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Rogue Valley Manor's colorful history captured in resident's book Comment By Tammy Asnicar for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Tammy Asnicar for the Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 30, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Tammy Asnicar for the Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 30, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News “It’s over there on the highest hill on the valley floor. … It’s a grand hotel, a lighthouse on the crest of Barneburg Hill, showing others the way to mature in dignity and comfort.” — Paul Harvey, radio newsman When summer 2010 rolled around, Rogue Valley Manor resident Faye Isaak learned that the Medford landmark was approaching its 50th anniversary. She commented to the administrator that she’d like to assist in compiling a history to commemorate the milestone. The next thing she knew, she had a binder of information, including a copy of the most recent tribute, written in 1989, three “dusty, musty boxes” of papers from the 1950s and 1960s, two discs containing scanned images of nearly 3,200 old photographs, and hundreds of issues of the resident-produced monthly newsletter, Hill Topics. “It was clear that if there was to be a written history of the first 50 years of Rogue Valley Manor (RVM), I was in charge,” she writes in the preface of a book she’s recently published, titled, "Vision with a View." The book’s subtitle, “How Rogue Valley Manor Evolved through Grace and Gumption,” sums up the trials and triumphs of the community’s first 50 years. Isaak’s own grace and gumption (and curiosity) led her to undertake what evolved into a four-year project. Nearly 60 years after majoring in journalism in college in South Dakota, and only five years after arriving in the Rogue Valley, the California transplant delved into learning more about her adopted home and the “remarkable people living in an extraordinary place.” She said it was never her original plan to write a book, and certainly never her intention for it to be a one-woman show. After writing a series of 25 articles on the Manor’s history, she decided to compile the articles into a book. “I had hoped to hand off (the research) to the administration,” Isaak said. “The administration was otherwise occupied, and adding publishing to their responsibilities was not a priority.” She admits she had no concept of the complex process between writing the words and producing a book. “But, I was determined to find a way to make it happen,” she said. That meant she had to learn book design, layout, editing, publishing, photography, and digital imaging — “everything but the printing itself.” She’s proud that she mastered InDesign, an Adobe publishing program, considering that working on her college yearbook in the old cut-and-paste days was her only experience in page design. The first part of the 228-page volume focuses on what Isaak calls “the nuts and bolts” of RVM’s various construction and land acquisition projects as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the day-to-day operations of a community that now encompasses 208 acres. Part two, she said, looks at how the residents have “spent their golden years.” Rogue Valley Manor boasts a population of nearly 1,000 residents. Its stories, gossip, politics and colorful characters rival those of many of Jackson County’s small towns. The Manor was dedicated on Nov. 4, 1961. Nationally known radio commentator and news analyst Paul Harvey was the main speaker at the afternoon dedication ceremony. He had high praise for the “magnificent modern mansion of steel and glass — with 270 elegant apartments overlooking 10,000 acres of pear orchards.” Isaak said she developed a profound respect for the men “who took a leap of faith” in building a unique, active retirement community. “I fell in love with Walter Higgins, the first administrator,” she said. His management style was about treating residents as family and the facility as his home, she said. He also had a can-do spirit. Within days of being hired as administrator of the fledgling project in 1955, “(Higgins) had the blueprint for the facility, had figured out how much acreage would be needed, and detailed the specs on each of the units,” she said. Isaak learned that when Manor employees went on strike in 1977, residents picked up the slack. Professionals with a history of hard work, they weren’t about to see the Manor falter. “The residents here are unbelievable, remarkable, ordinary folk,” she said. Isaak has included interesting, oftentimes amusing, bits of trivia. When construction of nearby Interstate 5 over the Siskiyous revealed fossil remains, including the tooth of an elephant, theories abounded that “there really were elephants” under the Manor buried deep in the rocks of Barneburg Hill. In 1972, a television crew filmed portions of an episode of “The FBI” at the Manor, renamed “Santa Rosa Lodge.” The episode, titled “Canyon of No Return,” featured two armed robberies, including that of the facility’s safe. A chase scene was staged past the shuffleboard court and bowling green. Other stories and photographs in the book reflect the residents’ commitment to and engagement in the communities of Medford, Phoenix and Talent. And, with a huge population of retired teachers, Manor residents are quick to support programs for local school children. Isaak writes: "In 1956, the Medford City Council declined to put the proposed Manor in the Medford School District, reasoning that residents with no children in school would never support school bond issues. To this day, RVM remains in the Phoenix-Talent School District, and residents have supported every school bond issue that has ever been on the ballot." Isaak’s self-published book is a hit with residents. Hot off the presses in early November, she quickly sold the first 200 copies of a limited run of 300. Another printing, she said, is possible if someone is willing to underwrite the project. When asked whether she had another book in her, the 80-year-old Isaak smiled. “I don’t know … I think so,” she said. “It’s just a matter of getting off the dime.” One thing is for certain. “I enjoy research more than writing, and writing more than publishing,” she said. "Vision with a View" is available by contacting Isaak at 541-857-6847. The price is $35. Reach Grants Pass freelance writer Tammy Asnicar at [email protected]. By Tammy Asnicar for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Tammy Asnicar for the Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 30, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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