Events

A consortium of organizations and individuals have developed collaborative projects to mark the centennial in October 2023. Online programs and events in Oregon and California are to honor the lost lives, recall the impact on the communities, and contribute to shared meaning making to reconcile with the difficult history.

Programming includes:

Program: Tunnel 13 Exhibit at Medford’s Railroad Park
Date: Sunday, October 8, 2023
Time: 11 am - 3 pm PT
Location: Southern Oregon Railway Historical Society Museum, Medford Railroad Park, 799 Berrydale Ave., Medford OR 97501
Description: On Sunday, October 8th, the public is invited to visit Southern Oregon Railway Historical Society Museum at Medford Railroad Park to view the exhibit “Tragedy at Tunnel 13: The Crime, the Victims, and Legacy.” This is a regularly-scheduled open day at the park, and free rides will be offered, as well as full-scale and model train displays. Refreshments and railroad souvenirs are available for purchase.
Organizers: The mission of the Southern Oregon Railway Historical Society [https://soc-nrhs.org] is to preserve and interpret Southern Oregon railroad history and historical artifacts for the education and enjoyment of current and future generations through a museum and operating equipment. Along with the Southern Oregon Live Steamers [https://southernoregonlivesteamers.com], the Rogue Valley Model Railroad Club [https://rvmrc.net] and the Medford Garden Railroaders [https://www.medfordgardenrailroaders.org], the Southern Oregon Railway Historical Society helps to operate Medford’s Railroad Park. The park is open on the 2nd and 4th Sunday each month from April thru October, 11am - 3pm.

Program: Dunsmuir Commemoration of Tunnel 13 Tragedy
Date: Sunday, October 8, 2023
Time: 4pm – 8pm PT
Location: Dunsmuir, CA, with two locations and two start times: 4pm at Dunsmuir Cemetery, 6226 Dunsmuir Avenue, at grave site of Marvin Seng (tentative); and 6pm at The Wheelhouse, 5841 Sacramento Avenue, Dunsmuir, CA
Description: Two of the Southern Pacific railroaders murdered in the Tunnel 13 tragedy were based in the railroad town of Dunsmuir, CA. Marvin Seng, the fireman, is buried in the Dunsmuir Cemetery. To commemorate the tragedy, the Black Butte Center for Railroad Culture (BBCRC) and local historians are arranging for a short historical talk at Mr. Seng's grave site. This will be followed by a musical event, with lot of train songs, at the trackside Wheelhouse Cafe, featuring "Sweet Bean" Selene and Hearts Gone South, a country/honky tonk band from Asheville, NC. Free but donations for the musicians are requested.
Organizers: The Black Butte Center for Railroad Culture (BBCRC) [https://www.bbcrc.org/] preserves and promotes railroad culture by documenting and furthering the art, music, stories, community, and work of those who, historically and in modern times, travel or work on the railroads of North America. The BBCRC has preserved eight historic rail cars at our site in Weed, CA (including the 1888 "Shasta" Pullman car and the Utah Phillips Memorial Flanger Car) and maintains the online "Hobo Bibliography" - the most comprehensive bibliography of materials on railroad hobos and tramps available anywhere.

Program: Medford Commemoration of the Tunnel 13 Tragedy
Date: Wednesday, October 11, 2023
Time: 11 am - 12 pm PT
Location: I.O.O.F. Eastwood Cemetery, 1581 Siskiyou Boulevard, Medford OR 97504. We will convene at the cemetery’s mausoleum (parking is available), and then walk together to Mr. Johnson’s gravesite.
Description: Charles “Coyl” Johnson was the off-duty brakeman for the Southern Pacific Railway who was killed by the DeAutremont brothers during the Tunnel 13 tragedy. Johnson is buried at Medford’s historic I.O.O.F. Eastwood Cemetery. To honor Johnson and all of the lives lost in the tragedy, Southern Oregon Historical Society is planning a short commemorative talk by railroad historian Larry Mullaly at Mr. Johnson’s gravesite. This event is free to the public.
Organizers: The Southern Oregon Historical Society [sohs.org] brings history alive by collecting, preserving, and sharing the stories and artifacts of our region’s past. Through its interpretive programs, collections, and publications, the Society strives to educate the public and generate an appreciation of regional history for present and future generations. SOHS runs an Archives and Research Library in the History Center building at 106 N. Central Ave in Medford (hours Tuesday-Saturday, 12-4 pm) and the Hanley Farm historic site at 1053 Hanley Road just outside of Jacksonville (only open during public events).

Program: Underground History Live: Tragedy at Tunnel 13
Date: October 11, 2023
Time: 5pm – 8pm PT
Location: Ashland Hills Hotel, 2525 Ashland Street, Ashland, Oregon
Flyer (PDF)
Description: Join us for a director’s screening of the Oregon Public Broadcasting documentary Murder on the Southern Pacific, followed by a panel discussion moderated by Jefferson Public Radio’s Geoffrey Riley featuring experts on a variety of aspects of the history and legacy of the crime. A pop-up exhibit will showcase historic records and artifacts, and a commemorative pictorial postmark will be available by on-site post office staff. The event is free and the panel discussion will be recorded and available for later viewing.
Organizers: Underground History (https://www.ijpr.org/tags/underground-history) is a collaboration between the Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) and Jefferson Public Radio's Jefferson Exchange. This award-winning public radio segment and podcast spotlights little-known aspects of history through the lens of archaeology, education, and social justice. Underground History has a regular column in the Jefferson Journal (https://www.ijpr.org/people/chelsea-rose) and hosts periodical live events. SOULA is an on-campus archaeology firm that conducts grant- and contract- funded research throughout Oregon and regularly works with the media, students, and community volunteers to promote archaeological awareness and heritage stewardship (https://inside.sou.edu/soula/index.html). The Jefferson Exchange is a live interactive news program devoted to current events and newsmakers from around the region, and beyond (https://www.ijpr.org/show/the-jefferson-exchange).

Program: Underground History Podcast Tragedy at Tunnel 13 Episodes
Date: Launching by October 2023
Location: Online at https://www.ijpr.org/podcast/underground-history and podcast distributors
Description: Underground History will host a series of podcasts leading up to the 100th anniversary of the Tragedy at Tunnel 13. You can listen live on Jefferson Public Radio, or find show wherever you get your podcasts. The September 29, 2023 episode is about the growth of forensic science from the century-old tragedy at Tunnel 13 near Ashland, Oregon. The October 6, 2023 episode is about how the post office got so involved in a murder investigation at Tunnel 13 in the Siskiyou Mountains.
Links: https://www.ijpr.org/podcast/underground-history and https://www.instagram.com/underground_history_podcast/?hl=en
Organizers: Underground History (https://www.ijpr.org/tags/underground-history) is a collaboration between the Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) and Jefferson Public Radio's Jefferson Exchange. This award-winning public radio segment and podcast spotlights little-known aspects of history through the lens of archaeology, education, and social justice. Underground History has a regular column in the Jefferson Journal (https://www.ijpr.org/people/chelsea-rose) and hosts periodical live events. SOULA is an on-campus archaeology firm that conducts grant- and contract- funded research throughout Oregon and regularly works with the media, students, and community volunteers to promote archaeological awareness and heritage stewardship (https://inside.sou.edu/soula/index.html). The Jefferson Exchange is a live interactive news program devoted to current events and newsmakers from around the region, and beyond (https://www.ijpr.org/show/the-jefferson-exchange).

Program: Sidedoor Podcast Episode “CSI Southern Pacific”
Date: Launched October 11, 2023
Location: Online at https://www.si.edu/sidedoor/csi-southern-pacific and podcast distributors
Description: Season 10 episode entitled “CSI: Southern Pacific” re-examines “the evidence to find out how U.S. Postal Inspectors tracked down a band of old school outlaws using cutting edge criminal forensics...and postmarked them for prison.”
Organizers: Sidedoor: A Podcast from the Smithsonian, with support from PRX; https://www.si.edu/sidedoor

Program: Commemorative Pictorial Postmark
Date: Monday, October 9 to Friday, October 13, 2023
Time: See https://tools.usps.com/find-location.htm for retail hours
Location: Ashland Post Office, Ashland, OR
Description: As part of the centennial observance, the Ashland Post Office is offering customers a special pictorial postmark from October 9 to October 13, 2023. See https://tools.usps.com/find-location.htm to check retail hours and location of the Ashland Post Office. For additional ways to obtain the pictorial postmark, follow the instructions and information about the limited time period of availability outlined in the “stamp services” section (pages 29-30 in pdf version) of the Postal Bulletin Issue 22634 (10-05-23) at https://about.usps.com/resources/postal-bulletin.htm.
Organizer: United States Postal Service