CURRY COUNTY
BEAR CAMP
Siskiyou National Forest
34S-10W-12
34S-10W-12
February 1, 1914: "Bear Camp Ranger Station. Area, 40.00 acres.
Selection approved by District Forester July 17, 1912.
This station is used during the summer as headquarters for fire patrolmen. The improvements consist of a store house, valued at $50, and about 15 acres enclosed with a three wire and pole fence which cost $106.20. No hay is cut, but there is sufficient grass to support 2 horses during the fire season. A telephone line from this station connects with the main line on Rogue River, permitting communication to district ranger's and supervisor's headquarters. Being one-half mile distant from Bear Camp lookout, it is considered to be of great importance in the fire protection plan for this Forest.
There is sufficient water for domestic use and irrigation during the early part of the season.
The area has never been applied for under the Act of June 11, 1906." (L Stations, Siskiyou National Forest)
Selection approved by District Forester July 17, 1912.
This station is used during the summer as headquarters for fire patrolmen. The improvements consist of a store house, valued at $50, and about 15 acres enclosed with a three wire and pole fence which cost $106.20. No hay is cut, but there is sufficient grass to support 2 horses during the fire season. A telephone line from this station connects with the main line on Rogue River, permitting communication to district ranger's and supervisor's headquarters. Being one-half mile distant from Bear Camp lookout, it is considered to be of great importance in the fire protection plan for this Forest.
There is sufficient water for domestic use and irrigation during the early part of the season.
The area has never been applied for under the Act of June 11, 1906." (L Stations, Siskiyou National Forest)
August 1914: "Charles Simons at Bear Camp has erected a sort of tower at his lookout, this affords a much better view." (The Siskiyou Bulletin)
August 1915: "The material for the Bear Camp lookout cabin is most all on the ground and I believe we will have it ready for use next year. It is being built on the California Bulletin plan and when it is finished I will endeavor to photograph it and give a description in the Bulletin. Ranger DeWitt" (The Siskiyou Bulletin)
September 1915: "Charles Simons is being employed for a few days at Bear Camp finishing up the lookout cabin in order to have it in readiness for use next year. Assistant Ranger Allen is assisting him in this work. In this way we are also getting lookout service as any fires which may be seen from Bear Camp will be promptly reported." (The Siskiyou Bulletin)
July 1916: "Chas. Simons had the misfortune to have his horse killed a few days ago. He had him tied out near the lookout with a rope and he choked to death." (The Siskiyou Bulletin)
July 1916: "I have sent out some dynamite to the Bear Camp Lookout for signaling to the Bear Camp Fireman. In this way it will be possible to keep the fireman at work on trail maintenance or other improvement work within a radius of 3 miles from the lookout station. District Ranger" (The Siskiyou Bulletin)
June 1917: "Much difficulty was encountered in repairing the Bear Camp telephone line near the top on account of snow banks and in one place it was necessary to leave the wire under the snow and put in a new wire over the top." (The Siskiyou Bulletin)
1919: "Charles Simons, my old standby at Bear Camp is back on the job again after a years Military training and seems to be full of 'pep' and on the job stronger than ever. He says that the only thing that will make him real mad is the sound of a bugle at 4 am, when he is getting his 'beauty sleep.'" (The Siskiyou Bulletin)
July 5, 1921: "Four fire finders have been received by the local forestry office for distribution to various lookout stations in the county. By the use of these instruments the lookouts will be able to definitely place the fire before phoning in his information to the office. Bear Camp received one of them." (Grants Pass Daily Courier)
June 1922: "In repairing the Bear Camp telephone line we had to leave long stretches of wire buried under the snow and build a new line over the top. We found the cabin broken into as per usual and most of the equipment either moved out or knocked down so that the rats could destroy it. The lookout house was shaken a bit, most of the ceiling off, a window broken and the new fire finder rusted beyond all recognition. Outside of that everything was okey." (The Siskiyou Bulletin)
1932: An Aladdin style lookout house constructed.
September 1932: "The Galice District has one old time lookout who is serving his last year in that capacity. J.P. Emery has worked every summer since 1927 as a lookout-fireman and lookout.
Recently Emery was dispatched to two small fires near his lookout station on Bear Camp Mountain, which he found and put out. About the time he started back to his cabin the fog came in and soon all the timber and brush was dripping wet. Darkness soon fell, and to his dismay he found all his matches were wet, and that he had no means of lighting his bug. The result was that Emery missed his lookout trail and spent the night sitting under a tree - wet and cold. He says he shivered himself warm, and actually slept awhile before daylight." (The Siskiyou Bulletin)
Fall 1932: "Two of our trail men got quite excited recently. We had arranged a signal whereby at certain times each day they stepped out on a point and flashed to one of the lookout stations. If all was well the lookout would not return the signal, but if they were needed as occurred early in the month, the lookout was to flash back. Several days ago they flashed to Bear Camp as per schedule and received a flash in return. They accordingly dashed to camp, grabbed their fire outfit, and hurried down to Horseshoe Bend Guard Station to report to the P.A. The P.A. was dumbfounded as all was quiet and as should be, the only fire being on his heated brow and on the 929s he was working on. The boys insisted that had received a bon-a-fide flash, it being long and bright. The lookout swore that he knew nothing about it. It was finally concluded that the flash was from the saw of the carpenter who had just started to work on the Bear Camp Lookout cabin." (The Siskiyou Bulletin)
August 1933: "One day last week a 'smoke' was reported to the Rand Ranger Station by Lookout Lawson Thomas at Bear Camp and the alarm was sent on to Mt. Reuben Camp. The call reached the camp at 6:45 o'clock in the morning and at 7:35 a 15-man crew had been fed, equipped with tools, rations for 24 hours and other necessary equipment and on its way to the fire.
The fire was located by Ranger Cooper and Lookout Poindexter ahead of the crew and was found to be only a small bonfire at the J.C. Lewis mine on Whiskey Creek. A small quantity of pine needles in a yard were being burned with all necessary precautions having been taken to keep the blaze under control. Lack of wind and slightly high humidity at that hour caused the smoke to hang in the vicinity, thus giving the appearance of a small woods fire." (Six Twenty-Six)
May 1940: "Position provides good seen area in high hazard fuels. During the past three years fuel moistures have run very low. The dates suggested cover period which this station has been manned in the past. If anything, the season should be started about June 15." (Plans, Guard Placement, Siskiyou National Forest)
1941: The lookout station staffed 100 days, reported to the Rand Ranger Station by way of forest line to Pacific Telephone and Telegraph line.
Removed
DESIGNATION - BEAR CAMP
PID - NZ1312
STATE/COUNTY- OR/CURRY
COUNTRY - US
USGS QUAD - KELSEY PEAK (1989)
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1943 (JCS)
ABOUT 29 MILES NW OF GRANTS PASS, 13 MILES NW OF GALICE, AND 7
MILES S OF MARIAL, ON THE HIGHEST PART OF THE NE PORTION OF
PROMINENT BEAR CAMP RIDGE. IT IS 30 FEET S OF THE S SIDE OF THE
LOOKOUT HOUSE.
TO REACH THE STATION FROM GALICE, TAKE THE PEAVINE ROAD NW AND
UP GRADE 5.8 MILES TO PEAVINE SPUR LEADING TO THE RIGHT. CONTINUE
STRAIGHT AHEAD ON THE MAIN TRAVELED ROAD SW FOR 5.4 MILES TO FORKS
AT SOLDIER CAMP. TAKE THE RIGHT FORK FOR 1.8 MILES TO END OF
ROAD AT CAMP SITE AND BEGINNING OF BEAR CAMP, AGNESS AND HOBSON
HORN TRAILS. FROM HERE TAKE THE RIGHT HAND TRAIL (BEAR CAMP)
AND PACK TO THE N AND W FOR 9 MILES TO BEAR CAMP LOOKOUT AND THE
STATION.