Jacksonville, Oregon
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Jacksonville is a city located in Jackson County, Oregon. The city was named for Jackson Creek, which runs through the community and was one of the first placer gold claims. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 2,235.
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History
Jacksonville was founded following discovery of gold deposits in 1851-2. With the creation of Jackson County, it became the county seat, which was transferred to Medford in 1927.
The first Chinatown in Oregon was founded in Jacksonville by immigrants from San Francisco. Evidence of this otherwise forgotten chapter of history was uncovered early in March, 2004 when road work uncovered artifacts dating to the 1850s and 1860s. Construction was halted while archeologists performed four days of rescue excavations. Their findings included broken Chinese bowls and tea cups, handmade bottles, and fragments of opium paraphernalia and Chinese coins.
When the gold deposits were worked out, and the railway bypassed Jacksonville in 1884, the city's economy slowed. This had the unintended benefit of preserving a number of 19th century structures, which led to Jacksonville being designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966, covering over 100 buildings.
Jacksonville is noted locally for the visit of Rutherford B. Hayes and his wife "Lemonade" Lucy Hayes, who visited the area in 1880, staying the night in JacksonvilleTemplate:Ref. One hundred twenty four years later, during the 2004 Presidential campaign, George W. Bush and his wife Laura Bush also stayed the night at the Jacksonville Inn.Template:Ref
Institutions and cultural events
Jacksonville is home to the Britt Festival, a seasonal music festival taking place at an open-air amphitheater. The site was selected in 1963 because of the acoustic qualities of the surrounding hills. The popular concert series draws national pop, country, alternative and contemporary music acts. It is named after Peter Britt, a pioneer and owner of the land now used for Britt Park.
Geography
ORMap-doton-Jacksonville.png
Location of Jacksonville, Oregon
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.7 km² (1.8 mi²). 4.7 km² (1.8 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 2,235 people, 1,034 households, and 661 families residing in the city. The population density is 474.1/km² (1,230.7/mi²). There are 1,102 housing units at an average density of 233.8/km² (606.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 96.11% White, 0.31% African American, 0.72% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 2.10% from two or more races. 2.46% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 1,034 households out of which 22.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% are married couples living together, 7.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% are non-families. 30.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 18.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.15 and the average family size is 2.68.
In the city the population is spread out with 18.9% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 20.1% from 25 to 44, 32.0% from 45 to 64, and 24.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 48 years. For every 100 females there are 84.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 78.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $41,250, and the median income for a family is $57,333. Males have a median income of $42,917 versus $28,661 for females. The per capita income for the city is $28,152. 6.6% of the population and 5.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 5.8% of those under the age of 18 and 8.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Points of interest
External links
- Jacksonville, Oregon Web Site (http://www.jacksonvilleoregon.org/)
- Britt Festival (http://www.brittfest.org/)
References
- Template:Note Template:Book reference
- Template:Note KPTV story covering hotel stays (http://www.kptv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3155404)