At the turn of the century, the Beekman Bank Well was a refreshing stop for two seasonal creeks, Jacksonville suffered from an inadequate domestic water supply for 60 years following the 1852 gold rush. This old well is one of several wells dug in downtown Jacksonville to supplement creek water. Early photographs and insurance maps show this 30-foot well and its twin located across the street, next to Redman Hall, in use by the early 1870s. Both wells provided drinking water for downtown shops, and stock animals. These to brick-lines wells were "rediscovered" when California Street was rebuilt in 2004.
A 16-foot square brick-lined cistern was built in the middle of California Street, between the two wells, to ensure an adequate water supply for the town's hand-drawn fire pumper. The fire cistern and the two wells fell into disuse after the town built a 35,000,000-gallon open reservoir at the headwaters of Jackson Creek in 1912. Within 15 years Jacksonville's new reservoir, "fed by clear mountain spring water," was leaking at an alarming rate. In 1953 the town was connected to Medford's Big Butte Spring - and "clear mountain spring water" once again flowed to Jacksonville's residents.
In 1900 this once tree-shaded oasis provided a refreshing stop for a young boy out romping on a
hot Southern Oregon day with his "best friend."
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