Happy Birthday Josephine!

Happy Birthday Josephine County!  Today, January 22, 2012 she is a spry 156 years old.

According to Wikipedia, "Josephine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. According to Oregon Geographic Names, the county is probably named after a stream in the area called Josephine Creek, which in turn is probably named after Virginia Josephine Rollins Ort. In 2010, its population was 82,713. Grants Pass is the county seat."

We all know Josephine County is much more than this.  From her beginnings at Sailors' Diggings to now, she has gone through many changes, yet maintains her independent, pioneering spirit.

At the Josephine County Historical Society we strive to share the rich heritage of our past.  Our mission is all about collecting, preserving, exhibiting, promoting and interpreting local Josephine County history. 

In our Research Library we have a large collection of photos, newspaper clippings, books, maps and family stories.  The public is welcome to view our collections and conduct research Tuesday through Friday from 10:00am to 4:00pm.    This service is free for members and $5.00 per visit for non-members.

We also have a Bookshop located in our Research Library, where you'll find many Josephine County related subjects.  Whether you're interested in reading about the early settlers, specific towns and areas, Indian wars, or the geography of Josephine County, we've got a book for you.  Many of these books contain photographs you will not find anywhere else.  Our books may also be purchased online, just click here.

We have many events through out the year, and most are free to the public.  Our "Living History Players" provide entertainment at our events as well as presenting outreach programs to schools, civic groups and others.   Click here to check out our event schedule.

The Josephine County Historical Society also operates the Schmidt House, a historical house museum.  Tours are available Tuesday through Friday from 10:00am to 4:00pm.  Anna and Flora Schmidt gifted their house to the Society in 1978.  It is the only still existing historical home in Josephine County that was continually occupied by the same family since being built in 1901.

If you have any family history, stories or photos you'd like to share with us, we'd love to have them.  Please feel free to stop by the Research Library, give us a call at 541 479-7827, or use our website jocohistorical.org.

If you're not yet a member, are you interested in joining us?  We'd like to encourage you to join the fun and become a member!  You can stop by the Research Library Tuesday through Friday from 10:00am to 4:00pm at 508 SW 5th Street in Grants Pass or sign up online by clicking here.