Just now it appears that there is a strong probability that an army cantonment is going to be built in our immediate neighborhood in the very near future. It seems that the site has been definitely selected--at least roughly. The men who are doing that selecting seem to have a hard time making up their minds just where to draw the line as to the boundary of the big camp. But one thing is sure--if things in Europe do not get better right soon, this country is going to enlarge the army, and when that happens, the cantonment in this country will be among the first to be built.
    So far as the writer can learn, here is a rough outline of the  site as of today (Tuesday p.m.): The GHQ will be located just east of the Crater Lake Highway at the point where the highway comes closest to the railroad. The main camp will lie both east and west of headquarters. The cantonment will take in practically all of Antelope Valley as far south as Grizzly Peak. From there it is proposed to run the line eastward beyond the Lost Lake country, crossing the south fork of Little Butte Creek above Dead Indian Soda Springs down the divide between the south fork and north fork of Little Butte to the vicinity of the Lake Creek store and thence back into the Antelope Valley. That, roughly, is the proposed eastern part of the big camp.
    The northern part will include a strip at the mouth of Little Butte Creek, where a bridge will be built. From there the camp will take in most of the Beagle district as far as Evans Creek. And if you don't think that means a lot of country, just try hiking over it someday. It is bigger than most countries in Europe. But don't put too much faith in this statement of the outlines of the proposed camp. It may have been changed since we left town--those folks beat the Dutch for changing their minds.
    Last Sunday the state highway commission met with the army men in Medford and went over part of the proposed site. They will have a big job on their hands putting the Crater Lake Highway into shape to carry the enormous traffic to and from camp. Also the county is faced with a bit of trouble in putting several of the county roads in like shape. Just which ones will be considered "access roads" we don't know yet. And it is thought that Congress will have passed the national defense road program before the time comes we need the money, and federal funds will be available for all these roads.
    But the most stupendous problems facing the people of this county is the matter of providing housing for the hordes of workmen who will be brought here to build the camp. Army officials estimate the number of these at about 8000. And they prophesy that we will have to take care of at least 1000 trailer houses brought by these men. This means proper sanitary provisions, lighting, water, etc. And on top of that, when the army moves in our cities will face a dwelling house shortage of some 5000 houses. Just try that on your jew's harp.
    And we wonder if the people of Central Point realize that if the cantonment does come--and President Roosevelt's fireside chat makes one even more certain that it WILL come and that right soon--a lot of things will have to be done right here at home. According to the chief architect who is drawing the plans for the cantonment (and who, by the way, has built a number of other such camps in other parts of the United States) there will come with the 30,000 men and 1000 officers somewhere in the neighborhood of 12,000 to 15,000 civilians who must be housed in surrounding towns. That means some four or five thousand new houses in the Rogue River Valley. Which also means that the population of this city will be doubled. Which again means plenty of headaches for the council in their job of providing water, sewers, street maintenance, police, and the like.
Arthur Edward Powell, "Musings by the Editor," Central Point American, May 29, 1941, page 1


    The architect for the proposed army cantonment here is under contract to have the plans ready so that construction can be started by October 1. The plans will be ready before that date, and it is hoped to have the first contingent of soldiers in the camp by November, with more to arrive in December and the post to be filled by January. The positive statements, without any "as, if and when" qualifications, were made last night by Myron Hunt, cantonment architect, at a meeting sponsored by the Jackson County League of Women Voters in the county courthouse auditorium.
    The information was brought out under a barrage of questions from the women in the audience, who brushed aside all verbal skirmishing and asked such point-blank questions as: "When will work on the cantonment start?" "When will the boys start arriving?" "How will the huge quantities of supplies needed by the soldiers be transported to the camp?" "What about hospital facilities?" "How and where will the large quantities of foodstuffs be preserved?"
    It was the first time that any positive information was given out on a number of points. Heretofore, for example, it had been emphasized the cantonment construction was dependent upon congressional appropriation and enlargement of the army, and arrival of soldiers, of course, depended upon erection of the camp.
    Mrs. Hunt, who spoke on the social aspects of military camps, was equally positive. Her first statement was: "The cantonment is going to arrive."
    The cantonment is being planned for 35,000 soldiers, Mr. Hunt said, though other figures he gave indicated that the actual number occupying the camp would be around 30,000. Half the troops will be quartered east of Crater Lake Highway and half west of the highway, he related. There will be four miles of buildings, the ordinary space between them being 50 feet, with occasional firebreaks, he stated.
    A military bridge is to be constructed across the Rogue River about a mile east of the Bybee bridge, so that cannon and lorries can get across the stream safely, Mr. Hunt said, adding that pontoon bridges also were to be built.
    In reply to a question about transportation, after he had said that a camp of 20,000 men uses 40 carloads of materials a day, Mr. Hunt stated that the railroad to the camp site (the Medford Corporation logging railroad), would have to be rebuilt.
    Replying to the question about the preservation of foodstuffs, the architect said a huge cold storage plant would be built at the camp and there "will be a laundry and a bakery big enough to make your eyes bulge." There will be 36 warehouses, each about 60 by 120 or 130 feet in dimensions, he added.
    Mr. Hunt said the army invariably "starves" its camp hospital facilities at the beginning, but he was hopeful enough additional funds would be appropriated within a year for a 1500-bed hospital. As now planned it is a 1200-bed hospital. The one-story hospital plant now planned will be 1500 by 2000 feet in dimensions, he related. He stated that a study was being made now to determine whether government aid could be obtained in financing expansion of hospitals in Medford and nearby towns to take care of the needs of the families of officers and soldiers and other civilians who will come here to live.
    Asked what the camp buildings would be built of, Mr. Hunt replied quickly: "Oregon pine," and then amended it to "Douglas fir."
    A question about the army's method of buying supplies brought the answer that with such large-scale buying, bids are ordinarily asked for once a month.
    "You can't sell from your back yard to an army camp," Mr. Hunt said. "This is wholesale business." He advised persons with produce to sell to organize a selling organization to embrace the entire Rogue River Valley and other valleys of Southern Oregon.
    With 30,000 men in camp, there will be throughout the county roughly an additional 15,000, relatives of the men, camp followers and others attracted here by the cantonment, Mr. Hunt said.
    The community's problem will come next fall with construction of the camp and the influx of camp workers and hangers-on, said Mr. Hunt, who has designed two California camps and speaks from experience. When the army moves in and takes over the camp, everything will be stabilized, he explained.
    Mr. Hunt spoke of meeting Col. F. L. TouVelle while he was looking over the land for possible bridge construction at the TouVelle property on the Rogue River. After asking Mr. Hunt what he had in mind, Col. TouVelle said of his land: "Don't take more than you need, but take what you want," the architect related. "It's a pleasure to meet such a man," Mr. Hunt added.
    In a talk punctuated with keen wit, Mrs. Hunt advised residents here to afford the soldier boys every opportunity for wholesome recreation. "Remember," she said, "they are your boys, for if your boys are not at this particular camp they will be at similar camps." She gave advice from experience on how best to be of service to the boys, and she urged that steps be taken immediately to prepare for arrival of the youths at the camp here.
    The auditorium was filled to capacity and the audience seemed alert and eager to receive the information that Mr. and Mrs. Hunt had to impart. Mrs. Leonard Carpenter, president of the league's county unit, presided.
    Mrs. Carpenter called attention of the audience to the league's campaign to arouse the interest of the public in the "battle of production." In this emergency, Mrs. Carpenter said, "we should put the good of our country above every other consideration."
Medford Mail Tribune, June 24, 1931, page 1


    How to pronounce "cantonment" was definitely settled once and for all at the Jackson County League of Women Voters meeting last night.
    After saying "We have looked it up," Mrs. Myron Hunt, wife of the camp architect, pronounced it "can-tone-ment." A little later Mr. Hunt, looking daggers at his wife, pointedly pronounced it it "can-tahn-ment." And to clarify the matter Mrs. Leonard Carpenter, presiding, pronounced it "can-toon-ment."
Medford Mail Tribune, June 24, 1931, page 1