Medford, Oregon (September 22, 2022) — Incorporated in 1905, the little railroad running east into the mountains from the growing town of Medford was initially planned to serve the Crater Lake tourist trade. In 1910, plans were made to connect it to Klamath Falls, but the railroad never got beyond Butte Falls. At its start, there were great expectations for the railroad, which, through failures and reincarnations, eventually became a workhorse of the timber industry in Southern Oregon. Jerry Hellinga relates the colorful and little-known story of the railroad to Butte Falls during the Windows in Time presentation on Wednesday, October 5, 2022 from 12 Noon–1:00 p.m. at the Medford Library, 205 South Central Avenue. This program will also be screened live at the Ashland Library, 410 Siskiyou Boulevard, and online via the Zoom video conferencing app. All are welcome to attend this free lecture; registration is required. Â
Jerry Hellinga is a retired forester. For almost 40 years, he was involved in steam tourist railroad operations as a volunteer firefighter and engineer. He is currently Treasurer and Chief Mechanical Officer of the Southern Oregon Railway Historical Society.
Program registration can be found at jcls.libcal.com/calendar/jcls_event/WIT-Oct-2022.  A recording of the program will later be made available on the Jackson County Library Services YouTube channel; subscribe at youtube.com/c/JCLSBeyond.Â
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. The lectures are jointly sponsored by the Southern Oregon Historical Society and Jackson County Library Services. For more information, please contact the Southern Oregon Historical Society at (541) 773-6536 or sohs.org or Jackson County Library Services at 541-774-8679 or jcls.org.