National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet

NPS Form 10-900-A 0MB Approval No. 1024-0018 (8-86)
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section Number: 8 Page: 1 Geneva-Minnesota Historic District, Medford, OR
The Geneva-Minnesota District, an architecturally significant residential neighborhood located in
Medford, Oregon, was first developed in the period between 1911 and 1914, with a second
development phase, focused primarily on Minnesota Street, beginning in 1924. The district has
remained one of Medford 1 s prime residential areas and its structures have served as the homes of a
wide variety of community and business leaders, elected officials, and others whose actions have
helped shape the city's character during the past 80 years. Retaining almost complete integrity to
its original development and appearance, the Geneva-Minnesota District is a homogenous and
architecturally cohesive neighborhood of bungalow, Craftsman, and Period Revival dwellings that
remains one of the most intact early 20th century residential areas in the Rogue River Valley.
CONTEXT:
Founded in 1883 with the arrival of the railroad to southern Oregon, the city of Medford was
developed upon the flat plain lying west of Bear Creek. Those lands east of the waterway,
originally beyond the city limits, remained prime agricultural lands for the remainder of the
century. In the ten years between 1900 and 1910, spurred by a dramatic expansion of the region's
orchard industry, Medford's population increased from just over 1700 to almost 9000. This
growth, a gain of 392%, not only led all Oregon cities, (and catapulted Medford into position as
the state's fifth largest) but was reported as the second highest growth rate for any city in the
entire United States during the decade. 1
It is not a mere idle assertion that people coming here to locate may
do so without fear of over-crowding the place or of meeting with
disappointment over the opportunities that the place presents....This
place is fortunate to the point of being a phenomenon of quick
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with a percentage increase of 395%, was reported as the fasting growing city in
the nation among those that were in existence in 1900, only slightly higher than that of Medford. Other
cities, such as Fairbanks, Alaska and Tonopah, Nevada, which had percentage increases many higher than
Medford but were treated as "mining camps" rather than cities since they had existed less than ten years,
(see Medford Mail Tribune 12-January-1912)