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63-747: The Craterian Theater at the Collier Center for the Performing Arts is a state-of-the-art performing arts center located in Medford , Oregon . While the theater has a seating capacity of 732, the theater will frequently hold large, national concerts, dance, and theatrical tours. The Craterian Theater facility is also used for community performances, rehearsals, classes, conferences, receptions, and more. The Theater holds many different types of performances including Broadway tours, traveling musicians, and local performances for organizations such as

126-541: A girl scout day camp before seeing private ownership again for a few years. Concerns about pollution in the Bear Creek received media attention in 1963 and the city purchased more property. In 1988, a playground designed by Robert Leathers of New York was built. The Commons is a public park built in the city's historic downtown district adjacent to the Lithia Motors headquarters building. It has been used as

189-441: A quorum . Oregon Ballot Measure 113 was passed in 2022 to disqualify senators with ten unexcused absences from serving in the legislature following their current term, largely in response to a series of walkouts by Republican senators. In the interim between legislative sessions, special study groups made up of state legislators with interests or expertise in the specific study areas investigate issues that will be addressed during

252-437: A 1,740-acre (2.72 sq mi; 7.0 km ) protected area called Prescott Park. The land was set aside in the 1930s and named in honor of George J. Prescott, a police officer killed in the line of duty in 1933. The most commonly used trail on Roxy Ann Peak, part of Prescott Park, climbs about 950 feet (290 m) from the beginning of the footpath at the second gate to a height of about 3,547 feet (1,081 m). The trail

315-524: A Phase 1 completion date of 2012. Medford is located approximately 27 miles (43 km) north of the northern border of California . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 25.74 square miles (66.67 km ), of which 25.73 square miles (66.64 km ) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km ) is water. Medford is situated in the remains of ancient volcanic flow areas as demonstrated by

378-399: A constitutional amendment allowing the legislature to call itself into session. In either case, special sessions are permitted only "in the event of an emergency." Voters narrowly defeated a constitutional amendment in 1990 that would have established annual sessions. In 1982 a special session lasted 37 days, and the governor called the assembly into special session five times in 2002, for

441-477: A day or two where the high stays at or below freezing; the average window for freezing temperatures is October 23 through April 23. The city is located in USDA hardiness zone 8. Medford also experiences temperature inversions in the winter which during its lumber mill days produced fog so thick that visibility could be reduced to less than five feet (1.5 m). These inversions can last for weeks; some suggest this

504-463: A merchant and surveyor, claimed to have built the town's first building in January 1884, though blacksmith Emil Piel was advertising for business at the "central depot" in the middle of December 1883. Others point out the farms of town founders Iradell Judson Phipps and Charles Wesley Broback, which were present before the town was platted. Regardless, on February 6, 1884 (less than a month after it

567-446: A new library building to replace the historic Medford Carnegie Library and now boasts satellite campuses for both Rogue Community College and Southern Oregon University . Economic problems in 2008 and 2009 put a hold on The Commons project, a collaboration between the city of Medford and Lithia Motors . The project, one of the largest undertaken in downtown in recent years, aims to provide more parking, recreation, and commerce to

630-471: A seven-building campus spanning five blocks in downtown Medford. Nearby Ashland-based Southern Oregon University collaborated with Rogue in 2007 on the construction of an eighth building which will offer third- and fourth-year courses to students. Pacific Bible College , formerly named Dove Bible Institute, was founded in Medford in 1989. Until 2023, the principal newspaper of Medford and Jackson County

693-822: A short-season single-A minor league baseball affiliate of the Oakland Athletics who played at historic Miles Field from 1979 to 1999 before relocating to Vancouver , British Columbia. Medford also hosted a professional indoor football team from the National Indoor Football League known as the Southern Oregon Heat in 2001. They played in the Compton Arena at the Jackson County Expo Park. Medford's Lava Lanes bowling alley previously hosted

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756-457: A special boon for area agriculture. Of the more than two million pounds of marijuana grown in the state each year, $ 2 million a month is sold from Medford area retailers. Lithia Motors , a Fortune 500 company and the 4th largest auto retailer in the U.S., has been headquartered in Medford since 1970 and was started in Ashland in 1946, named for a nearby springs. Other companies located in

819-456: A total of 52 days. The 2006 special session was the shortest in Oregon's history: five pieces of legislation were passed in only six hours. The legislative body may also call itself into special session "in the event of an emergency," although it has never done so. The legislature's regular sessions were every two years until 2009. The legislative session in 2010 that referred Measure 71 to voters

882-430: A venue for community activities. It was completed in 2012. One of Medford's most prominent landmarks, Roxy Ann Peak is a 30-million-year-old mountain located on the east side of the city. Its summit is 3,576 feet (1,090 m) above sea level. It was named for Roxy Ann Bowen, an early settler who lived in its foothills. A significant area of Roxy Ann Peak (including the summit) is enclosed in Medford's largest park,

945-548: A week (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays), the first of which was published on February 18, the new paper was initially named the Rogue Valley Tribune . The owners of the former paper objected to the use of "Tribune" in the name, and on March 1, 2023, EO Media Group changed the newspaper's name to the Rogue Valley Times , in order to avoid a potential legal fight. David Smigelski, a former editor at

1008-568: Is 33.2 °F (18.4 °C). As of the census of 2010, there were 74,907 people, 30,079 households, and 19,072 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,911.3 inhabitants per square mile (1,124.1/km ). There were 32,430 housing units at an average density of 1,260.4 per square mile (486.6/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 86.0% White , 1.5% Asian , 1.2% Native American , 0.9% African American , 0.5% Pacific Islander , 6.0% from other races , and 3.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.8% of

1071-643: Is Randy Sparacino. He was elected in November 2020. The longest serving mayor was Gary Hale Wheeler. He was first elected mayor in November 2004 with 16,653 of 28,195 votes (59%), reelected in 2008 with 21,651 of 22,211 votes (97.5%), reelected again in 2012 with about 97 percent of the votes, and reelected again in 2016 with about 56 percent of the votes for a term ending in December 2020. Notable previous mayors include Jerry Lausmann (1986–1998), and Al Densmore (1977–1983). The city manager position

1134-567: Is about 3.4 miles (5.5 km) one-way, and provides a panoramic view of the Rogue Valley. Medford has a council-manager style of government. The governing body of Medford consists of an elected mayor and eight city council members, two from each of four wards. The council hires a professional city manager to run the day-to-day operations of the city including the hiring of city staff. The mayor and council members are not paid, but are reimbursed for expenses. The current mayor of Medford

1197-402: Is because the metropolitan area has one of the lowest average wind speeds of all American metropolitan areas. The heavy fog returns nearly every winter with the inversions lowering air quality for several months without relief. Medford residents experience snowfall during the winter that, due to the weather shadow effect, averages 3.4 inches (8.6 cm) and melts fairly quickly. In the past,

1260-664: Is compensated accordingly. Legislators are paid $ 33,852 per year. Presiding officers (the Speaker of the House and Senate President) are compensated double, $ 67,704 per year. While in session, legislators also receive a $ 151 per diem. In the 2022 Regular Session, at the request of the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO) and Family Forward Oregon, a SB1566 was introduced to increase legislators pay. SB 1566 establishes an annual salary for members of

1323-584: Is considerably warmer, both in summer and winter, than its latitude would suggest, with a Mediterranean climate ( Köppen : Csa ). Summers are akin to Eastern Oregon, and winters resemble the coast. Here, summer sees an average of 61 afternoons over 90 °F (32.2 °C) and 11 afternoons over 100 °F (37.8 °C). In August 1981, the high temperature reached over 110 °F (43.3 °C) for four consecutive days, with two days reaching 114 °F (45.6 °C). Freezing temperatures occur on 64 mornings during an average year, and in some years there may be

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1386-421: Is held by Brian Sjothun, the former Medford Parks and Recreation Director. Medford is served by Medford School District 549C and has two main high schools and two alternative high schools : South Medford High School , North Medford High School , Central Medford High School , and Medford Innovation Academy respectively. In addition to the two public high schools, Medford has several private high schools. Two of

1449-535: The 2020 United States Census on April 1, 2020, the city had a total population of 85,824, making it the eighth-most populous city in Oregon , and a metropolitan area population of 223,259, making the Medford MSA the fourth largest metro area in Oregon. The city was named in 1883 by David Loring, civil engineer and right-of-way agent for the Oregon and California Railroad , after Medford, Massachusetts , which

1512-630: The Mail Tribune , was hired as managing editor of the Rogue Valley Times . In addition to having several athletes who were famous natives or residents of the city, Medford has played host to several professional sports teams since 1948. It was the home city for several professional baseball teams, most notably the Medford A's , later known as the Southern Oregon Timberjacks , of the Northwest League . They were

1575-485: The Medford Carnegie Library , it was later renamed for Medford's sister city , Alba, Italy . The park contains a gazebo , a statue of a boy with two dogs surrounded by a fountain pool, and a Japanese gun from World War II. At nearly 100 acres (0.40 km ), this south Medford park is the second largest in the city ( Prescott Park is the largest at 1,740 acres). Bear Creek Park is bordered on

1638-490: The Oregon State Senate article.) Senate districts contain about 127,700 people, and are redrawn every ten years. The legislature is termed as a "citizens' assembly" (meaning that most legislators have other jobs). Since 1885, its regular sessions of up to 160 days occurred in odd-numbered years, beginning on the second Monday in January. Effective 2012, the legislature moved into an annual session, with

1701-582: The PBA 's Medford Open every January, which aired on ESPN; the last Open took place in 2009. Medford is the home of a Junior A hockey team, the Southern Oregon Spartans , who play their home games at The RRRink in south Medford. Oregon Legislative Assembly The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon . The Legislative Assembly is bicameral , consisting of an upper and lower house :

1764-596: The Senate , whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the House of Representatives , with 60 members elected to two-year terms. There are no term limits for either house in the Legislative Assembly. Each Senate district is composed of exactly two House districts: Senate District 1 contains House Districts 1 and 2, SD 2 contains HD 3 and HD 4, and so on. (Maps of Senate districts can be found in

1827-681: The Upper and Lower Table Rock lava formations and nearby Mount McLoughlin and Crater Lake , which is the remains of Mount Mazama . Medford sits in a rain shadow between the Cascade Range and Siskiyou Mountains called the Rogue Valley. As such, most of the rain associated with the Pacific Northwest (and Oregon in particular) skips Medford, making it drier and sunnier than the Willamette Valley . Medford's climate

1890-522: The 1960s, Medford had a reputation as a sundown town where African Americans and other nonwhites were not allowed to live or stay at night. In 1967, Interstate 5 was completed immediately adjacent to downtown Medford to replace the Oregon Pacific Highway . It has been blamed for the decline of small businesses in downtown Medford since its completion, but nevertheless remains an important route for commuters wishing to travel across

1953-491: The 2000s. In 2009, Medford experienced increased methamphetamine use, which was believed to have contributed to property crimes, including identity theft. Medford's economy is driven primarily by the health care industry. The two major medical centers in the city, Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center and Providence Medford Medical Center , employ over 2,000 people. As Medford is also a retirement destination, assisted living and senior services have become an important part of

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2016-459: The 2011 session. The first 35 regular sessions (i.e. until 1929) lasted 50 days or less. Since 1949 no annual session was shorter than 100 days. The longest session was the 72nd regular session, at 227 days, ending August 27, 2003. More recent sessions ended in June or July. The Governor of Oregon was the only person who could call the assembly into special sessions until 1976, when voters approved

2079-406: The 20th century was a transitional period for the area. Medford built a new steel bridge over Bear Creek to replace an earlier one which washed away three years before. Without a bridge, those wanting to cross had to ford the stream, typically using a horse-drawn wagon; the first automobile did not arrive in Medford until 1903. Pharmacist George H. Haskins had opened a drugstore just after the town

2142-562: The Commons. Medford is the birthplace of Bear Creek Corporation, known around the world for its fruit-laden gift baskets, especially locally grown pears. Tours of the plant are open to the public. The annual Pear Blossom Run ends across the street from Alba Park at the Medford city hall , with an all-day fair conducted in the park itself. The cemetery, established in 1890, lies on 20 acres (8.1 ha) just north of Bear Creek Park. The Parks and Recreation Department offers free tours of

2205-514: The Legislative Assembly equal to the annual occupational mean wage estimate for Oregon in the prior year, as determined by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Oregon Employment Department. And it directs the salary to be adjusted to conform to the mean only once every two years. It also authorizes a child care allowance for members who have children or dependents under the age of 13. Sen. Floyd Prozanski (D-Eugene) said at

2268-688: The Rogue Valley Symphony and the Rogue Valley Chorale. The Craterian Theater also has two theater companies that it has adopted including Teen Musical Theater of Oregon and Next Stage Repertory Company . In 1923, the Page Theater burned down after ten years of performances. At the time there were no other theaters in Medford with a large capacity, so in 1924 business owner Jeremiah Henry Cooley and attorney Porter Joseph Neff collaborated to construct one. The building

2331-542: The Senate Rules Committee. In light of this, three veteran House Democrats jointly announced they would not seek reelection because of the apparent failure of SB1566. The three state representatives, Karin Power , Rachel Prusak and Anna Williams , said they could not afford to work full time for part-time pay. “We are a lawyer, nurse practitioner, and social worker,” the three said in a statement. “Seeing

2394-539: The area. Before the work stopped, the Greyhound Bus depot was moved and $ 850,000 was spent replacing water lines. The Commons is anchored by the new corporate headquarters of Lithia Motors. Included in The Commons are two public park blocks slated to be informal public gathering areas as well as an area for special events such as the farmer's market. Ground breaking for the project was April 22, 2011, with

2457-488: The cemetery. The Medford Carnegie Library is a two-story library building located in downtown Medford. It was erected in 1911 thanks to a gift from Andrew Carnegie , but was vacated in 2004 after a new library building was constructed near the Rogue Community College extension campus, also in downtown Medford. Currently, a nonprofit, The Children's Museum of Southern Oregon (formerly Kidtime), occupies

2520-608: The city has seen seasonal snowfall totals reach 31 inches (79 cm) in 1955–1956. That season was also the wettest "rain year" with a total of 33.41 inches (848.6 mm); this immediately followed the driest "rain year" since records started in 1911 from July 1954 to June 1955 when only 9.28 inches (235.7 mm) was recorded. By far the wettest month has been December 1964 with 12.72 inches (323.1 mm); no other month has had more than 10 inches (254 mm). The wettest day on record has been December 2, 1962, with 3.30 inches (83.8 mm). The lowest recorded temperature in Medford

2583-477: The city include Benchmark Maps , Falcon Northwest , Pacific International Enterprises , and Tucker Sno-Cat . Medford and the surrounding area is home to the expanding Oregon wine industry, which includes the Rogue Valley AVA . The city's historic downtown has undergone an economic recovery in recent years, using a combination of public funds and private investment. The revitalization effort led to

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2646-456: The city. In fact, a study completed in 1999 found that 45% of vehicles entering I-5 from north Medford heading south exited in south Medford, just three miles (5 km) away. The high volume of traffic on Interstate 5 led to the completion of a new north Medford interchange in 2006. The project, which cost about $ 36 million, improved traffic flow between I-5 and Crater Lake Highway . Further traffic problems identified in south Medford prompted

2709-773: The construction of another new interchange, costing $ 72 million. The project began in 2006 and was completed in 2010. Since the 1990s, Medford has dedicated an appreciable amount of resources to urban renewal in an attempt to revitalize the downtown area. Several old buildings have been restored, including the Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater and the Prohibition era Cooley-Neff Warehouse, now operating as Pallet Wine Company, an urban winery. Streets have been realigned, new sidewalks, traffic signals, and bicycle lanes were installed, and two new parking garages have been built. Downtown Medford also received

2772-580: The economy. In the past, Medford's economy was fueled by agriculture (pears, peaches, viticulture grapes) and timber products. The largest direct marketer of fruits and food gifts in the United States, Harry and David Operations Corp. , is based in Medford. It is the largest employer in Southern Oregon, with 1,700 year round and about 6,700 seasonal employees in the Medford area. The recreational legalization of OR marijuana in 2012 has been

2835-458: The even-numbered years having a "short session" of 35 days or less, beginning in February. Bills may be introduced in either house, and must flow through a committee before being voted upon. Bills calling for increased revenue must be introduced in the House of Representatives. How ideas become law . A legislative resolution referred to voters in the November 2010 general election amended

2898-521: The hearing that the low pay deters Oregonians from serving in the Legislature and urged the new salary be approved. He said the current pay serves to encourage only those with personal wealth or with multiple jobs to run for the legislature. Because of the high time commitment legislative positions require, the current salary also makes it financially difficult for some to stay in office once they’ve been elected. Ultimately, SB1566 did not make it out of

2961-675: The largest are St. Mary's School and Cascade Christian High School . In addition, there are 14 public elementary schools and three public middle schools , ( Hedrick , Oakdale, and McLoughlin). Medford 549C has over 13,000 students enrolled as of 2012 . Crossroads School is a private, alternative high school operating in Medford along with three others operated or affiliated with a church; Cascade Christian High School, St. Mary's High School, and Rogue Valley Adventist School . Grace Christian and Sacred Heart School are private elementary and middle schools in Medford. In 1997, Grants Pass-based Rogue Community College (RCC) completed construction on

3024-451: The location. Finished in 1997 at the intersection of E. Main St and Central Ave in downtown Medford, Vogel Plaza has quickly become a center of activity for many local events. The oldest park in Medford, Alba Park is located at the intersection of Holly and Main in downtown Medford was deeded to the city by the railroad company in 1888. Known as Library Park after the 1911 construction of

3087-532: The next legislative session. In addition, the state's legislative Emergency Board , which is jointly chaired by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House, can take action to provide additional funds to state agencies for activities required by law or that arise unexpectedly during the legislative interim. The job of a member of the Legislative Assembly is considered a "part-time" job in Oregon, and

3150-443: The population. There were 30,079 households, of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.6% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

3213-512: The present day Claire Hanley Arboretum . Such a move would have all but guaranteed prosperous growth for Jacksonville, but Dolson decided instead to stake the railroad closer to Bear Creek. The response from Jacksonville was mixed, but the decision was final. By November 1883, a depot site had been chosen and a surveying team led by Charles J. Howard was hard at work platting the new town. They completed their work in early December 1883, laying out 82 blocks for development. James Sullivan Howard,

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3276-411: The renovation of underutilized downtown properties and to the construction of a new Lithia Motors headquarters building in the district, completed in 2012. Hospitality company The Neuman Hotel Group, based in nearby Ashland, OR, took over management and ownership of a large downtown motel, The Red Lion, in 2014, that had fallen into disrepair. Neuman Hotel Group renovated the property and renamed it Inn At

3339-495: The state's constitution and changed the schedule of regular sessions from bi-annual to annual. Senate Joint Resolution 41 was voted on as state Ballot Measure 71 , which passed statewide by a margin of more than 2 to 1. With limited exceptions, the constitutional changes enacted through Measure 71 limit the length of legislative sessions beginning in odd-numbered years to 160 calendar days, and sessions beginning in even-numbered years to 35 calendar days. The changes took effect with

3402-532: The west by Bear Creek and the Bear Creek Greenway . On the park grounds are four tennis courts, a skatepark , a dog park , an amphitheater , a large playground , a BMX track, and a community garden. Since 1925, the property hosting Bear Creek Park has been used for several purposes. The first section was purchased from a resident of Medford named Mollie Keene. The town used it for incinerating garbage until 1939. After that, it spent 20 years as

3465-553: Was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age in the city was 37.9 years. 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.4% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 16.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female. FBI data for 2015 ranked Medford as the most dangerous major city in Oregon, with 502 violent crimes and 6,543 property crimes per 100,000 residents. Medford experienced increased gang activity and organized crime in

3528-487: Was a special session approved during the 2009 session by a majority of legislators, who were hoping to eventually win approval of a change to regular annual sessions. The push for annual sessions dates back to at least 1981, when a poll of legislators found that two-thirds favored a shift to annual sessions. The Constitution of Oregon requires 3/5s vote in both houses in order to pass new taxes or increase existing ones. In addition, two-thirds of senators are required to form

3591-518: Was built), J. S. Howard's store became Medford's first post office, with Howard serving as postmaster . The establishment of the post office led to the incorporation of Medford as a town by the Oregon Legislative Assembly on February 24, 1885, and again as a city in 1905. Howard held the position of postmaster for Medford's first ten years, and again held the post at the time of his death on November 13, 1919. The beginning of

3654-462: Was designed by architect Frank Chamberlain Clark and would be leased to George A. Hunt. The original name of the theater was decided by a 1925 contest held with a $ 25 prize. The winning entry, Hunt's Craterian Theater, was submitted by a Mrs. W.P. Brooks, a resident of Medford, who named it after nearby Crater Lake . The building was renamed "Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater" in 1997 after the building

3717-582: Was near Loring's hometown of Concord, Massachusetts . Medford is near the middle fork of Bear Creek . In 1883, a group of railroad surveyors headed by S.L. Dolson and David Loring arrived in Rock Point, near present-day Gold Hill . They were charged with finding the best route through the Rogue Valley for the Oregon and California Railroad . Citizens of neighboring Jacksonville hoped that it would pass between their town and Hanley Butte , near

3780-544: Was platted, and in 1903 he allowed the Medford Library Association to open a small library in that store. Five years later the library moved to Medford's new city hall; in another four years, Andrew Carnegie 's donation allowed a dedicated library to be built. Construction on the Medford Carnegie Library was completed in 1912. In 1927, Medford took the title of county seat of Jackson County away from nearby Jacksonville. Between World War II and

3843-413: Was restored, in honor of Ginger Rogers , an actress who performed there as early as 1926. As of August 30, 2012, the theater has been renamed The Craterian Theater at The Collier Center for the Performing Arts, named after James Collier, a large benefactor in the Rogue Valley. Medford, Oregon Medford is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Oregon , in the United States. As of

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3906-605: Was the Mail Tribune , founded in 1909. It ceased publication of its print editions in September 2022 and shut down all operations on January 13, 2023. Within days of the Mail Tribune shutting down, EO Media Group  – publisher of several other newspapers in Oregon ;– announced that it would be launching a new newspaper, based in Medford, to fill the void. With print editions three days

3969-424: Was −10 °F (−23 °C) on December 13, 1919, and the highest recorded temperature was 115 °F (46 °C) on July 20, 1946, and June 28, 2021. There is significantly more diurnal temperature variation in summer than in winter, with the difference between December high and low average temperatures being only 13.5 °F (7.5 °C), whereas the difference between August high and low average temperatures

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