BALD MOUNTAIN (HELLS CANYON)
Yamhill County - Siuslaw National Forest - 3S-6W-30
October 7, 1933: "Work is to start on a lookout house on Bald mountain on the line between Tillamook and Yamhill counties in the Siuslaw national forest as soon as a road now being built is completed, according to R.S. Shelley, supervisor of the forest." (The Eugene Guard)
January 10, 1934: "Due to break down of cats and bad weather we did not do all the work I had expected to complete. However it is now possible to drive a car or take equipment over a forest service road from Three Rivers R.S. to the new Hell Canyon Lookout site. As soon as weather permits in the spring, work should be started to bring this stretch of road up to standard required." (Letter to Siuslaw Forest Supervisor from L.E. Garwood, Forest Ranger, Hebo R.S.)
April 1934: At this time the lookout consisted of a roof-level platform built on a wooden frame at one end of the dirt floored cabin.
May 1, 1934: "A lookout cabin and tower will be built at Hell Canyon, near the head of the Nestucca river and Meadow lake, on the Hebo ranger district." (The Eugene Register-Guard)
May 3, 1934: "New lookout houses and towers will be built in the Siuslaw national forest this summer, it is announced by R.S. Shelley, supervisor.
A lookout tower and cabin will be built at Hell canyon, near the head of the Nestucca river and Meadow lake. (Morning Oregonian)
1935: The lookout reported to the Three Rivers Ranger Station by way of Tri County Telephone Company.
Removed
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY US FOREST SERVICE 1936
THIS OCCUPIED STATION IS ON HIGHEST POINT OF BALD MOUNTAIN,
ELEVATION ABOUT 3050 FEET, A PROMINENT POINT IN COAST RANGE
ABOUT 15 MILES AIR LINE NW OF MC MINNVILLE AND 3 MILES SW OF
MEADOW LAKE. THERE IS A HOUSE ON THIS SUMMIT, WITH A LOOKOUT
PLATFORM AND FIREFINDER BUILT ELEVATED TO THE W.
STATION IS MARKED BY A U.S.F.S. DISK IN BOULDER UNDER THIS
PLATFORM, AND IT IS ESTIMATED THAT DISK IS WITHIN 2 FEET OF
CENTER OF FIREFINDER, BUT MAY NOT BE CONCENTRIC. ALL DIRECTIONS
AND DISTANCES ARE TO DISK. CENTER OF HOUSE IS 6.1 METERS (20.0
FEET) E OF DISK.
STATION IS REACHED BY FOREST ROADS FROM WILLAMINA OR HEBO. THIS
IS THE SAME MOUNTAIN AS SHERIDAN PEAK.
STATION RECOVERY (1941)
RECOVERY NOTE BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1941 (ANS)
STATION IS LOCATED ON THE SUMMIT OF BALD MOUNTAIN, SITUATED
ABOUT 14 MILES N OF WILLAMINA, 14 MILES WNW OF MC MINNVILLE 10
MILES E OF BLAINE AND JUST E OF THE TILLAMOOK-YAMHILL COUNTY
LINE. THIS IS A SHORT TOWER AND IS ALSO KNOWN AS HELLS CANYON
LOOKOUT. THE TOP OF THE TOWER WAS INTERSECTED.
A USFS DISK WAS CENTERED BENEATH THE TOWER OF PLATFORM IN 1936.