|
 The War Brings Change - Medford, OR
N 42° 19.596 W 122° 52.308
10T E 510562 N 4686046
This marker is one of three mounted on the side of the historic Haskins Drug Store building and facing Vogel Plaza.
Waymark Code: WMYWK6
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 08/02/2018
Views: 1
When the nation entered World War II, Medford transformed into a military town. Construction of Camp White, a nearby Army training post, began about six weeks after the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. The Army also took over the city airport, and Medford buzzed with wartime activity.
As construction began on Camp White, around 10,000 workers, followed by nearly 40,000 soldiers, flooded the area, bringing prosperity back to the city.
Increased demand for lumber during and after the war sparked a boom for Medford’s timber industry. With railroad access and several expanding mills, the city became the regional focus for wood products processing and shipping. From the 1940s until the mid-‘70s, timber production drove Medford’s economy and became a way of life for many residents. Following earlier patterns of boom and bust, economic and environmental issues in the 1970s and ‘80s eventually ended Medford’s timber reign.
As the lumber industry lagged, the health industry grew. The construction of two major hospitals, Rogue valley Memorial in 1958 and Providence in 1966, set Medford well on its way to becoming the major regional medical center that it is today.
New neighborhoods built to meet the growing demand for post-war housing expanded Medford’s boundaries. Over the next several decades, shopping malls and suburban living pulled day-to-day activity away from the city center.
Support from the Medford Urban Renewal Agency, in cooperation with businesses and property owners, is rejuvenating the downtown historic district, now on the National Register of Historic Places. Restoration projects, infrastructure improvements, and community events are helping to build a future Medford grounded in its forward-looking and diverse past.
Historic Topic: Modern Age 1900 to date
Group Responsible for placement: City Government
Marker Type: City
Region: Southern Oregon
County: Jackson
State of Oregon Historical Marker "Beaver Board": Not listed
Web link to additional information: Not listed
|
Visit Instructions:
Include your thoughts and observations pertaining to this location and your visit. Provide any additional history that you are aware of that pertains to this location. If the marker commemorates a historic building tell us what it is used for now or share with us the circumstances of an earlier visit to bring this locations history to life.
Please upload a favorite photograph you took of the waymark. Although visiting this waymark in person is the only thing required of you to receive credit for your visit, taking the time to add this information is greatly appreciated.
Be creative.
|