Jacksonville became one of the first places in Oregon with a Black community.

Made up of mostly single men – miners, barbers, and blacksmiths, Harriet Johnston was the exception. She came to Jacksonville in the early 1860s with a family to raise. The fascinating saga of her spunk and endurance has permeated the generations of her family. She and a few of her descendants are buried in the Catholic section of the Jacksonville Cemetery.

Jan Wright will present this story of Harriet Johnston. She is the archivist at SOHS and former executive director of Talent Historical Society.

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, in-person and online) and again in Ashland (second Wednesdays, in-person). Registration is only required to attend the Zoom version of Medford’s program. Recordings of Medford presentations are available on the JCLS Beyond YouTube channel.