Southern Oregon Historical Society

10/08/2026

Don't miss out! Tickets sell quickly!

Attention history-loving ghosts, goblins, and ghouls: tickets are now LIVE for this year's Hanley Halloween Prowl! Join us on the evening of Saturday, October 24th for a family-friendly lantern-lit adventure walk where you will encounter benevolent spirits teaching about about jack-o-lanterns, bats, owls, and other Halloween friends and traditions. At the end of your prowl, grab a hot chocolate or apple c***r from the concession stand and join us for a campfire circle singalong with tunes from Halloweens past.

Timed tours leave every 15 minutes from 4:30 until 7:30 PM. This is a ticketed event ($5 per person), and you must reserve your spot online in advance. We sold out last year, so don't delay! Tickets and more information available here: https://app.gopassage.com/events/halloween-history-prowl

10/05/2026

Step back in time with Windows in Time: Our Story: The Barter Fair, exploring the history of Southern Oregon’s Barter Fair, which began in 1978 as a small harvest-time gathering in Williams and grew into a major three-day festival attracting thousands. Three early participants, Jessie Spero, Maya Reames, and Michelle Scherer, will share their memories from the Fair’s years through the 1990s. Join us October 7 at the Medford Library or October 14 at the Ashland Library, noon–1 p.m.

09/26/2026

Come visit the SOHS table at today’s Books and Brews Nostalgic Book Fair at ScienceWorks Museum in Ashland! We have a selection of new and old titles on sale at excellent prices. Get your latest local history read, pick up a fun sticker, and peruse old photographs, all while supporting SOHS!

09/24/2026

GIVE AWAY EXTENDED! Come on down to the Southern Oregon Historical Society at 106 N Central, Medford, today and next week to pick up a piece of Medford history! September 24, 28-30, and Oct 1-2, 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM! Don't miss out! Supply is limited! 📰 🗞

09/23/2026

Preserving the Details of the Past

What does it take to care for a historic textile? Careful handling, attention to detail, and a little detective work.

In this photo, SOHS volunteer Tylar Penney is working on the inventory and cataloging of the Society’s extensive textiles collection. She is examining petticoat 1987.1.2730, a garment with very little known history. We do know that it was manufactured by “Mar-Lo Lingerie” and dates to sometime between the 1950s and 1960s.

As part of the cataloging process, Tylar is carefully examining the textile to help identify its fabric. For this work, she uses freshly washed, bare hands. Nitrile gloves are recommended for the general handling of textiles.

Every artifact has a story, even when much of that story has yet to be discovered. Through the careful work of volunteers like Tylar, these objects can be documented and preserved for the future.

📷 Photo courtesy of Gayle Lewis.

09/21/2026

Starting today at 9:00 AM, Southern Oregon Historical Society, 106 N Central, Medford!

09/17/2026

A piece of Medford history could be yours!

09/08/2026

TOMORROW! Windows in Time, September 9, Noon - 1:00 PM, Ashland Library

This talk will examine the intersection of fashion, satirical illustration, cultural biases, and misogyny, and how these forces worked together to construct our modern stereotype of the 19th-century woman. From corsets, hoop skirts and bustles, to leg-of-mutton sleeves and elaborate braided hairdos, there was something worthy of mockery no matter where one looks within the 19th century. Come along with speaker Cassidy Hausmann-Mason to learn the truth behind the trends and consider whether our ancestors were truly so different from us, after all.

Cassidy Hausmann-Mason has nine years of historical tailoring experience and over a decade of antique collecting under her belt. She has a deep appreciation for all things textile and fashion history, and loves to uncover the stories hidden within the clothing of ages past. Cassidy is excited to share her wealth knowledge and take a critical look at the conversations around gender and clothing that were ongoing in the 19th century, and the way in which those conversations shape our modern ideas of the 19th-century woman.

The monthly Windows in Time lunchtime lectures feature well-known writers and historians and bring alive the people, values, and events that shaped our Southern Oregon heritage. Lectures are jointly sponsored by the Southern Oregon Historical Society (SOHS) and Jackson County Library Services. Programs are presented in Medford (first Wednesdays) and again in Ashland (second Wednesdays). Recordings of Medford presentations are available on the JCLS Beyond YouTube channel.

September 9th, 12pm-1pm: Gresham Room, Ashland Library, In-Person
Website: https://jcls.org/local/windows-in-time/
Questions? Please contact the Southern Oregon Historical Society at 541-622-2025, or Jackson County Library Services at 541-774-8679

05/27/2026

Windows in Time: The History and Evolution of the Mt. Ashland Ski Area

MEDFORD: 06/03/2026, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
ASHLAND: 06/10/2026, 12:00pm - 1:00pm

The Mt. Ashland Ski Area, which encompasses over 240 acres of national forestland, is situated on and near the summit of Oregon’s highest peak west of the Cascade Range. Started largely by local ski enthusiasts, the ski area has been an important community and regional asset since the early 1960s. With five lifts, forty-four ski runs, and a ski lodge, the area operates under a U.S. Forest Service special-use permit and draws skiers and boarders primarily from southwestern Oregon and northern California. The area is managed as a non-profit by the all-volunteer Mt. Ashland Association Board of Directors. Mt. Ashland Association recently initiated year-round activities, including weddings, summer day camps for kids, concerts, disc golf, and business meetings. Join us to learn more about the history of this beloved destination of our region.

Presenter Blair Moody retired after 38 years of practicing forestry in both private industry and government land management agencies in Northern Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Southern Oregon. Blair has served on the Board of Directors for Mt. Ashland for 26 years, is a past President, and currently is the Chair of the Development Committee.

The monthly Windows in Time lunchtime lectures feature well-known writers and historians and bring alive the people, values, and events that shaped our Southern Oregon heritage. Lectures are jointly sponsored by the Southern Oregon Historical Society (SOHS) and Jackson County Library Services. Programs are presented in Medford (first Wednesdays) and again in Ashland (second Wednesdays). Recordings of Medford presentations are available on the JCLS Beyond YouTube channel.

05/15/2026

The Oregon Historical Society is offering a special deal for new Southern Oregon Historical Society members! For one week only, if you become an SOHS member, you'll receive a FREE OHS membership. Valued at $100.

Don't miss this incredible opportunity to explore more of Oregon's past!

Join SOHS by May 22 at SOHS.org