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Its gotta be there someplace!

The Region 6 newsletter is full of interesting tidbits, here is one from the November 1934 edition of the Six Twenty-Six:

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"After searching for a fire and being unable to locate it, a call was made to the lookout on Domke Mountain. The lookout was to tell the searchers to use a mirror or smoke to show their location. After a couple moves the lookout says; "You're at the right place now and the fire should be there." A few minutes later from the "P" set by code, the following message was heard: "We are in camp."

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A new way of looking at a burning problem

A new beginning. Last evening while reading a series of old papers from Centrailia, Washington "The Daily Chronicle" I found this little piece that may have had an impact on the use of steel towers for fire detection.

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"The steel towers that support electric power transmission lines are being increasingly used by forest rangers as fire lookout stations in national forests. With the harnessing of the mountain streams a network of these lines is gradually being woven over the forests and in the absence of other convenient lookouts, the rangers find the steel towers helpful in their fire patrol work." August 9, 1913

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In another story from "The Centrailia News-Examiner" dated August 4, 1909:

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"To obtain the greatest results in minimum of expense, the federal forestry service has decided to establish on the most advantageous points of the National forests in the west, a series of lookout stations from which news of the beginning of forest fires can be telephoned to all forest officers. As all of these stations will command a view of the country for many miles, the work of detecting and extinguishing fires in their incipiency will be great facilitated, so that hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of timber can be saved annually by this innovation. Fire loses in the national forests are kept at a point where they are trivial, when compared with the damage which would be caused were the lands contained in unprotected areas."

HIGH AND DRY

After a recent visit to the lookout tower on Dry Mountain and the need to post something here, I dug through my files and found the following news articles:

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"The Snow Mountain road crew is completing a motor way from the upper Silver Creek section to the summit of Dry Mountain on which point Mr. J.T. Choate will serve as lookout - fireman for the coming summer. A new telephone line was constructed there last year, so with these improvements more efficient fire protection can be given to that extremely hazardous portion of the forest." ~ June 13, 1929 - Central Oregonian

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"Ranger E.W. Donnelly, assisted by fireman Jack Choate and Road Foreman W.J. Baur, is constructing a platform near the top of a Yellow pine tree on the summit of Dry Mountain. On this platform will be mounted a telephone, fire finder, etc., for use of the lookout who will occupy that station. The platform will be more than 100 feet from the ground and will afford a much better view than can be obtained from any point on the ground, since the top of the mountain is pretty well covered with timber." ~ July 18, 1929 - Central Oregonian

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"Jack Choate, who occupies the "crows nest" 110 feet from the ground in a yellow pine tree on the summit of Dry Mountain, says he feels perfectly at home since four 3/8" guy cables have been placed on the tree and the ladder improved to such an extent that he can run up and down the tree in high gear. Road Foreman Baur assisted in fixing up this lookout tree which is the highest platform occupied by a lookout on the Ochoco." ~ September 1929 - The Ochoconian

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In late 1930 a fireman's cabin was constructed near the location of a future tower. The Spring of 1931 a 75-foot Aermotor tower was received by the Forest Service in Prineville. The 11,000 pounds of materials for the tower was trucked to Riley and then to Dry Mountain by team to be erected prior to the fire season. This was the first steel tower to be constructed on the Ochoco National Forest.

Anyone know where this lookout is located?

Ranger Peak Lookout was an active primary lookout from 1916 to at least 1921. It was located on the Port Orford Ranger District of the Siskiyou National Forest. There were no legal descriptions or any hints to physical locations. The following article is from the September 1918 issue of "The Siskiyou Bulletin"

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"The lookout station at Ranger Peak was practically of no use during the first half of the month on account of smoke, therefore making intensive patrol necessary in the most dangerous localities. Miss Hilda Muender had to give up her job on September 10 and take up her duties as "School-Marm" at Agness while her brother Carl held down the lookout the balance of the month when he had to return to Oregon City to again enter high school. The services of the Muenders were entirely satisfactory and it hoped that Miss Hilda will be in a position to accept the job again next year, but then Dan Cupid may get busy and cheat me out of a perfectly capable lady lookout." Submitted by the District Ranger

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Sad to say that the poor Ranger was disappointed because Miss Hilda did not return the following season.

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I have checked all my maps and have been unable to locate this site, of course, it may have been named something else officially and has lived on in good service. Iron Mountain? seems possible. The Ranger Peak paper trail ended with the 1921 staffing list and Iron Mountain was first mentioned as lookout materials being cut in 1924. If anyone knows, I would appreciate the help.

Give them a roof and they will stay

Just returned from a tiring excursion to the National Archives in Seattle, two weeks of (yawn) paper turning. Some real treasures were found, including a fairly complete set of "The Siskiyou Bulletin". This little monthly newsletter was published within and for the staff of the Siskiyou National Forest from about 1909 through 1933.

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The following was found in the December 1914 issue:

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"For the information of Mr. Jones or others having lookout stations to construct, description of the Bolivar lookout is here given: It was constructed by the only material available, white fir for posts, plates, sills and rafters and sugar pine for shakes. The frame material was carried up the steep slopes of Bolivar from 100 to 200 yards and shakes were carried about 1/4 mile. This was accomplished by the guard taking up a load each time he came to the lookout. The building is 12'x12'. Sides are boarded up 3 feet leaving space of 3 1/2 feet for observation. This space to be enclosed in stormy weather by a canvas curtain which may be rolled up during good weather. Building has a square roof. The surface of Bolivar is solid rock and the building is anchored by running number 9 telephone wire from each corner rafter in line therewith to an anchor bolt in the rock. Telephone instrument is attached to a heavy board extending downward from the center of rafters, and the fire finder mounted directly underneath it.

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The cost was as follows: Forest officers labor $39.80; Administration .42; Temporary help 25.00; Nails .50 = Total $64.80

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Since to secure the greatest efficiency from the lookouts the buildings should be of sufficient size to permit of this. Economy of space may be worked to a nicety. Alcohol stoves using solidified alcohol may be used for cooking purposes. Bed and table may be hinged to the wall."

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Photo was taken during the 1914 fire season. Courtesy of the Siskiyou National Forest Archives.

"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

Here Kitty,Kitty?

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

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"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.

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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:
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"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:
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Length of pack- 5 miles
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Maximum grade 50%. 0 to 10%, 3 miles. 10% and over, 2 miles.
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8 head of pack stock used.
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2 men, 6 days.
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45 horse loads.
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Maximum load, 190 lbs. Minimum load, 130 lbs. Average load 155 lbs.
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Cost of packing - $125.95
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Condition of stock at end of job: Good"
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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:
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"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."
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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:
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"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.
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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.
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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."
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A follow up story in the same newspaper dated July 13, 1917:
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"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."
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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.