Here Kitty,Kitty?

The "Six Twenty-Six", August 1928:
.

"On July 8, 1928, Ranger M.H. Durban of the Gardiner District killed a young cougar which measured 6'4" from tip to tip. Durban had been working on the lookout tower at Fern Top Mountain and had noted fresh tracks in the trail near the lookout. He phoned Lewis Seymour of Gardiner, who has two well-trained dogs. Consequently Mr. Seymour lost no time in leaving for the lookout, but being rather fat and soft made it only part way up the mountain that evening. Next morning he had traveled only a short distance, treeing the cougar near the lookout. Ranger Durban, hearing the dogs at bay, was soon there and shot the animal from near the top of a large hemlock tree."

"A better idea"

"Crook County Journal" August 26, 1920:

.

"Ranger Donnelly is in charge of this unit of the Ochoco National Forest and demonstrated his usefulness and originality just after the recent severe electrical storm. This storm set eleven fires which started almost simultaneously and which were scattered over his entire district comprising some 400,000 acres. Incidentally, a bolt of lightning struck the Forest Service telephone line only a short distance from the Snow Mountain Lookout cabin and was warm enough to burn a section out of the wire. It also burned out some essential parts of the telephone at the lookout station and left Ranger Donnelly in a rather embarrassing position with only one man in sight as a helper to extinguish the eleven fires smoking up before him.

.

Mr. Donnelly remembered that some years ago he had operated more or less successfully one Henry Ford car and that when he sold or gave away this parcel of tinware that he reserved for possible future emergencies, one of the ignition coils. He proceeded to find the old coil and took it to Snow Mountain lookout where with screwdriver, hammer, etc., he dissected the instrument, installed the old Ford coil and now has the instrument working about 150 percent efficient."

Where did they hide that darn fuse box???????

"Six Twenty-Six", March 1936:
.

"William Chetwood, lookout fireman at Stanley, got the largest percent of lightning storms of any other lookout on the forest. Bill, being one of these "go get them and stay until they are out" kind, was a busy man. Early one morning a storm passed over his area, setting two fires. Bill went after them, leaving his wife to act as lookout. Late that p.m. a following storm passed over Stanley, setting several fires. Mrs. Chetwood, being on the job, was the first to report three of the fires. The ranger got final check-up on Stanley at 11 p.m., when it appeared that she left. Thinking that Mrs. Chetwood had decided to call it a day and go to bed, we thought no more of it until the next morning. As we got no report at the regular time, an effort was made to get the lookout without success. About this time Bill reported in from Huckleberry lookout, three hours ride from his station, after being on fire line all night. He left at once for Stanley and was gone only a few minutes when Mrs. Chetwood reported in. The lightning had struck the lookout tower at about 11 p.m. the night before, burning out the telephone. Mrs. Chetwood said "I hunted all over this tower last night for the fuse box but failed to find it until this morning", when she repaired the telephone and reported in. Mrs. Chetwood said she was not afraid but did not like it when the lightning ran through the house." Submitted by Louis A. Carpenter

Plus shipping and handling.....

"The following data was submitted by Ranger McFarland covers the packing of a standard lookout house erected on Mt Fuji during the past season:
.
Length of pack- 5 miles
.
Maximum grade 50%. 0 to 10%, 3 miles. 10% and over, 2 miles.
.
8 head of pack stock used.
.
2 men, 6 days.
.
45 horse loads.
.
Maximum load, 190 lbs. Minimum load, 130 lbs. Average load 155 lbs.
.
Cost of packing - $125.95
.
Condition of stock at end of job: Good"
.

This was from the January 1927 issue of the "Six Twenty-Six" listing the packing stats on moving materials to build a D-6 cupola in 1926.

The last lookout

The "Six Twenty-Six" issue from May 1933 reported a double tragedy:
.
"Ray Lewis of the Mazamas, Everett Darr of the Wy-east Club and Miss Elsa Hanff of Spokane, who climbed Mount Hood in March, reported that violent winter storms had almost demolished the lookout house. The cupola has been torn off and lies almost on its side. The cabin has been ripped open and the interior filled with snow and ice. The building is canted at an angle of about 60 degrees to the southward, and apparently has been moved from it's foundation about a foot. The anchor cables are missing on two sides. The climbers reported extremely steep snow, dangerous and difficult to traverse, and a new crevasse, apparently hundreds of feet deep. They said the cabin would have to be almost completely rebuilt. Here's a good job for ECW boys! A strange coincidence is the fact that Mack Hall, popular lookout at this point last season was killed in an auto accident at Eugene in March."
.
Records indicate that 1932 was the last year the lookout was staffed and no records have indicated that repairs were made.

What a great idea!!!

The "Medford Sun" ran this story in it's June 30, 1917 issue:
.
"District Forester George H. Cecil, of Portland, has just placed an order with the Mill-Made Construction Company, of Portland, for ready-cut material for three standard lookout houses to be erected at the summits of Mt McLaughlin, Diamond Peak and Rustler Peak, on the Crater national forest, in July.
.
These houses are twelve feet square, with a cupola six feet square. Both cupola and main part of the building have windows running al the way around. The lower part of the house is the lookout man's living quarters, while the cupola contains the Osborne fire finder, maps and other lookout equipment.
.
The success in quickly discovering forest fires from lookouts stationed on Mount Hood and other high peaks has turned the attention of foresters to this form of fire protection work. Besides the three houses to be erected on the Crater forest this season, lookout houses will also be placed on several other prominent peaks in Oregon and Washington."
.
A follow up story in the same newspaper dated July 13, 1917:
.
"The forest service is rushing the three fire lookouts on Windy Peak, Mt McLaughlin and Rustler Butte, so that there is no delay in preparations for fire fighting. The fire lookout houses, knocked down, have been shipped from Portland. Ten government mules will be needed to transport the houses to the peaks."
.
That year saw the construction of three lookout houses on the peaks mentioned in the second story. The location of Diamond Peak is unclear, quite often in the early days many peaks were known by several different names.

And, in the beginning.....

Walt Dutton, an early Ranger on the Fremont National Forest, wrote a short "Fremont History" in 1962. The following is from his July 1911 entry:
.

"After completion of the Ingram Station assignment we returned to our summer stations -- Cronemiller to Thomas Creek and I to the Gaylord place on the Chewaucan. The old ranch house on the Gaylord place was occupied by a family of wood rats and our shelter for the summer was a 7x9 tent pitched nearby. My job description, given verbally by Gilbert Brown before we left Lakeview, instructed me to ride daily to the top of Buck Mountain, about a mile and a half to the east, and scan the surrounding country for fires. Also, in my judgement, when fire danger was low I was to ride around the country and post James Wilson cloth fire signs. There was no established fire lookouts in that area and no telephone communication nearer than Thomas Creek Ranger Station."

Recollections ------

Every now and again I come across a loose document that has no date or source, here is one of those:

.

"When I arrived at Crowflat Ranger Station to take over the Burns District, there was no one around or to introduce me to the new territory so I found my way around alone. There was a short-term man located at Calamity Guard Station near Drewsey and a lookout-fireman at West Myrtle Butte on the opposite end of the district. When I reached Myrtle Butte on my Preliminary rounds, I found it to be a butte covered with a heavy stand of mature timber, with a commanding view when an opening could be found between the trees. An Osborne fire-finder was set up on a wobbly table about four feet high, constructed of small, round sticks wired together with emergency telephone wire. When a smoke was sighted, the lookout fireman would proceed to carry the table and fire-finder to a spot from which the smoke would be visible between the trees. He would set the table down and orient the finder as best he could, as the table wobbled and shook, then take a reading and report.

.

I sized up the situation and said to the guard, "Don't you think we can rig up a better set-up than this?" He thought it might be worth a try. So we felled two fir poles about seventy-five feet in height and I prevailed on a road maintenance crew not far away to send a team and driver over and drag the poles over to one of the tallest trees. I found some lumber and nails, and we made a fifty-foot ladder and got it raised up the side of the tree. At the top of the ladder we built a platform. Then we made a thirty-foot ladder and pulled it up the side of the tree until it rested on the platform, we cut the treetop off and set up the fire-finder on the stub. We now had a platform which did not wobble and in a permanent location." By Grover C. Blake

.

A 1961 Malheur National Forest Improvement Inventory indicates that a 240 square foot frame living quarters for this site was built in 1924. Another document shows that Mr. Blake came to the district in 1923, therefore one may assume the tree lookout was erected in 1923.

Don't get me going on this subject!!!

The "Medford Mail Tribune"- July 6, 1945:

.

"State police officers are today investigating vandalism of the Buck Rock Lookout Station near Trail, which was entered sometime between Sunday and Thursday. Police and State Forest Patrol headquarters reported the telephone had been wrecked, a fire-finder and map destroyed, radio torn out, windows broken and several articles missing.

.

The lookout, Melvin Anhorn, 16, route 3, Medford, discovered the act when he returned to his station Thursday. Anhorn had been bitten by a rattlesnake Sunday and had come to Medford for aid and it was upon his return to duty that the vandalism was discovered. Because the telephone and radio had been damaged beyond use, Anhorn had to walk out a considerable distance to telephone forest headquarters."

.

It seems that the vandalism issues are not a recent phenomenon. There has always been a segment of the population that has been unable to form a coherent constructive thought or action. These actions makes one look powerful and full of bravado, to the dullards that "hang" with them, and of course to their biggest admirer, themselves.

APRICOTS AND TELEPHONES

From the "Medford Mail Tribune" dated July 21, 1943:
.
"Francis Bush, Rogue River Lookout stationed at Buck Peak, in the southeast corner of the forest, didn't get to finish his evening meal Sunday. As Mr. Bush raised a spoon to his lips with an apricot section on it, lightning struck the lookout tower. Mr. Bush, the spoon and the apricot travelled in different directions. The lookout dizzily picked himself up after a few moments and soon noticed that the lightning had started a fire in his area. He lifted the phone to report the fire and immediately hit the floor for the count of ten.
.

With the aid of his wife Mr. Bush regained his feet and when his head cleared somewhat he disconnected the phone switch with a long wooden stick. The two then set excitedly out for Clover Station, since the rapidly spreading fire must be reported, from where men were dispatched. Mr. Bush returned warily to his own station, probably wondering about that old adage to the effect that lightning doesn't strike twice in the same spot.

.
Forest officials pointed out today that the lookout towers are equipped with lightning protectors and that even though the lookouts sometime have distressing experiences, injury is rarely reported.
.

The fire in the Buck Peak area spread over an acre and a half but is now under control."

Jack had an exciting season

The October 1931 issue of the "Six Twenty-Six" carried two stories of Jack Finch on Pearsoll Peak Lookout:
.

#1 "As Jack Finch was about to enter Pearsoll Peak Lookout Station just after dark on a recent night, he was attracted by a slight rustle. Bringing his flashlight into play he discovered a big rattlesnake, standing on his trailer, and apparently trying to look into one of the windows. Now all that remains of the snake is a fine set of rattlers which Jack kept for a souvenir."

.

#2 "Lightning during a storm on September 8 struck the Pearsoll Lookout house three times, and dazed the Lookout. Jack Finch, who, we are glad to state, is rapidly recovering. Adequate lightning protection prevented any damage save a burned out fuse. The electricity jumped and open switch, and burned out the fuse, but got no further."

A Load of Watermelon

This story was found in "The Sentinel", published in Cottage Grove on September 12, 1930:

.

"George Hewitt, who is lookout at Fairview, through which go all telephone calls from Layng Creek section of the forest, learned in some way that the fire guard at Musick had ordered two watermelons. It is two miles or more from Fairview down to the Musick cabin, a large part of the trip almost straight up or down, but Hewitt arrived simultaneously with the melons and didn't leave until one of them had been disposed of. How he carried that load back to his mountain perch was a mystery."

The Parched Puppy

While at the National Archives last month I found a folder of the "Umatilla Buckaroo", an early gossip sheet for the Umatilla National Forest. The July 1936 issue carried this little tale:

.

"It seems a lady drove up to the station and asked for a drink of water. Elmer only has to pack his water half a mile and she had to pass at least two well marked springs regardless of the way she came. However, Elmer is an obliging fellow and readily agreed to quench her thirst.

.

But this lady, apparently "had been around" and was going to be sure that everything was on the up and up. Was the water fresh, cool and clear? Was he sure that the source of supply was free from disease and germs, etc? Elmer assured her that everything was O.K. but couldn't help feeling that she seemed a bit fussy about it. But as the saying goes, "he ain't heard nothin' yet" - the drink was for her "little doggie." Contributed by Don C. Rohn"

Motor Sports

"The Ochoconian", July 1927:

.

"Sam Warg, lookout for Hash Rock and Tamarack Point, has been busy with his regular work not to mention playing Chauffeur to the Cleveland motorcycle. Sam is developing a wonderful vocabulary because of the peculiarities of the machine, and has been asked not to express his opinion of it except in places where it would be considered absolutely safe to smoke or build a fire. Some of Sam's remarks would scorch asbestos to a very dark brown."

.

"The Ochoconian", June 1928:

.

"Sam Warg will again be on the job this year as lookout, and will be camped at Tamarack Point. He will also use Hash Rock as a secondary point. His method of travel between points will be by means of the Cleveland Motorcycle."

.

The old Cleveland motorcycle was used at the Ranger District, but was so cantankerous nobody wanted to mess with it, so Sam hauled the thing out and got it to run and was allowed to use it at his post. Throughout the 1920's Hash Rock was a secondary lookout and was connected to Tamarack Point (later Ingram Point) by foot trail. This trip was made once or twice every day, so the motorcycle saved a lot of travel time.

.

"The Ochoconian" was a news letter printed by and for the personnel of the Ochoco National Forest.

Early Calimus Butte Lookout

Two views of the first lookout structure, the tent was for additional housing and the pickup truck delivering supplies. All these photos were taken during the 1926 fire season. The other cupola structure is an early undated photo of the present lookout house.

.

The first half of December I spent almost two weeks at the National Archives in Seattle digging through box after box of documents, searching for early lookout history. In one of those boxes I found some rare photos of Calimus Butte lookout from 1926. Also I gathered bits and pieces from other boxes to put together a short history of the lookout.

.

In 1919 the Klamath Indian Agency constructed a telephone line to the summit of Calimus Butte, late in the season, in preparation of placing a lookout building at that point. The following year a 16x16 lookout house was constructed with a 12x12 cupola that was set off to one corner of the building instead of the standard centered cupola. The reasoning behind this strange design was that it was easier to construct and offered a larger area for lookout activities. At the same time a 14x20 cabin was built "at good grass and water" two and a half miles south of the lookout for the living quarters of the lookout. These building weren't constructed until about the end of the fire season. Prior to these structures the lookout had no shelter for at least two fire seasons.

.

In 1922 a 14x20 foot building was constructed on the summit for a guard cabin, this building being only a couple hundred feet below the lookout house. Also in 1922, the lookout was a married woman with two children that lived in the lookout house, so the larger dimensions made life a little more comfortable.

.

An Osborne fire finder was purchased and installed during the 1923 fire season, which was a major improvement over the old method of using a compass. The lookout person for this season was an interesting individual by the name of Charles Brophy. Mr. Brophy was an older gentleman in his mid-sixties and had a disability, missing one leg. Apparently, he may have been diabetic for his symptoms indicates that may be the case. In 1925, his bosses argued with the powers that were, that Brophy, passing his 65th birthday and with all his health issues, liked his job at the lookout and wasn't looking forward to being dependent on relatives, besides he was a very good lookout.

.

In 1930 this spacious lookout structure was torn down and replaced with the current structure, a 16x16 building with an 8x8 cupola centered on the roof. The first cabin was poorly constructed and failed quickly, the builder was criticized as being a scoundrel!

.

Calimus Butte was the first lookout on the Reservation, the second coming in 1929 at the north end on Yamsay Mountain. In 1925 the Indian Agency teamed up with the Crater National Forest and the Crater Lake National Park, and established the lookout on Mt. Scott, which was put to good use by the Indian Agency. In May and June, before Mt. Scott could be staffed and during low visibility days the Agency used Steiger Butte as a secondary lookout site, this was used until a permanent lookout was established on Agency Butte in 1930. North of Calimus Butte is a tract of timber land carved out of one corner of the Reservation that was owned by the Long Bell Lumber Company. During the 1920's, Long Bell maintained their own lookout in connection with the Klamath Forest Protective Association, on a point that later became known as Hambleton Butte. This lookout was connected by telephone to Calimus.

BUILDING A TREE HOUSE

"A 90-foot steel ladder salvaged from the old Baker Point lookout in northwest Oregon was transported to Gunter on the upper Smith River in one piece. At the mouth of Yellow Creek, below Gunter, on the Smith River the ladder and supplies were loaded onto two rough lumber boats and floated down to the old Damewood homestead, a distance of twelve miles. At one point one of the boats had to be flooded in order to go under a windfall. From the river the ladder was drug over two miles of trail.

.

A couple of months later the materials for the 8x8 crow's nest and guy wires were brought in and the lookout construction completed.

.

The tower was constructed to oversee an area that was destroyed by the Smith River burn in 1937."

.

The above story was assembled from articles found 25 years ago when researching in the attic at the State Forestry Office in Salem. The source: "Forest Log", May and August 1942 issues.

Panic over a little furry critter...

The "Bend Bulletin" printed the following story on August 20, 1928:

.

"The trail up Bachelor Peak is becoming entirely too popular, in the opinion of Ferdinand Strauss, forest service lookout. Strauss sent out a frantic S.O.S. last night over the telephone when a black bear started the long climb to the summit and reached a point well up in the snowfields before deciding that the prospects for a meal at the top weren't good enough to justify the climb.

.

Strauss, who was unarmed, put in several phone calls while the bear was apparently determined to reach the lookout station. Strauss called for volunteers, well armed, to argue with the bear and it was only after bruin gave up the trip that peace settled down over the phone line system of the Deschutes National Forest. Leslie Colvill reported this morning.

.

Strauss described the bear as "a big, black one" and was very earnest in his pleas for aid, Colvill said. Assurances that the black bear is friendly by nature and inclined to be playful rather than hostile had little effect until the animal had headed back down the slope.

.

Today Strauss is inclined to view the incident less gravely, although he is still convinced that he should be supplied with an armament."

A LITTLE CARE CAN SAVE A LOT OF PAIN

"Jake Smith is lookout on Devil's Knob in the South Umpqua District. As a lookout, Jake is pretty good and performs his duties cheerfully and conscientiously. As an artilleryman, however, he is perhaps not so good. At least he knows by this time that a loaded 22 around a lookout station is apt to go off and harm somebody. This lesson was brought home to Jake on June 30. He set his rifle down against the door facing while he strapped a 5-gallon water can to a pack board, inadvertently setting the rifle on a pack strap. In fastening the can to the pack board be pulled the strap, upsetting the gun which fell to the floor discharging and the bullet hitting Jake in the hip. Fortunately for Jake the wound was slight, being only a flesh one with a slight nicking of the bone. One of our cooperators, E.T. Hamlin, who is a rancher living in the vicinity of Devil's Knob brought Smith out to the road at the Summit Ranger Station on horseback from which point he was taken to a hospital in Roseburg.

.

If Jake had left his rifle at home he would have been able to spend the Fourth of July at the lookout station rather than in bed in the hospital. However, we are now glad to say that Jake is at Devil's Knob rendering efficient service on the lookout for fires and we venture to say that he will leave his rifle at home next time."

.

This story was reported in the August 1929 issue of the "Six Twenty-Six". Over the years a number of lookouts have had misfortunes with firearms, some much more serious than in this story. On the other hand, some found it very relieving they had the back-up, others that wished they did. Appears in the earlier years firearms safety wasn't taught or practiced to any great extent.