It was the winter of 1851-1852 when the word "gold" echoed throughout the valley. Soon hundreds of gold miners flocked to Table Rock City, later renamed Jacksonville. In short order, families arrived and took out donation land claims and began farming, raising stock, and opening businesses. Many had already emmigrated from Europe, Canada, Ireland, and England. Jacksonville had its own Chinatown that was home to the many Chinese who had traveled far...

From its very first burial in October 1859, a climb up cemetery road to the Silent City in Jacksonville, Oregon has been a source of pride for the community and a sign of respect for those who|́|ve passed on. What once was called "the little graveyard" is now home to over 5500 souls and is one of the oldest cemeteries in Oregon that continues to allow burials. There is a saying, "You never really die until the last person says your name". This is...

Selections from the Table Rock sentinel and Oregon sentinel, published: Jacksonville, Or., 1855-1888.