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Oregon’s Russell family is well-known for their headstone monument carving business. Less well-known is the side of their family that lived in Siskiyou County, who were also locally prominent stone carvers. This presentation will delve into the Russell family connections and stories, early days in Siskiyou County, the stone carving business, and the stone arch created for San Francisco’s 1915 Panama-Pacific International Expedition, a celebration of the completion of the Panama Canal and San Francisco's recovery from the 1906 earthquake and fires. The 110-year-old arch was recently restored in downtown Yreka. Mike Grifantini is a retired wildlife biologist who worked with many rare and endangered species during his career. His ancestors include Germans who participated in the Gold Rush and Italians who departed their land during the leadup to the First World War. He enjoys history, especially local history, and that interest turned into a hobby. For the past 20 years he has given tours of the greater Redding and Siskiyou County areas. He enjoys dressing up in his 1880s costumes to get tour-goers into an historical mood!
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) and again in Ashland (second Wednesdays). Recordings of Medford presentations are available on the JCLS Beyond YouTube channel.
Please note that starting March 2026 we will no longer be offering the live virtual streaming option through Zoom.
More info here: https://jcls.libcal.com/event/15333523
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Event Venue
Jackson County Library Services - Oregon (Medford Branch), 205 South Central Avenue,Medford, Oregon, United States
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