Jacksonville, Ore. — A historic Jacksonville business is in jeopardy of closing. The owner of the Jacksonville Barber Shop said he recently received an eviction notice, just months after he said he negotiated a five year contract.
Rod Crawford has been a customer for more than fifty years.
“We used to ride our horses in here, to get haircuts, they used to have hitching posts out on the street that we could tie our horses to, so I’ve been coming here a long time,” Crawford said. “This place has been here for over 136 years… so I can’t imagine getting a haircut anywhere else.”
But after a century of service, the Jacksonville Barber Shop has been issued an eviction notice. Owner Ed McBee said has has until October 31st to clear out.
“We’ve signed leases in five year increments, the last lease I signed was in 2012, and it recently expired in the end of September, but before that, we sat down and negotiated terms for a new lease,” McBee said.
McBee said that meeting was in August with the Masonic Lodge, a committee that serves as his landlords. During the negotiations, he said he accepted a 40-percent rent increase.
“It’s been such a good deal for so many years that I agreed to it,” McBee said.
But nothing was signed, and McBee said he didn’t hear from his landlords again.
“They stopped returning my phone calls, they stopped returning my emails, they wouldn’t talk to me in any way, shape, or form… until I got a letter from there attorney,” McBee.
The Masonic Lodge’s lawyern, Jack Davis, did not want to go on camera, but said there was never any kind of agreement, because the current lease is up, his clients are seeking the eviction.
“Basically their attorney says we’re using this opportunity to say adios to you,” McBee said.
McBee is hoping public awareness can save the shop.
“It’s pretty important to me,” McBee said. “And I know a lot of people feel the same way.”
He said it’s a piece of history the town can’t afford to lose.
“Point out in Jacksonville any other business that speaks more to the history of this town, you know, who would it be?” McBee said. “You know, this is it.”
McBee said he’s hired an attorney to fight the eviction.
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