside and out. His loss is between
$4,000 and $4,000, with insurance of
$4,000. The insurance was in two
companies, $1,000 each, and Mr..
Kroh states that one of the policies
he is doubtful of ever collecting on,
as the policy was taken cut by the
former owner and has been lost.
A handsome modern home will rise
in place of the old one and Tokay
Heights made still more beautiful,
thus says Mr.. Kroh.
Some History.
The original residence was built by
]. P. Tufts in 1877, and was well
built structure. 1t was not the stage
house proper, but was headquarters
for private travellers and tourists,
also freighters with their teams, trav-
ersing the coast country from the
terminus of the Southern Pacific road
coming from Portland at Roseburg to
points in California.
There have been many post card
pictures made of the original house
and marked General Grants Head
quarters" but this is myth, as Cen
eral Grant was never In this region.
However, many men noted In social
and political life made this home a
stopping place, Mr.. and Mrs. Tufts
dispensing hospitality in true west
ern fashion.
Mr.. Tufts was born in Eastport,
Me-, and moved to Chelsea, Mass. He
settled in this valley in 1851, coming
to the coast by way Of Cape Horn,
landing at San Francisco. There he
bought a pack outfit and horse and
made his way northwerd, stopping at
intervals en- route to work at yarl-
Gus placer mines
Mrs. Tufts was born In England,
and when a child she came with her
parents to America, to the state Of
Illinois, After a short residence in
Illinois her father and mother, Mr..
and Mrs. Thomas Croxton, decided TO
come TO Oregon. In April, 1852,
with II other families, they started
westward, and reached Salem in Oc-
tober of the same year. The party
came with OK teams the entire dis
tance.
The first winter the Croxtons liy-
ed in Salem. In the spring they went
into the Umpqua valley. remained a
short time, then came to this region,
settling on land, a part Of which Is
now IN the city limits of Grants Pass.
This was in 1858.
Mr.. Tufts had been here then al
most two years He met Miss Crox-
ton shortly after her arrival and
happy courtshlp resulted In marriage
in December. 1854. The couple set
tied on a donation claim Of 320 acres
located about two and one-half miles
west OF the present town OF Grants
Pass. The land embraces n part Of
the present A. G. Hood farm. Later
! Mr.. and Mrs Tufts bought 612 acres
| from tract east Of the present city.
the land then being known as the
John X. Jones place. A part Of this
Is now beautiful Tokay Heights, and
on their purchase they built a home