1974 Map of Medford West

About this map

Jacksonville stands as a focal point in this 1974 orthophoto survey, showcasing its unique footprint at the edge of the foothills west of the valley floor. The map captures a moment in the mid-1970s where the agricultural character of the Rogue Valley remained clearly visible in the structured patchwork of orchards and fields between Central Point and the western reaches of Medford. To the west, the terrain rises sharply toward Johns Peak, where the dense timber of the Oregon landscape contrasts with the growing residential and commercial grids of the lowlands. This aerial perspective, processed by the Department of the Interior through scanning techniques of the era, provides a rare visual of the land's surface as it appeared before the significant suburban expansion of later decades, preserving the exact spatial relationship between these historic Jackson County settlements and their surrounding natural landmarks.