"Don't forget the wrench"

This afternoon I found this little story on the front page of the "Grants Pass Daily Courier" dated July 23, 1921:
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"San Francisco - The experiences of Raymond G. Fisher, a forest service pilot, who secured aid by wireless after being forced to land on Wizard Island in Crater Lake, are attracting attention as the result of the publication of the story by air service authorities.

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Fisher was forced to land, and found that he needed spark plugs. He sent a wireless, and another aviator dropped the plugs from a parachute."

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I found another story that occurred a short time later, where another fire patrol plane was forced to land on a divide to change spark plugs. 1921 was a tough year for the air patrol, many stops and starts because of the difficulty in securing a steady supply gasoline, not because of a shortage but budgeting. The funds came from several different sources, The Forest Service and Army Air Corps being the main contributors. It may have been the inconsistency of gas quality that caused the spark plug failures.

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The original story appears that some kind of major accomplishment had occurred, considering the year involved, I'm not sure if it was the feat of landing on the island or the use of the wireless radio in communicating the need for assistance. Or maybe it was the skill required to drop the spark plugs by parachute and have them land on the island. Actually, I'm impressed by all three !!!

"Rejected", NEXT !

The following is a letter to the Regional Forester from the Northwest Oregon FPA dated August 13, 1942:
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"Reference is made to memorandum from W. N. Parke to James Frankland, under date of August 7th, relative to the proposed establishment of an Aircraft Warning Station on Sugar Loaf Lookout in Section 1, T4N, R10W.

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A number of years ago this point was tried out as a lookout station, but due to the fact that the lookout was unable to see for approximately 50 percent of the time because of coastal fogs, the station was abandoned for lookout purposes.

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As only temporary quarters were provided for the lookout during this try-out period, the establishment of a year-around station on Sugar Loaf would require a full set of buildings and construction of approximately five miles of telephone line. The summit of Sugar Loaf is a rock, which stands above the surrounding timber, the summit being approximately 6 foot by 6 foot, or just enough to accommodate a fire finder. Since this point is reached by ladders and rope, it would be impossible to construct any building on the point without excessive cost for blasting powder. To the north of this rock and about 100 feet below the summit is a ridge, which was thought we might be able to clear for a building site. So much timber would have to be cut, however, on this ridge to give the observer the proper visibility that this proposal seems impractical."

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Eventually an AWS site was located at a different location nearby.

"Oh!, ain't we crazy?"

From the August 1931 edition of the "Six Twenty-Six":
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"The latest injury reported could have been prevented if equipment had been of a different type. The new type of fire finder, of which we have two, is now in use on Substitute Point. This type of fire finder has no track so the finder cannot be moved to see around the corner posts and window casings in the lookout house. A few days ago Al Caldwell, lookout fireman at this point, thought he had located a fire. He tried to get a reading on it with his finder, but one of the corner posts of his Aladdin type house was in his line of vision. After trying various and varied methods of twisting the line of sight around this corner post and being unable to move his finder on its base, could only think of no other way to accomplish his purpose except to turn his house on its foundations. In his efforts to do this, he wrenched and strained his back seriously. In consequence of which he is not now enjoying religion and good health.

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We are now making a sliding platform of our own design for this finder and hope when its installed, to have no more injury reports of this nature.
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The lookouts will now join us in singing, "Oh, Ain't we crazy"?" Contributed by Felix Sparks

The old guy can still run

The two following stories came from the "Mail Tribune" out of Medford:

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August 31, 1918: "A fresh forest fire on Steve's Fork of Carberry Creek near Steamboat in the Applegate District, which had been burning for several days, and which now covers 1,000 acres, was fanned by a high wind which arose yesterday into a swift spreading and traveling conflagration. So fast did the fire travel that Dr. Barker, the retired physician of Jacksonville who is the lookout at the forest service lookout station on Steve's Peak, had barely time to escape with his life. He saw the flames coming up the mountain at some distance away and seizing a few personal effects ran with all his might for a mile or more to safety. The flames reached the lookout station a moment after his departure and destroyed it and all its contents. As yet this forest fire has not gotten into heavy timber."

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September 5, 1918: "The big forest fire that started in brush in the Carberry Creek-Stevens Peak section several days ago, has spread into huge proportions and reached heavy timber. It has spread in length as far as Swan Valley which is 8 to 10 miles west from Stevens Peak. The lookout at the peak, who was forced to flee when the fire started and spread so fast, and who returned to the station later, telephoned today that the peak was surrounded on all sides by fire and that he could not get away if he wanted. He has supplies and of course is now in no danger because of the fire in its rush having burned over everything in the vicinity of the peak."

Home Delivery

From the October 1935 issue of the "Six Twenty-Six":
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"The lonely forest lookout, occupying his station high in the mountain regions of the Cascades, looks forward to weeks of monotony and isolation as the time comes that he must take his post. Such, however, is not the case with Howard Church, observer at Red Butte in the Little River district, about 20 miles, in an airline, from Roseburg. Church has his Seattle and San Francisco papers almost daily, in some cases in advance of subscribers. He recieves fresh cigettes, candy and even fresh, dainty lunches, actually "showered" upon him.

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It all started along in June when Church took over his station. Red Butte is a high jagged peak that rises to an elevation of approximately 5300 feet. It is topped by a small plateau which is crossed by a low swale. The peak is directly in the path of passenger planes in summer and is used as a guide by the pilots.

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When clouds hang low, the pilots must fly several miles out of their course around the peak or may cross through the gap in the peak. Church found that the removal of several snags on the top of the mountain would remove the hazards to the fliers, and he proceeded to take out the dead trees. In appreciation, a pilot dropped him a Seattle paper. Church wrote his thanks to the airline.

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Now the pilots make it a practice to drop him the day's papers from Seattle and San Francisco. He gets the latest editions within a few hours after publication. Passengers, regularly using the line, have become interested, and include gifts in the packets. Cigarettes, candy, chewing gum, magazines, these and many other gifts have been tossed down to the forest lookout as the airliners have passed over his station. Recently one of the hostesses prepared a luncheon, complete to after-dinner mints and toothpicks, and the meal was lowered by means of an improvised parachute.

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Church has established correspondence with some of the pilots and has arranged to take one or more on hunting trips during the deer season. He plans to visit Seattle during the winter and will take a ride on the route to see his station from the air."

Anderson Butte Lookout

Anderson Butte Lookout was constructed in 1933, the following three short stories from the "Medford Mail Tribune" follow the progress:

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July 31, 1933: "Work commenced today on Anderson Butte lookout house, which will be situated atop a thirty-foot tower. The house is to be 14x14, according to the plans. The timber for the building will be cut at the location of the lookout. The Applegate CCC boys are to do the work."

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August 8, 1933: "Material for the construction of the tower at Anderson Butte is being packed in for a distance of three miles, according to forest service officials."

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September 12, 1933: "The Anderson Butte lookout was completed yesterday."

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The lookout was constructed for the Rogue River National Forest and in later years was managed by the Southwest Oregon District of the Oregon Department of Forestry. In 1938 a CCC crew from Camp Applegate constructed a garage for a cost of $50.00. The lookout was destroyed in 1965.

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The photo above was taken in 1959, and was courtesy of the Southwest District of ODF.

Open season on lookouts

"Lloyd Woodell, who was stationed on Mt. Emily as cooperative lookout, one day shortly after the opening of the hunting season, was stalking a pine squirrel near the tower with the idea of using it to replenish his larder. He was carrying his 22 rifle, his arm in front of him, as the woodsmen often do when expecting a quick shot. Suddenly he heard a loud report and his right arm dropped, numbed and almost paralyzed, to his side. For a split second he did not know what had happened. Then he realized that he had been shot. An instant later he saw a man come out from behind some bushes and trees about a hundred yards away with his rifle in his hands. When the man saw Lloyd he turned and ran, crashing down the hill at a great pace and not once looking back. It was too far to recognize the fellow or to identify him, besides Lloyd had other things to attend to. First he examined the wound which was across his right forearm and quite deep but not serious. He bandaged it tightly to stop the bleeding and then went to examine the tracks of the coward who had shot without knowing at what he aimed and after he had seen that it was a man that did not have the nerve or the manhood to face the issue. Due to the carpet of needles and grasses Lloyd was unable to find any tracks that were plain enough to be of any value. Then as he was feeling weak from loss of blood and from shock of the high-powered bullet he returned to the cabin.

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Lloyd told no one of the affair until some time after the fire season, for as he said, "My arm got along nicely and I was afraid that you would send me out for medical attention if you heard that I had been shot and I didn't want to lose the time."

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If this shot had been three inches to one side it would have been fatal, as it is Lloyd Woodell will carry the scar to his grave, because someone was criminally careless and shot without seeing the horns.

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How long must we be content with a state law that provides a heavier penalty for accidently shooting an elk or mountain sheep than man?" Contributed by G.J. Tucker

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From the "Six Twenty-Six" dated January 1929.

Beware of the biscuits

From the December 1937 issue of the "Six Twenty-Six":
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"Archibald was the unofficial companion and real comrade of the Meadow Mountain Lookout. For eight years he had held that position. He had seen men come and go - from the old timer to the greenest recruit. During this time he had acquired a fund of wisdom and understanding. Those who had been there before awaited with anticipation his first call each season after the station was manned. New men soon became his staunch friends.

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But this year something happened. Archibald duly made his appearance when Leonard Herbert opened the station. Day after day he called to pay his respects, to keep the lookout company as he went about his work, and, perhaps, to be offered some tidbit. All went well until the first of August, then no longer did Archibald enter the very door of the lookout cabin or frisk about outside. He had vanished! No one knows whether his career has met a sad and sudden ending. But Leonard wonders whether there is any connection between Archibald's disappearance and the fact that on his last call he had been treated to a hearty meal of home-made biscuits."

Contributed by E.D. Wilmouth