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M/SUNNY Temp: 51 °F Wind: NNE at 7 mph Sunday, September 29, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend August 12, 2002 Joanne Wilcox, a member of West Side Neighbors Association, stands next to a recently constructed viewpoint on Old Stage Road. Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman Plans are under way to move the historic marker to the Old Stage Road viewing turnout By JILL BRISKEY Mail Tribune The sounds of thundering hooves and creaking wagons have been replaced by the roar of car engines, but Jackson County’s oldest road hasn’t lost its historic look or feel. And that look and feel — which dates back more than 150 years — is here to stay, added county engineer Dale Petrasek. "Old Stage Road has been designated a historical corridor," Petrasek said. "We don’t want to take anything away from that." Members of the West Side Neighbors Association are also working to give the rural byway between Jacksonville and Gold Hill historical perspective. Plans are under way to move a historic marker from its hard-to-spot location, in the 3600 block of Old Stage Road, south approximately one mile to the newly constructed viewing turnout near J. Herbert Stone Nursery. At its current spot, the marker is hard to see and can only be accessed by driving onto private property. Donated by the Crater Lake chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1939, the memorial honors the "early day traveler" who crossed Old Stage Road by stagecoach. According to Old Stage Road resident and association member Joanne Wilcox, the memorial could be moved and installed within the next one to six months. "The part about this turnout that’s so important is the history," Wilcox said. "We have so much we could feature." The turnout offers views of Roxy Ann Peak and Mount McLoughlin, and plans to install informational markers about the mountains are also under way. A cost estimate was not available, but the county has agreed to pay for the memorial location change. There is an ongoing plan to add historical character to Old Stage Road through additional viewing turnouts and educational markers. However, Wilcox said the association is funded by donations and an annual yard sale, held every September. But amenities installed at Old Stage Road will be kept minimal, Wilcox added. "It’s scenic; it’s historic; and it has an ambiance if you just drive slowly," Wilcox said. "We just don’t want people coming out here with loud music and beer kegs." Old Stage Road, with its characteristic curves and undulations, was in danger of losing its historic charm in the mid-1990s. The county announced plans to widen and straighten the 13-mile stretch to give motorists a flat, speedier route. Concerned neighbors protested, and later the county began working with the West Side Neighbors Association to preserve Old Stage Road rather than change it. In 1997, the commissioners placed the roadway on the county’s Register of Historic Landmarks. The Old Stage Road task force and oversight committee was formed as a group dedicated to improving the roadway while preserving it. This spring, the county wrapped up repaving work along Old Stage Road between Beall and Ross lanes. Petrasek said the road was narrowed to discourage speeding motorists, and bicycle and pedestrian lanes were created. Similar work is planned for the stretch of Old Stage Road between Beall Lane and Scenic Avenue, although a date hasn’t been set and funding hasn’t been secured, Petrasek added. Old Stage Road became the first public right-of-way in Jackson County in 1854, and is the oldest in continual use. It served as the primary route north to Jacksonville — then the county seat — until the railroad arrived in 1883. From 1907 on, it became a popular side trip for motorists because the roadway provided spectacular views of orchard estates, then called "Millionaire’s Row." At least 12 of those historical homes dotting Old Stage Road still stand. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S