If you were walking the streets of Jacksonville during the second half of the 19th Century, German would have been the second language that you heard spoken. The discovery of gold in late December of 1851 had drawn fortune seekers from all over the globe. But, as the gold played out and most of the miners moved on to their next claims, some stayed, along with the settlers who came for free land and those merchants who saw opportunity in the frontier community that would become the hub of Southern Oregon commerce, government, and culture for the next three decades. More than a quarter of those who remained were first and second-generation immigrants from what is now Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. They wielded a decided influence over the community, not only engaging in productive occupations and involving themselves in civic groups and government, but also contributing significantly to the culture and scope of local life. Carolyn Kingsnorth, President of Historic Jacksonville, Inc., will be sharing stories about these German-speaking settlers and their legacies that have shaped who we are today.

After 40-plus years in marketing and organizational management, Carolyn Kingsnorth found an opportunity to tap her B.A. in history when she and her husband settled in historic Jacksonville almost 20 years ago. First as publisher of the Jacksonville Review and President of the Jacksonville Boosters Club, then as an annual character in Jacksonville’s “Meet the Pioneers” cemetery tours, and subsequently as President of Historic Jacksonville, Inc., Carolyn has immersed herself in local history. She has created numerous tours of the town and of Jacksonville’s Beekman House and Bank museums; writes monthly “Pioneer Profiles” in the Jacksonville Review; and creates daily history posts and blogs for Historic Jacksonville’s Facebook and Instagram pages. She has also served as a Trustee of the Southern Oregon Historical Society since 2013.

The monthly Windows In Time lunchtime lectures feature well-known writers and historians and bring alive the people, values, and events that shaped our southern Oregon heritage. Lectures are jointly sponsored by the Southern Oregon Historical Society (SOHS) and Jackson County Library Services.

Image SOHS #21350: The Orth building, shown here on May 13, 1880, was erected in 1872 by German-born butcher, John Orth. The occasion for the photograph is a gathering of the Order of the Redmen, a predominantly German fraternal order.