Steam Locomotives

Medford owes its origin in the early 1880's to the decision of the Oregon & California Railroad to run its line through the center of the Bear Creek Valley. It was at the "middle ford" of Bear Creek that the railroad, working south from Portland, planned to cross the stream and start a new town. The name first chosen for the new town site was Middle Ford. But railroad engineer David Loring was from Medford, Massachusetts, and he soon shortened the name to Medford. The railroad tracks reached Medford in January 1884. By the end of that year a substantial town had arisen and a school district had been established. Medford was incorporated as a town on February 24, 1885. A board of trustees, forerunner of the current City Council, was formed, and the City's first ordinances were adopted. Since 1955, Medford has operated under the Council-Manager form of government. The Mayor and an eight-member City Council serve as the governing body, appointing and providing direction to a City Manager, who serves as chief administrative officer over eleven City departments.

In its first 110 years, Medford has grown from a small town with unpaved roads to the largest City in Southern Oregon and the seat of Jackson County Government. With a current population of over 68,000, the City continues to grow and flourish. Once primarily dependent on timber and agriculture, Medford is a thriving regional trade center with a growing residential population, expanding medical facilities, growing retail opportunities, expanding economic development, increasing tourism and abundant recreational opportunities.

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