Grants Pass Centennial Notes - by Edna May Hill, edited by Joan Momsen

Grants Pass Centennial Notes published by the Josephine County Historical Society is made up of scanned and enlarged copies of original newspaper articles first published in the Daily Courier in 1984 and 1985 to commemorate Grants Pass' first 100 years.  It also contains many photographs from the Josephine County Historical Society's collection.

Centennial Notes with its stories written by Edna May Hill and corresponding photos (with commentary) selected by Joan Momsen paints for us a picture of Grants Pass' earliest beginnings, and shows us how the city and its inhabitants matured along the way.

Topics range from business development, new laws enacted, interesting characters, entertainment, and even some prejudices practiced.  You'll read about local merchant John W. Howard, who after first operating out of a tent, built the first commercial building in Grants Pass, and would later go on to building our first brick building.

You'll find out how Grants Pass, Beacon Hill and Robertson Bridge got their names; and that the Masons and Oddfellows were here from the beginning.

You'll discover that a "Blue Law" was one of the first ordinances passed in Grants Pass and how Josephine County went dry in 1908.  You may be shocked to read that the Ku Klux Klan was active in Grants Pass, and if you weren't white, protestant and born in the USA, you weren't welcome here.

There are stories about people with innovative ideas to put Grants Pass on the map, and while not all of them were successful, they were inspiring.  For example, there's the tale of the Redwood Highway Marathon; a grueling 480 mile foot race from San Francisco to Grants Pass with its' 11 Native American contestants, of whom seven would finish.  Then there were the failed attempts to build a railroad from Grants Pass to Crescent City, California.

Grants Pass had much to celebrate to mark its first 100 years, and Grants Pass Centennial Notes is a great way to experience it.

Grants Pass Centennial Notes can be purchased now for just $15.00.

or at the Josephine Historical Society's Bookshop located in the Research Library at 512 K Street, Grants Pass; or at their Online Bookshop.