History

City Government

Repair or raze: Committee tasked with researching Community Center options

Remodel efforts in the city’s long-shuttered Community Center have revealed more structural deficiencies than anticipated, raising the question whether to do extensive repair work or raze and rebuild. At its study session Monday, the Ashland City Council directed staff to investigate how best to proceed with the historic building on Winburn Way, adjacent to Pioneer Hall and across the street from Lithia Park. 

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Fire & Smoke

Lucky fire break: Second fire on day of Almeda Fire was extinguished by Greensprings crew

A wind-driven grass fire ignited near Almeda Drive on Sept. 8, 2020, ravaged its way northwest through the wildland urban interface, destroying thousands of structures through Talent and Phoenix. The direction of the wind that day is often credited with preserving Ashland from the fire. But there was also a quick intervention from the south, when firefighters with the Greensprings Rural Fire District extinguished a vehicle fire intentionally set on fire at Emigrant Lake. 

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History

Ashland resident recalls her time in WWII-era Japanese American prison camps

“It can happen again. It can happen to somebody else. It’s all on us to prevent it from happening again.” That’s what David Loftus, son of Mitzi Asai Loftus, said of the prison camps hastily built to imprison Japanese Americans in World War II during Ashland Together’s encore presentation Monday night of Mitzi’s book, “From Thorns to Blossoms: A Japanese American Family in War and Peace.”

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History

Butler-Perozzi Fountain work moves ahead

The fundraising campaign for the restoration of the historic Butler-Perozzi fountain in Lithia Park is nearing completion following a $20,000 grant awarded by the State Historic Preservations Office’s Preserving Oregon Grant Program.  

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History

‘Telling the American narrative’: SOU to conduct archaeological investigations of historic eastern Oregon logging town this fall

With a newly funded $20,000 grant from the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office, some Southern Oregon University’s Sociology and Anthropology Program students and staff will travel to eastern Oregon this fall to perform archaeological excavations for a logging ghost town that once was home to a diverse community in the early 20th century, including African-American and white loggers.

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History

History: Ashland’s opera star connection

Ashland resident Tom Giordano didn’t know until recently that his grandfather Salvatore Giordano was a world-renowned opera singer who sang in Ashland 110 years ago at the opening of a new theater on East Main Street.

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Events

New historic markers installed in Railroad District

Ashland has a wealth of historic stories and sites, but the stories need telling and the sites need marking. An organized process called Marking Ashland Places (MAP) began a few years ago. Thanks to years-long work by volunteers from the Historic Preservation and Public Arts committees, we now have a large sculpture in Railroad Park along with five historic markers in the Railroad District.

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Latest posts

Obituary: Vincent Paul Shubat

Obituary: Vincent Paul Shubat died on Dec. 19, 2025, at the age of 90, leaving behind a wide circle of family, friends, and acquaintances. Vince lived a life defined by curiosity, courage, and connection.

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