Old Images of Medford, Oregon

Enjoy a glimpse of history through old images of Medford, in Jackson County, Southern Oregon, USA.

The Fruit Industry

In the first part of the twentieth century, the fruit industry was the commercial heart of Medford’s economy.

The railroads helped the fruit travel quickly across the country, helped by the refrigerated storage units and railroad cars.

old photo of Refrigerator railroad car medford oregon 1909

Old Photo of a refrigerator railroad car, taken at Medford in Oregon in 1909 Old photo of the Medford Ice & Storage Co building

Old photo of the Medford Ice & Storage Co building at the railroad tracks

Old photo of the Bardwell Fruit Company Warehouse and Cold Storage Plant, located next to the railroad tracks

Hillcrest Orchard

Hillcrest Orchard is still producing fruit today across more than 200 acres of land, having been first established by Reginald Parsons back in the 1880s. His grandsons Jud and George Parsons, along with their cousin Hugh Brady, now run the estate under the company name Century Farm Fruit Growers.

In 1997 a vineyard was planted on the Hillcrest Orchard estate. The RoxyAnn Winery estate is run by Chad Day, the great grandson of Reginald and Maude Parsons.

But it’s also now a pretty wedding venue, and visitors can stay in historic homes located on the estate.

Old photo of a horse plow at Hillcrest Orchard near Medford, Oregon, taken in 1910

old photo of Hillcrest Orchard near Medford Oregon

Old photo of Hillcrest Orchard, near Medford in Oregon, taken in 1910

Medford’s Streets

The Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of October 1911, showing Medford in Jackson County, Oregon. The roads are mapped out, and the key identifies the buildings Old photo of a Drugstore in Medford Oregon

Old photo of a Drugstore in Medford, Oregon, taken in August 1939

Wartime Food

World War II caused a great disruption to the food distribution system, with German warships and U-boats targeting all allied vessels.

Using local sources to feed the nation and overseas forces was an urgent priority.

old photo of the Medford Relief Cannery Oregon 1940

Old photo of the Medford Relief Cannery, taken in 1940 old photo of a Medford farm labor sign 1944

Old photo of a ‘Farm Labor Wanted’ sign standing in the fields near Medford, Jackson County in 1944. Good wages and no employment fees are offered, and the Farm Labor Office is located at the Chamber of Commerce building on 314 W. Main

The Historic American Buildings Survey

The buildings constructed by crews of Civilian Conservation Corps and Emergency Relief Administration workers at the Medford Service Centre, 1319 McAndrews Road, were visited and photographed as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey.

These local large scale public works undertaken during the Great Depression had a utilitarian approach to the architecture of the buildings, to reduce the cost of each unit. Some of the buildings were later modified in the 1950s and 1960s.

Because two of the five structures in the compound are listed on the National Register, all of the buildings have been included in the Historic American Buildings Survey documentation.