Jacksonville Heritage Society

JACKSONVILLE HERITAGE SOCIETY FORGED A CLOSE ALLIANCE WITH THE FRAU KEMMLING SCHOOLHAUS BREWHAUS, JACKSONVILLE, OREGON IN 2017 WHICH BROUGHT CONTINUED INFORMATION REGARDING JACKSONVILLE'S HISTORY TO THE TOURISTS AND LOCALS WHO VISITED THE RESTAURANT AND GROUNDS. LOCATED ON BIGHAM KNOLL IN THE HISTORIC "OLD SCHOOL HOUSE", AND ADJACENT TO THE HISTORIC "ENGINE NO. 1", THE RESTAURANT AND ITS STAFF WERE ABLE TO FOSTER A FEELING OF PRIDE AND COMMUNITY FOR JACKSONVILLE'S EXCEPTIONAL AND IMPORTANT PAST. WITH ALL THE MUSEUMS IN TOWN PERMANENTLY CLOSED, THE RESTAURANT SERVED AS A DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL FOR INFORMATION AND CONTENT THAT WAS DEVELOPED BY VOLUNTEERS. BOARD MEMBER LARRY SMITH USED THE RESTAURANT AND ITS MANY PHOTOGRAPHS AND HISTORIC DISPLAYS DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR TO BRING JACKSONVILLE ELEMENTARY 5TH AND 6TH GRADE CLASSES ON "CAMPUS" FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES. OKTOBERFEST CONTINUED TO BE A LARGE COMPONENT IN JHS'S OUTREACH TO THE COMMUNITY IN FOSTERING AN AWARENESS AND APPRECIATION FOR JACKSONVILLE'S HISTORY, AND ESPECIALLY THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF ITS EARLY GERMANIC SETTLERS. THE HISTORIC ENGINE NO. 1 EXPERIENCED SOME VANDALISM DURING THE YEAR, PUTTING EVEN MORE FOCUS ON CONVINCING THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE TO APPROVE A STRUCTURE FOR PROTECTION FROM BOTH THE ELEMENTS AND VANDALS. THE BOARD EXPLORED VARIOUS AVENUES FOR FUND RAISING FOR SUCH A STRUCTURE, BUT NOTED THAT MOST SUPPORT IN TOWN WAS BEING DIRECTED AT THE COMMUNITY SENIOR CENTER, WHICH HAD RECEIVED A LARGE MATCHING GRANT.