Medford, Oregon

Long ago, the Rogue River Valley was home to the Shasta, Takilma, and Athabascan Indians. Then gold was discovered in 1851 - and miners thronged to the valley in search of a fortune in nuggets, followed by farmers lured to the valley by the fertile soil and favorable growing conditions.
 
Small towns seemingly sprang up overnight, and as the California-Oregon Stage Road grew dusty with increasing loads of goods and supplies, the communities of Ashland, Talent, Phoenix, Jacksonville, and Central Point grew prosperous as trading centers.
 
It wasn't until 1883 that the Oregon & California Railroad, working south from Portland, reached Southern Oregon. Jacksonville, the county seat at the time, expected to be the next station between Portland and Sacramento. But when the railroad company requested a $25,000 "bonus" for the privilege, Jacksonville refused to pay and the railroad built a station at Middle Ford on Bear Creek. A proposed townsite was plotted at Middle Ford. But railroad engineer David Loring was from Medford, Massachusetts, and he soon shortened the name to Medford. The railroad tracks reached Medford in January 1884. By the end of that year a substantial town had arisen and a school district had been established. Medford was incorporated as a town on February 24, 1885. A board of trustees, forerunner of the current City Council, was formed, and the City's first ordinances were adopted. Medford grew rapidly both in size and importance. By 1896, it had a population of 2,500 and had established itself as a major shipping and railway center.

Since 1955, Medford has operated under the Council-Manager form of government. The Mayor and an eight-member City Council serve as the governing body, appointing and providing direction to a City Manager, who serves as chief administrative officer over eleven City departments.

In its first 119 years, Medford has grown from a small town with unpaved roads to the largest City in Southern Oregon and the seat of Jackson County Government. With a current population of over 80,000, the City continues to grow and flourish. Once primarily dependent on timber and agriculture, Medford is a thriving regional trade center with a growing residential population, expanding medical facilities, growing retail opportunities, expanding economic development, increasing tourism and abundant recreational opportunities.