----.. \\U\.1, fTI!J. Shakespeare and the New Deal by Joe Peterson ver wonder what towns all over Band, William Jennings America would have missed if it Bryan, and Billy Sunday Ehadn't been for the "make work'' was soon reduced to a projects of the New Deal? Everything from walled shell. art and research to highways, dams, parks, While some town and nature trails were a product of the boosters saw the The caved-in roofof the Chautauqua building led to the massive government effort during the decapitated building as a domes' removal, andprompted Angus Bowmer to see 1930s to get Americans back to work. In promising site for a sports possibilities in the resulting space for an Elizabethan stage. Southern Oregon, add to the list the stadium, college professor Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which got its Angus Bowmer and start sixty-five years ago this past July. friends had a different vision. They "giveth and taketh away," for Shakespeare While the festival's history is well known, noticed a peculiar similarity to England's play revenues ended up covering the Globe Theatre, and quickly latched on to boxing-match losses! the idea of doing Shakespeare's plays inside A week later the Ashland Daily Tidings the now roofless Chautauqua walls. reported the results: "The Shakespearean An Elizabethan stage would be needed Festival earned $271, more than any other for the proposed "First Annual local attraction, the fights only netting Shakespearean Festival," and once again $194.40 and costing $206.81."4 unemployed Ashland men would be put to By the time of the second annual work by a New Deal program, this time Shakespeare Festival, Bowmer had cut it building the stage for the city under the loose from the city's Fourth ofJuly auspices of the WPA.2 Ten men originally celebration. There would be no more using assigned to a local street project were theater revenues to cover the losses of transferred to the theater project. CCC talent. In place were the beginnings According to William Oyler, first to of what would become an enormously systematically chronicle the festival's successful independent festival, and while 1935 stage built by WPA workers for the first history, both state and federal relief funds clearly a multitude of factors contributed to Shakespeare Festival. totaling $1,100 were paid in labor costs.3 the success of Ashland's first Shakespeare With both the idea and stage in place Festival, FDR's New Deal programs played what may not be so obvious are its original thanks partly to the WPA, it seems that a vital role. 1i1t connections and dependence upon New some members of the Fourth ofJuly Deal projects. It seems President Franklin Committee raising money to cover costs of j oe Peterson is an adjunct history instntctor at Roosevelt's administration played a the festival feared that Shakespeare might So uthern Oregon University. significant role in providing a venue for be a money loser and proposed that boxing festival founder Angus Bowmer's dream in matches precede the plays on the new E NDNOTES: 1. Angus Bowmer, As I Remembe1; Adam, the form of renovations at the site of Elizabethan stage. Exactly how boxing (Ashland: Oregon Shakespearean Festival Ashland's Chautauqua Hall. matches became the festivalis original Association, 1975) p. 10. "The first [Works Progress Administration "Green Show" isn't consistently told, but as 2. Edward and Mary Brubaker, Golden Fi1·e, (WPA)] project for the city of Ashland part of the Fourth ofJuly festivities a card of (Ashland: Oregon Shakespearean Festival, involved removal of this dome and the forty-two rounds of boxing was scheduled 1985) p. 47. 3. William O yler, The Festival Story, auxiliary dome over the stage because they to be fought on the newly constructed stage. (University of California, 1971) p. 123. sagged dangerously after years of disuse," The idea was to bring in young men from 4. Ashland Daily Tidings, 10 July 1935, p. 1. remembered Angus Bowmer in his yet another New Deal program, the local autobiography. 1 Appalled at what he saw-­ Civilian Conservation Corps young men jumping up and down on the (CCC), to be the prizefighters partially collapsed domes of the once­ and financial draw! proud Chautauqua building--Ashland's fire While Bowmer had designed marshal had ordered the domes removed in his stage for more refined November of1933. What to town kids entertainment, he apparently was seemed to be a wonderful trampoline was unperturbed about this to an adult charged with guarding the afternoon use. Mter all, public safety an accident waiting to Elizabethan England had bear­ happen. Technically, it was the federal baiting to draw a crowd, so what Civilian Works Administration that put was the harm? Ironically, the eleven unemployed Ashland men to work CCC fights lost money and the tearing off the Chautauqua Hall domes, plays showed a profit. The first version ofthe Chautauqua Hall, built in but the result was the same. The civic hall Unfortunately for Bowmer and 1893 with a wood-shingled roof, stands next to that once welcomed John Philip Sousa's the festival, the New Deal both Ashland's fire alarm tower. 2 V OL. 2 , NO. 9 Vol. 2 , No.9 September 2000 SOUTHERN OREGON HERITAGE TODAY SOUTHERN OREGON Editorial Guideli11es arurc articles average 3,000 to 4,000 (pre-edited) words. Other materials range from 500 to 1,000 words. Electronic Fsubmissions arc accepted on 3-1/ 4-inch disks and should be accompanied by a hard-copy ~rimout. Cite all sources and conS£ruct 11 HERITA~ fs dr~~;~n~i~I~1~~c~~:ifi~a~~nc~f~r~auf.~~fSR'/~~J;,~ i~~~~f professional, unscrecned photographs and/or line art should accompa~{ submission- black-and-white or color. T he Southern ~ r~y;,~ al:~ob~~r;d%~,Ye;~~~Ali ~;r;:r2rsl~~~~dc ;ei.~b?Je~\:~~h author's name, mailing address, and telephone number. Manuscripts will be returned if accompanied by a self-addressed envelop<: ~~a;;;~~vi~c~u!~ec~~ th~s~~~e~t~~~~c r~~~~d provide abncf The Southern Oregon Historical Society secures rights to FEATURE: fuU and final editing of aU manuscripts, layout design, and one-time North American serial rights. Authors will be notified of acceptance of manuscripts within mnery days of receiving materials. In most Camera Fiends and Kodak cases, payment is upon publication. 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Palmquist . .. p. 8 DEPARTMENTS S UNDAY SOHSNEws&NoTES DRIVING Exhibits and program Applegate Trail updates and calendar Interpretive Center: p .6 More Than a Museum MEMBE RS & DONORS by Molly Walker Kerr p. 15 p.4 PHOTO ilY MOLLY KERR PRESERVATION PROFILE Shakespeare and the New Deal by j oe Peterson FROM THE p.2 ARCHIVES The Difference Between Chickens BIOGRAPHY and Pigs: A Chicken Bill Pruitt: Cholera Remedy by j acque Sundstrand Modern Day 0NTHECOVER Mountain Man p. s Cora Baldwin bedecked in portraits by Claudette Pruitt advertises the services of early Ashland edited by Bill Alley photographer, Mae Tyler at an Ashland p. 16 business carnival. Tyler was in business from 1886 to 1892. PI-IOTO COURTESY CJ.AUDITI"E PRUJTT Southern oregon Historical Society Southe rn Oregon Historical Society Nlaljorie Overland, Medford, PRESIDENr Magazine Staff C opyright 2000 by Southern Oregon Historical Board of Trustees BJ. Reed, Medford Cynthia Wicklund, co;..·L\IUNJCATIONs COORDINATOR Society, ISSN #1082-2003. All righrs reserved. No part of Allen Alsing, Ashland Robert Stevens, Jacksonville Bill Powell, CU£Sl' EDITOR this publication may be printed or electronically duplicated Robert Cowling, Medford Dana L . H edrick, DESJGNERIPHarocRAPHER without the written permission of the Southern Oregon Judi Drais, Medford, TREASURER Administra tive Staff Maggie James, 1'1-larocRAPHER ASSISTA:-.·rtvow:-.TEER INTER..-.; Historical Society. Yvonne Earnest, lvledford Br.ul Linder, EXECUTIVE DJRECJ"OR Collectio n s / Researc h Libra ry Staff H. Walter Emori, M.D., Jacksonville Maureen Smith, F1NANCEIOPERATIONS DIRECTOR Mary Ames Sheret, cuR.o\TOR OF COI.J..ECTIONS AND EXHIDJTS Jim Fety, Rogue River Amelia Chamberlain, PROGRA."1S DIRECTOR j acque Sundstrand, URRARY/ARCHJVES COORDINATO R Joyce H ailicka, Burte Falls Susan Cox-Smith, MElvlBERSHIP COORDINATOR t:~-:.. Carol Harbison-Samuelsen, UBR.A.RY Mt\.NAGERIPHOTO t\RCHJVIST Nam:y Hamlin, M edford, FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT SOUTHERN llll HISTORICAL Southe rn Oregon He ritage Today is William Alley, ARC HIVJSTfl-riSTORIAI'l H ank Hart, Medford published monthly by the Southern Oregon Bill Miller, LJRMRY ASSisto\.."l'f OREGON ~~~~ SOCIETY Reeve Hennion,Jacksonville Historical Society. SIIOiil-46 3 Nancy McGrew, Jacksonville, SECREThRY 106 N. Centr.il Ave., Medford, OR 97501-5926. Southe rn Oregon H e ritage Today is produced (541) 773-6536 using QyarkXPress on Macintosh computers and is printt::d by Ram Offset Lithographers. Applegate Trail Interpretive Center: MoRE THAN A MusEuM by Molly Walker Kerr ost Southern Oregonians are M aware of the Applegate Trail, and how it was born of tragedy on the better-known Oregon The Applegate Interpretive Center Trail. But many don't takes visitors back to 1846, when pioneers know about the Applegate Local residents donned pioneer costumes and acted came to Oregon along the new trail, which Trail Interpretive Center, the roles ofApplegate Trail emigrants in a passed through Sunny Valley. where they can learn more documentary filmedfor the interpretive center.