Recently, I had the pleasure of chatting with Carolyn Kingsnorth, president of Historic Jacksonville, Inc. She had sent preliminary information about her background and Jacksonville’s evolving historical reclamation. Let’s just say that Carolyn is a rich repository of fascinating stories. 

She has packed at least seven and a half lifetimes inside her one, so far. It’s ranged from modeling in ads for Sears to writing curriculum for Northrop Grumman for the education of employees inspecting the work on the stealth bomber. When I Goggled at her extensive work history, mostly in marketing for high-profile corporations, she replied, “Remember, I get bored every two or three years.”

Fortunately for us, she adores Jacksonville, loves the people and finds enough to pacify her insatiable curiosity with regard to Jacksonville’s rich past. She’s helping new generations cultivate a deeper understanding of why history is important. 

“We’ve always been taught names, dates, places and battles you memorize for the test, spit it out and promptly forget,” Carolyn said. “And that’s not what it is. It’s the people and their stories.”

“History is always changing,” she reminded me, using a popular party game as an example. You know the one where you whisper a sentence and pass it on to the next person, etc., then after a few translations, it comes out in Pig Latin. Historical accounts have been passed down through fallible memories, wishful thinking and the various filters of the teller. Carolyn finds fulfillment in uncovering the truth.

“Now we have access to so many of the original documents that were contemporary accounts so that we have different perspectives, and it gets really interesting.” She recounted the tale of a Black former slave and prisoner buried in our Jacksonville Cemetery who finally received a marker for his grave. 

“A lot of our prominent citizens did dastardly deeds, too, but they were conveniently buried with them,” said Carolyn.

If you’ve ever treated yourself to one of the many fascinating and ever-evolving history tours in Jacksonville, Carolyn is the creative tour de force behind the scenes and has been for over 15 years. The adventure began with involvement in the Jacksonville Heritage Society, which collectively redeemed several formerly vibrant properties from becoming empty shells, including the Beekman House, Beekman Bank and the former County Courthouse, now the new City Hall. 

By 2010, the Southern Oregon Historical Society could no longer care for these valuable properties. That’s when the Jacksonville Heritage Society was born with Carolyn and a small group of caring individuals leading the charge. When Jackson County deeded the properties to the city of Jacksonville, Historic Jacksonville, Inc. became the beating heart of Jacksonville’s rich historical tales and began bringing them to life. 

Carolyn’s work on Jacksonville’s behalf has been all-volunteer since the beginning. She does the research, writes grants, writes the scripts and promotes the programs.

“There’s always something new to learn and there’s always another rabbit hole to go down,” she said.

I asked her why it’s important for us to learn about these people who lived so long ago. What did it have to do with us?

“In many ways we are who we were,” she explained. “They influence our thought processes, our education, our world viewpoints. They’ve shaped who we are, and it can be very helpful to know ‘why do I think this way? Why do I feel this way?’ Particularly if you find yourself at a point of finding a need to question your worldview, or when you find something challenging it.”

It’s exciting to see another season of tours beginning in Jacksonville. 

At 10 a.m. every Saturday morning through Aug. 30, free, one-hour narrated walking tours leave from the former courthouse on 5th Street. There will also be monthly tours of the Beekman House, each one based on a different topic.

The Beekman Bank is now open to explore for free from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday through Aug. 31, with a costumed docent sharing stories of early gold deposits and allowing a closer examination of the original items within. Haunted History walking tours are held on the second Friday evening of each month starting in June and running through October. For tickets to the Beekman House and Haunted tours, visit historicjacksonville.org. You’ll also find a wealth of information there about the history of our special gold rush town.

Historic Jacksonville is a Rogue Valley treasure, and so is Carolyn Kingsnorth. These programs cannot exist without community support and volunteer involvement. Caroline is always looking for individuals willing to become a character or docent for various tours. She provides the scripts. I can tell you firsthand, it is a lot of fun. High school drama departments, take heed. This could be a fine opportunity.

Peggy Dover is a freelance writer/author and sometimes Cousin Lulu Linn. Reach her at peggydover@gmail.com.