Railroads have played a pivotal role in the history and development of Southern Oregon. Robert Hirning will examine how the construction of our own Siskiyou Line influenced the present-day economies of Jackson and Josephine Counties. Join us for a discussion on the rise of “Robber Barons,” inept train robbers, and the failed attempts to reach the California Coast that kept our region uniquely isolated.

Robert Hirning has been a lifelong “railfan” and has chased his passion for trains since childhood. Robert has traveled widely by train over most of North America, from the arctic to the tropics, and across Asia from the Sea of Japan to the Baltic.

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, in-person and online) and again in Ashland (second Wednesdays, in-person). Recordings of Medford presentations are available on the JCLS Beyond YouTube channel.