1955 Map of Medford

About this map

Medford and the surrounding Bear Creek Valley serve as the primary population hub in this mid-century portrait of Southern Oregon. The settlement pattern follows the Southern Pacific RR and the Rogue River, extending from the agricultural lands near Central Point and Talent to the industrial timber landscape of the Cascade Range. To the northeast, the iconic volcanic caldera of Crater Lake and its surrounding Crater Lake National Park dominate the high country, while the southwest is defined by the Siskiyou Mountains and the subterranean features of Oregon Caves National Monument. The map captures a period when the timber and fruit-packing industries were central to the local economy, reflected in the network of small communities like Phoenix and Gold Hill and the extensive system of fire lookouts and forest roads reaching into the Rogue River National Forest.